Lancaster City Ghost Town

Lawrence County, South Dakota44.3792, -103.7742

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
1.9 miLead, SD
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Next ghost town
0.9 miGayville
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Lancaster City. No free-licensed photo yet.

Lancaster City is a former settlement in Lawrence County, South Dakota, listed among the ghost towns of South Dakota.

On the map

20 mi40 miRapid CitySpearfishSturgisBelle FourcheSummersetBlackhawkLancaster City
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Lancaster City. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lead, SD, about 1.9 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 35 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Gayville0.9 mi southeast
  2. Blacktail0.9 mi southeast
  3. Terraville1.3 mi south
  4. Maitland1.9 mi northwest
  5. Flatiron3.7 mi south
  6. Terry3.8 mi southwest
  7. Trojan4.1 mi southwest
  8. Carbonate4.9 mi west

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: South Dakota Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°3814Jan3914Feb4822Mar5530Apr6539May7549Jun8356Jul8254Aug7344Sep5831Oct4722Nov3814Dec
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Deadwood.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Deadwood station (USC00392207), 2.1 miles away.

Facts

LocationLawrence County, South Dakota
Coordinates44.37917, -103.77417
Also known asLancaster City, South Dakota
SourcesWikidata Q19879713 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Lancaster City ghost town?

In Lawrence County, South Dakota, at 44.3792, -103.7742. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lead, SD, about 1.9 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 35 miles away.

Can you visit Lancaster City?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: South Dakota Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Lancaster City?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Deadwood.

Are there other ghost towns near Lancaster City?

Yes. Gayville (0.9 mi), Blacktail (0.9 mi), Terraville (1.3 mi), Maitland (1.9 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

All 70 ghost towns in South Dakota · Ghost towns near Rapid City