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Traffic heat map of Union County, South Dakota: 252 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on I 29 and SD Highway 50

Union County, South Dakota Traffic Counts

How busy are the roads of Union County, South Dakota? We measure 252 road miles, divided into 1,547 segments, with multi-sourced, cross-verified mobile and sensor data. Trips here are the shortest of any county in South Dakota, a median 25.9 minutes. The breakdown below covers volume, trucks, congestion and driver profiles for retailers, logistics planners and engineers.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Union County, South Dakota

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day1,628
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

16.2%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

25.9 min
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

44.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$81,288

A typical monitored road in Union County, South Dakota sees 1,628 vehicles per day, while its 252 miles of monitored roads together handle 841,436 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈307 million per year). Freight weighs heavily here: trucks are 16.2% of traffic, against 10.3% across South Dakota.

The shortest trips of any county in South Dakota

Union's average daily traffic volume is 48% lower than the state average - 1,628 vehicles per day against 3,156 - suggesting less traffic load per road - less drive-by exposure for retail, but easier access for deliveries. Network-wide, Union accounts for about 3.4% of South Dakota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. 71% of counties in South Dakota see less traffic than Union's 1,628 vehicles per day.

At 25.9 minutes, the average travel time is 20% lower than the state level. Union additionally records the lowest average travel time of any county in South Dakota - 25.9 minutes.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Union County, South Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day6,051
Trucks17.8%
Average travel time45.7 min
Drivers’ average age43.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income$80,746

The vast majority of driving in Union County, South Dakota happens on highways: 84% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 6,051 vehicles per day, 368% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 1,293 vehicles per day.

With 39% of the road miles (98 miles in 109 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 710,720 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈259 million per year).

No more than 2 other counties in South Dakota move more traffic on their highways.

More highway trucks than 98% of counties in South Dakota

At 17.8%, highway truck share is 31% higher than the state average. Highways here lean toward freight, so highway access is a real asset for logistics operators.

Union's highway truck share (17.8%) is higher than 88% of counties in South Dakota. By raw truck volume, Union carries more highway trucks than 98% of counties in South Dakota.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Union County, South Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day1,293
Trucks7.4%
Average travel time24.4 min
Drivers’ average age46.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income$82,963

Local roads carry a smaller share of travel in Union County, South Dakota, 16% of vehicle-miles; most driving happens on highways. A typical local road sees 1,293 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 61% of the monitored road miles (155 miles in 1,438 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 130,716 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈47.7 million per year). About 1 in 14 vehicles on non-highway roads is a truck (7.4%).

Drivers from higher-income areas than 89% of counties in South Dakota

Non-highway roads carry a truck concentration that's 59% lower than the highway network.

89% of counties in South Dakota see lower average driver income among trip origins than Union. The driver population here skews younger than 83% of counties in South Dakota.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–9:00 AM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 72% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekend traffic is about as busy as on weekdays (-3%): leisure and through trips largely replace the commute.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +17% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -24% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Union County, South Dakota, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +17% in high season.

Union County vs. South Dakota Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, truck share differs most: Union County runs 57% above the South Dakota average. Its average daily traffic per road, by contrast, is 48% below.

MetricUnion CountySouth Dakota averageDifference
Traffic1,6283,156-48.4%
Truck % (Total Traffic)16.2%10.3%+57.4%
Truck % (Highway)17.8%13.6%+31.1%
Avg. Travel Time25.9 min32.5 min-20.4%

How Union County compares

Union County has a higher truck share than any nearby county

Set against the average of the 4 areas nearest to it, Union County sees 25.0% shorter typical trips and runs 6.9 percentage points more truck traffic; it has the third busiest roads of the five. It is bigger rather than busier: the extra travel comes from carrying more road, not from heavier roads.

