South Dakota is a big state. Out of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 17th in terms of area, just ahead of Washington state and just behind the state of Nebraska (only by a mere 200 square miles). With a state as big as ours, temperatures vary depending on where you are. But where's the warmest spot in South Dakota, anyway?

There are a few different answers to this question. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the state was in the tiny unincorporated community of Usta. On July 15, 2006, it happened when the tiny village recorded a scolding hot temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Where exactly is Usta, you might ask? About 5 hours west of Sioux Falls, in Perkins County. Surprisingly, it's only about an hour's drive from where the coldest temperature ever recorded was, McIntosh, South Dakota, which once hit 58 below in February of 1936. Usta is in the northwest part of South Dakota, next to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, in one of the most sparsely populated parts of the entire state.

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The warmest town on average in the state of South Dakota? That's located somewhere entirely different. The small town of Interior, South Dakota holds the title for warmest temperature year-round, with an annual temperature of 64 degrees. Want to pack your bags and move to the state's warmest town? The good news is, it's located right outside Badlands National Park. The bad news? Well, if you're commuting from Sioux Falls, you've got quite a drive ahead of you, as it clocks in at just over 4 hours away from the Sioux Empire metro.

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