South Dakota Highway 63 (SD 63) is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

in central

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

, United States, that connects U.S. Route 18 (US 18) south-southeast of Parmelee with the

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

state line north of McLaughlin. It consists of two disconnected segments. The southern segment begins at US 18 south-southeast of Parmelee and proceeds to a rural

intersection In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, their i ...

just south of Norris. The much-longer northern segment, which is long, begins at an intersection with SD 44 just south of Corn Creek and ends at the

state line north of McLaughlin, where the roadway continues as North Dakota Highway 6 (ND 6). Portions of SD 63 north of US 14/ SD 34 west of Hayes are part of the

Lewis and Clark Trail The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is a route across the United States commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806. It is part of the National Trails System of the United States. It extends for some from Pittsburgh, Pen ...

. The segment of the highway, from US 14/SD 34 just west of Hayes, to US 212 west of Eagle Butte, is part of the Native American Scenic Byway. The portion of the highway, from just north of the

with SD 44 to a point approximately south of Belvidere, is a

dirt road A dirt road or track is a type of unpaved road not paved with asphalt, concrete, brick, or stone; made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable ...

Route description

Southern segment

The southern segment of SD 63 begins at an

with U.S. Route 18 (US 18) south-southeast of Parmelee, in the northwestern part of both Todd County and the

Rosebud Indian Reservation The Rosebud Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States. It is the home of the federally recognized Rosebud Sioux Tribe, who are Sicangu, a band of Lakota people. The Lakota name ''Sicangu Oyate'' translates as t ...

. After traveling westward through Parmelee, the highway crosses over Cut Meat Creek and then skirt along the northern edge of Eagle Feather Lake. It curves to the north-northeast and makes a stairstep pattern to the west before resuming a northward path. At an intersection with the appropriately-named County Line Road, the highway leaves Todd County and the Rosebud Indian Reservation and enters the southwestern part of Mellette County. SD 63 crosses over Gray Eagletail Creek and then curves to the west. Just south of Norris, it curves to the north and immediately meets its northern terminus, an intersection with the northern terminus of 246th Avenue.

Northern segment

Mellette County

SD 63 resumes approximately to the north, just south of Corn Creek, in the west-central portion of Mellette County, at an intersection with SD 44. At the northern end of Corn Creek, just south of an intersection with Wooden Knif Lane, the pavement ends, and the roadway becomes a

. It curves to the north-northeast and crosses over Black Pipe Creek. The highway winds its way to the north and slightly bends more to the west. At a second crossing of Black Pipe Creek, it enters the northeastern part of both Jackson County and the

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Gr ...

. It also enters the

Mountain Time Zone The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time ( UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time ( UTC−06:00). The clo ...

Jackson County

At a crossing of the White River, SD 63 leaves the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It curves to the north and enters Belvidere. At an intersection with D Street, the dirt road ends and the paved portion resumes. on the northern edge of Belvidere, it intersects the former path of SD 248. Then, it has an interchange with

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

(I-90). Here, I-90 and SD 63 travel concurrently to the east. Almost immediately, they cross over Brave Bull Creek. The eastbound lanes have a

rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway servi ...

before the roadway curves to the northeast. The westbound lanes then have a rest area before the highways split. SD 63 heads to the north-northwest and curves to the north, before resuming its north-northwest direction. SD 63 then enters the southeastern part of Haakon County.

Southern Haakon County

SD 63 continues to the north-northwest. It crosses over the Bad River and then crosses over some

railroad tracks A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...

of the

Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad is a Class II railroad operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in the northern plains of the United States. Portions of the railroad also extend into Wyoming and Nebraska. It is owned and opera ...

before cutting across the southeastern part of Midland. Just after leaving the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate limi ...

of Midland, it intersects US 14. Here, it turns right and travels concurrently with US 14, while the roadway continues as 248th Avenue. Almost immediately, US 14/SD 63 re-enter Midland. The last intersection in Midland, the appropriately-named Midland Avenue, leads to the

business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of the town. The concurrency curves to the north-northwest. After a curve to the north-northeast, they head to the north again. Then, they enter the southwestern part of Stanley County.

Stanley County

US 14/SD 63 travels due north and slide slightly to the east just before they split. They intersect SD 34 approximately west of Hayes. US 14 follows SD 34 east of this intersection, while SD 63 follows SD 34 west for about . When SD 63 splits off, it travels due north to the northwestern part of the county. It then slides slightly to the west and resumes its northward trek. It curves to the west-northwest and re-enters Haakon County, this time in the northeastern part of the county.

