No.
The only official “miles to Wall Drug” signs are scattered across South Dakota and neighboring states, including Wyoming and Minnesota. Signs around the world have been put there by “Wall Drug enthusiasts.”
The signs have become a ubiquitous part of driving across South Dakota ever since the mid-1930s, when Dorothy Hustead thought to advertise free water to tired and thirsty travelers. Hours after the signs were placed, business boomed.
There are about 300 official Wall Drug signs in the region, and each one is hand painted. They last 10-20 years before needing to be replaced.
The tradition of signs being placed around the world started during World War II, when a family friend of the Husteads who was stationed overseas made his own.
While there are no official signs across the world, others have made signs at Antarctica, the Great Wall of China, in Amsterdam and on a submarine.
This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Sioux Falls Argus Leader, How far away is the farthest official Wall Drug sign? No, it's not in China.
Flickr, Wall Drug sign in Amsterdam circa 2003
WallDrug.Com, History
WallDrug.com, Wall Drug signs
South Dakota News Watch partners with Gigafact to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
- Read previous fact briefs.
- Read our verification standards and other best practices policies.
- Submit a question for us to answer on the South Dakota News Watch Tipline.
- Send questions or feedback to factbrief@sdnewswatch.org.
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Michael Klinski at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.
