The Missouri River flows southeastward along its east boundary line.

The county terrain consists of rolling hills, sloping to the southeast.

The eastern part of the county is etched with gullies and drainages, flowing to the river basin.

[5] The county's highest point is in the SW corner, at 2,247 ft (685 m) ASL.

In terms of ancestry, 54.5% were German, 11.4% were Irish, 10.9% were Czech, 7.1% were English, 6.0% were Norwegian, and 2.4% were American.

Like almost all of rural America, recent swings away from the Democratic Party have been very rapid: Donald Trump's 79.0 percent of the county's vote is the largest any candidate has obtained in the county since South Dakota statehood.