Union County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the South Dakota average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Union County1,62816.2%841,43625.9 minN/A
Clay County, South Dakota1,6078.6%244,63531.7 min8.8%
Plymouth County, Iowa1,9349.3%804,17734.5 min8.3%
Dixon County, Nebraska1,2629.0%128,18442.6 minN/A
Dakota County, Nebraska2,78810.3%357,47128.9 minN/A
South Dakota average3,15610.3%N/A32.5 min12.9%

Union County ranked within South Dakota

On highway travel volume and highway truck volume, Union County is among the three highest county-level areas in South Dakota.

Union County ranked among 66 county-level areas in South Dakota (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 49.
MeasureUnion CountySouth Dakota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)1,628#20 of 66
Highway vehicle-miles per day710,720#3 of 49
Truck share on highways17.8%#7 of 49
Highway trucks per day1,077#2 of 49
Average travel time25.9 min#66 of 66
Average driver income$81,288#8 of 66
Average driver age44.6 yrs#55 of 66

Union County ranks #2 of 49 on highway truck volume but #66 of 66 on average travel time - the two describe the same roads and are worth reading together rather than either on its own.

Busiest roads in Union County, South Dakota

The three busiest roads in Union County average 9,315 vehicles a day, 5.7 times the county average of 1,628 across all its monitored roads.

I 29 is the busiest road, at 14,483 vehicles a day, 2,590 of them trucks (17.9%). No other road comes close: SD Highway 50, in second place, carries 7,550. It also carries the most trucks.

Trips using SD Highway 50 are long: a median of 48.2 minutes against 25.9 county-wide, the mark of a through route.

Dakota Dunes Boulevard is busy with cars rather than freight: only 4.7% of its traffic is trucks, against 16.2% county-wide.

Drivers on Dakota Dunes Boulevard come from neighborhoods with an average household income of $105,672, 30% above the county average of $81,288.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 29Motorway · 14,483vehicles2,590trucks · 17.9%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
45.4 min
Drivers’ median age
44.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$80,840

Drivers on I 29 are on long journeys, a median 45.4 minutes against 25.9 county-wide: a through route more than a local street.

2SD Highway 50Trunk road · 7,550vehicles850trucks · 11.2%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
48.2 min
Drivers’ median age
42.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$74,627

At 4.6 times the county average, SD Highway 50 draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $74,627 in household income.

3Dakota Dunes BoulevardTertiary road · 5,913vehicles275trucks · 4.7%
Road class
Tertiary road
Median trip time
23.6 min
Drivers’ median age
46.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$105,672

The busiest stretch of Dakota Dunes Boulevard carries 3.6 times the county average; trucks are 4.7% of it, below the county-wide 16.2%.

4River DriveSecondary road · 5,487vehicles428trucks · 7.8%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
24.6 min
Drivers’ median age
46.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$81,216

On its busiest stretch, River Drive carries 3.4 times the county average; trucks are 7.8% of it, below the county-wide 16.2%.

5Shore DriveTertiary road · 5,153vehicles271trucks · 5.3%
Road class
Tertiary road
Median trip time
23.0 min
Drivers’ median age
46.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$85,263

Shore Drive peaks at 5,153 vehicles a day, 3.2 times the county average; trucks are 5.3% of it, below the county-wide 16.2%.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 29Motorway · #1 by traffic14,483vehicles2,590trucks · 17.9%
2SD Highway 50Trunk road · #2 by traffic7,550vehicles850trucks · 11.2%
3477th AvenuePrimary road · 4,066vehicles450trucks · 11.1%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
23.5 min
Drivers’ median age
44.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$83,775

477th Avenue carries 2.5 times the county average at its busiest, 450 of them trucks (11.1%, below the county-wide 16.2%).

4River DriveSecondary road · #4 by traffic5,487vehicles428trucks · 7.8%
5Main StreetPrimary road · 4,059vehicles347trucks · 8.6%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
23.2 min
Drivers’ median age
45.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,380

Main Street carries 2.5 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 23.2 minutes.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

UnionDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Union County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Union County, South Dakota.

Need segment-level traffic data?

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