Watertown is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Codington County,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

, United States. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center which houses many of the original art works produced by

Terry Redlin Terry Avon Redlin (July 11, 1937 – April 24, 2016) was an American artist popular for painting outdoor themes and wildlife, often pictured in twilight. During the 1990s he was frequently named "America's most popular artist" in annual gallery su ...

, one of America's most popular wildlife artists. Watertown is located between Pelican Lake and

Lake Kampeska Lake Kampeska is a inland glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end ...

, from which Redlin derived inspiration for his artwork. The population was 22,655 at the 2020 census, making Watertown the 5th largest city in South Dakota. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties. Watertown also is home to the

Bramble Park Zoo Bramble Park Zoo is located in Watertown, South Dakota. Open since 1912, the zoo comprises with approximately 500 animals representing 130 different species. Bramble Park Zoo has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums ...

. Watertown's residential real estate is considered the most expensive in South Dakota for cities of its size; the median price for a home in Watertown is approximately $200,000.

Geography

Watertown is located at (44.903433, -97.120437), along the Big Sioux River. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Watertown sits on the Big Sioux River and two major lakes, Pelican Lake and

. Most of Watertown also sits upon a short

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

. The elevation at Watertown Regional Airport is 1,745 feet. Watertown has been assigned the ZIP code 57201 and the

FIPS place code The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed for use in computer systems of non-military, American ...

69300.

History

Watertown was founded in 1879 as a rail terminus when the

Chicago & Northwestern Railroad The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befo ...

reactivated part of a line it had constructed to

. Despite the prominence of rivers and lakes in the area, the city was named after Watertown, New York, the hometown of brothers John E. Kemp and Oscar P. Kemp, two of the city's founders. The town's name was originally planned to be named Kampeska. During the 1880s, Watertown prospered as a transportation hub after the railroads had been extended farther west. Along with several other cities, Watertown had been a candidate as capital of the new state of South Dakota, although it lost out to the more centrally located

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

. The city's current newspaper, the ''

Watertown Public Opinion The ''Watertown Public Opinion'' is published in Watertown, South Dakota, United States, serving eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. The fourth largest newspaper in South Dakota publishes in the afternoon, Tuesday through Friday. Hist ...

'', began publishing in 1887. In the mid-20th century,

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

was constructed through eastern South Dakota.Schell, p. 333. The route included a slight bend to bring the interstate closer to Watertown. The interstate's construction has been a major economic benefit to Watertown and the large communities next to it.

Climate

In the last decades the climate is configured as hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

( Köppen: ''Dfa''), although it had a warm-summer previously (''Dfb''). Although it is a humid city it is relatively dry for its climatic category, due to its position in the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, a ...

, which still provides an even greater thermal amplitude, especially in the higher values.

Demographics

The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,994. About 5.7% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 21,482 people, 9,278 households, and 5,563 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 10,050 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 9,278 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 20,237 people, 8,385 households, and 5,290 families residing in the city. The

was 1,328.9 people per square mile (513.0/km²). There were 9,193 housing units at an average density of 603.7 per square mile (233.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.25%

, 0.14%

, 1.65% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.71% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. 47.1% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 19.8% Norwegian and 5.9% Irish ancestry. 96.5% spoke

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 1.7%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and 1.1%

as their first language. There were 8,385 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100

females Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females ...

age 18 and over, there were 93.9

males Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...

Education

Watertown has two institutions providing post-secondary education. Lake Area Technical College is a public technical school classified as a community college, offering degrees in areas such as Agriculture, Nursing, and Welding. There is also a satellite campus of Mount Marty College, a private Catholic school based in Yankton, South Dakota. Lake Area Technical College received the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, following three previous Finalist-With-Distinction honors in 2011, 2013, and 2015 (bi-annual competition/selection process). The Prize was awarded by the Aspen Institute in March 2017 in Washington, D.C. following an intense data collection process by Aspen officials that included a rigorous review of critical elements of student success including learning, completion, and employment after college. Watertown has one public high school, Watertown High School, and one private boarding school, Great Plains Lutheran High School, of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwauk ...

. Watertown Middle School (7th and 8th grades) is the only public middle school in Watertown. Construction of the Middle School was completed in August 2015. The community's “Prairie Lakes Wellness Center”, opened in 2017, is adjacent to the Middle School. When the Middle School opened in 2015, the prior middle school was completely renovated and became the Intermediate School (5th and 6th grades). There are multiple elementary schools in Watertown. The five public elementary schools include: Lincoln Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, McKinnely Elementary, and Mellette Elementary
Immaculate Conception School
is a private Catholic elementary school
St. Martin's Lutheran School
is a private Lutheran elementary school of the

WELS Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the eighth largest city in Austria. Geography Wels is in the ...

Watertown Christian School
is a private non-denominational

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

elementary school. The Watertown Regional Library is the town's main library, located on 6th St. NE, and open every day of the week. Harmony Hill High School was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

girls

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...

in Watertown from 1967 to 1974.