Northern Haakon County

SD 63 curves to the west-southwest and crosses over Sage Creek. The highway curves to the north-northwest and crosses over Hermaphrodite Creek. The highway then crosses over the

Cheyenne River The Cheyenne River ( lkt, Wakpá Wašté; "Good River"), also written ''Chyone'', referring to the Cheyenne people who once lived there, is a tributary of the Missouri River in the U.S. states of Wyoming and South Dakota. It is approximately 2 ...

. Here, it enters the southeastern part of

Ziebach County Ziebach County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,413. Its county seat is Dupree. It is the last county (or county equivalent) in the United States alphabetically. The county's per-capit ...

and the south-central part of the

Cheyenne River Indian Reservation The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation was created by the United States in 1889 by breaking up the Great Sioux Reservation, following the attrition of the Lakota in a series of wars in the 1870s. The reservation covers almost all of Dewey ...

Ziebach County

SD 63 crosses over Dupree Creek. It then curves to the northwest and then to the north. At an intersection with Airport Road, which leads to Cheyenne–Eagle Butte Airport, the highway enters Dewey County.

Dewey County

SD 63 begins to skirt along the western edge of North Eagle Butte. It intersects US 212 on the northwestern edge of the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP). US 212 and SD 63 travel concurrently to the east, along the northern edge of the CDP. They enter the city limits of North Eagle Butte and pass some sewage disposal ponds. After leaving the city limits, they skirt along the southern edge of the CDP. When SD 63 splits off to the north, it skirts along the eastern edge of North Eagle Butte. It curves to the north-northwest and skirts along the eastern edge of Green Grass. It crosses over the Moreau River and curves back to the north. Approximately east-northeast of

Firesteel A fire striker is a piece of carbon steel from which sparks are struck by the sharp edge of flint, chert or similar rock. It is a specific tool used in fire making. History In early times, percussion fire making was often used to start fir ...

, it intersects SD 20. The two highways travel concurrently in a due-east direction, while the roadway continue as County Road 3B (CR 3B). They curve to the east-northeast and cut through the northern part of Timber Lake. They curve to the north-northeast and north, before curving back to the east. SD 20/SD 63 then travel along the Dewey– Corson county line. SD 63 splits off from SD 20 about west of Trail City. It travels in a due-north direction and enters the southeastern part of both Corson County and the

Standing Rock Indian Reservation The Standing Rock Reservation ( lkt, Íŋyaŋ Woslál Háŋ) lies across the border between North and South Dakota in the United States, and is inhabited by ethnic "Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands of Lakota Oyate and the Ihunktuwona and Pabaksa ...

Corson County

SD 63 curves to the north-northeast and crosses over the Grand River. It then curves to the north-northwest and skirts along the western edge of

Little Eagle The little eagle (''Hieraaetus morphnoides'') is a very small eagle native to Australia, measuring 45–55 cm (17–21.5 inches) in length and weighing 815 g (1.8 lb), roughly the size of a peregrine falcon. It tends to inhabit open w ...

. It curves back to the north and then enters McLaughlin. There, it has an intersection with US 12. Immediately after this intersection is a crossing of some railroad tracks of

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

. The highway crosses over Oak Creek and continues to the north to the

state line. Here, SD 63 intersects 100th Street and reaches its northern terminus, while the roadway continues as North Dakota Highway 6 (ND 6).

History

In the mid-1920s, a southern segment of SD 63 traveled from the

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

state line, south of Olsonville to Murdo. This changed in 1927, when SD 63 was truncated to end at US 14, and the former southern segment was renumbered SD 59. In the 1960s, extensions of SD 63 were implemented. Around 1960, SD 63 was extended south to US 16 near Stamford. By 1965, it was placed on a concurrency with SD 40 (now SD 44) south from Belvidere, ending west of Cedar Butte. By 1971, it was extended to US 18 near Parmlee, where it currently ends. On the northern end of the highway, SD 63 originally did not exist north of Timber Lake (the original northern terminus of SD 63). Around 1944, another segment of SD 63 from McLaughlin to

was added, replacing SD 61. Between 1948 and 1953, the highway was realigned to begin approximately east of Firesteel. Between 1965 and 1971, the far northern segment was extended south from McLaughlin to SD 20, then west to connect with the other segment. A resolution in the 2007 legislative session urged

South Dakota Department of Transportation The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of South Dakota. South Dakota has 82,447 miles of highways, roads and streets, as well as 5,905 br ...

(SDDOT) to work to connect the two segments of the highway. Currently, the segment in between is a county road, which has over 400 vehicles per day travel on it.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
The Unofficial South Dakota Highways Page: Highways 61-100
0063 Transportation in Todd County, South Dakota Transportation in Mellette County, South Dakota Transportation in Jackson County, South Dakota Transportation in Haakon County, South Dakota Transportation in Stanley County, South Dakota Transportation in Ziebach County, South Dakota Transportation in Dewey County, South Dakota Transportation in Corson County, South Dakota