Points of interest

* Redlin Art Center *

* Codington County Heritage Museum * Mellette House
Watertown Family Aquatic Center
* Watertown Stadium *

* Pelican Lake
Watertown Regional Library

Local media

* ''Newspaper'' ** The ''

'' is the local daily newspaper.

Television

AM radio

FM radio

Transportation

-serves Watertown at Exits 177 and 180 * U.S. Highway 81 * U.S. Highway 212 *

South Dakota Highway 20 South Dakota Highway 20 (SD 20) is a state highway in northern South Dakota, United States, that connects the Montana state line, west-southwest of Camp Crook, with the Minnesota state line, east-southeast of Revillo, via Buffalo, ...

*20th Avenue South, 20th Avenue Southeast, and 29th Street Southeast-Alternate City Truck Route around the south side of Watertown. *448th Avenue and North Lake Drive-Former South Dakota Highway 139; runs along the west side of

. Watertown also has one

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

, Watertown Regional Airport, served by two commercial airlines, and local bus service provided by the Watertown Area Transit Corporation.

Notable people

* Cleveland Abbott (

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

) Multiple hall of fame coach and educator * Sylvia Bacon (born 1931), Judge of the Superior Court, District of Columbia * Nancy Turbak Berry, trial attorney and South Dakota state senator * Stephen Foster Briggs (1885-1976), founder

Briggs & Stratton Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Engine production averages 10 million units per year as of April 2015. The company reports that it has 13 large facili ...

Corporation * John Hamre (born 1950), Deputy Secretary of Defense and international studies specialist * Fred H. Hildebrandt, U.S. Representative from South Dakota * Wendell Hurlbut (1918-2011), amusement park designer *

J. A. Jance Judith Ann (J. A.) Jance (born October 27, 1944) is an American author of mystery novels. She writes three series of novels, centering on retired Seattle Police Department Detective J. P. Beaumont, Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady, and ...

(born 1944), writer * Charles B. Kornmann (born 1937), federal judge on

United States District Court for the District of South Dakota The United States District Court for the District of South Dakota (in case citations, D.S.D.) is the United States District Court or the Federal district court, whose jurisdiction for issues pertaining to federal law or diversity for the state of ...

* Jake Krull (1938-2016), U.S. General and South Dakota state senator * George R. Mather, General in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, Commander in Chief,

United States Southern Command The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, o ...

(USCINCSO) from 1969 to 1971 * Arthur C. Mellette, (1842-1896), last Dakota Territorial Governor and first Governor of the State of South Dakota. *

Kristi Noem Kristi Lynn Noem (; née Arnold; born November 30, 1971) is an American politician serving as the 33rd governor of South Dakota since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2019 and a member ...

, (born 1971), current Governor of the State of South Dakota. *

Hope A. Olson Hope A. Olson is Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Information Studies, School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She was previously a professor at the University of Alberta. Fr ...

, author and professor in the field of information studies * Henry Roberts Pease (1837-1907) Civil War veteran and United States Senator from Mississippi * Lee Raymond, (born 1938), chemical engineer and long-time Chairman and CEO,

Exxon Corporation ExxonMobil Corporation (commonly shortened to Exxon) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is the largest direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, and was formed on November 3 ...

and

ExxonMobil ExxonMobil Corporation (commonly shortened to Exxon) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is the largest direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, and was formed on November 3 ...

, born and attended primary and secondary school in Watertown *

(1937-2016), wildlife artist and Redlin Art Center * Bob Scholtz (born 1937), American football player *

Joseph Schull Joseph Schull, OC (6 February 1906 – 19 May 1980) was a Canadian playwright and historian who wrote more than two dozen books and 200 plays for radio and television. Born in Watertown, South Dakota, he moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1913. ...

(6 February 1906 – 19 May 1980), Canadian playwright and historian * Ramona Solberg (1921-2005), jeweler *

Lee Schoenbeck Lee Anton Schoenbeck (born May 14, 1958) is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of the South Dakota Senate from the 5th district. He is the President Pro Tempore of the South Dakota Senate. He is a member of the Republican P ...

(born 1958), lawyer and current President Pro Tempore of the State Senate *

Neal Tapio Neal Tapio (born September 19, 1970) is an American businessman, South Dakota state senator, and a former candidate for U.S. Representative for . Tapio gained attention as an early supporter of Donald Trump and served as the Trump presidential ...

(born 1970), businessman and former Trump presidential campaign director for South Dakota * Timmy Williams (born 1981), American comedian of '' The Whitest Kids U' Know'' * Roger Zwieg (1942-2015),

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

test pilot and flight instructor

Notable visitors

Former President Barack Obama has visited the city twice, first in 2008 during his presidential campaign, and again on May 8, 2015, to address the graduating class of 2015 from Lake Area Technical College.

Major employers

According to the City's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

*
Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce

Watertown Public Opinion - local newspaper

Watertown Regional Library Website

School District Website
{{Authority control Cities in Codington County, South Dakota Cities in South Dakota County seats in South Dakota Watertown, South Dakota micropolitan area