Aberdeen, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Ablíla
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Downtown
Capitol Theatre
Aberdeen Federal Building
Dacotah Prairie Museum
Aberdeen Civic Arena
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![]() Location in Brown County and the state of South Dakota
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Country | United States |
State | South Dakota |
County | Brown |
Established | June 15, 1879 |
Settled | 1880 |
Incorporated (town) | July 6, 1881 |
Incorporated (city) | May 8, 1882 |
Area | |
• City | 16.59 sq mi (42.98 km2) |
• Land | 16.52 sq mi (42.78 km2) |
• Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
Elevation | 1,299 ft (396 m) |
Population
(2020)
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• City | 28,495 |
• Estimate
(2022)
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28,210 |
• Rank | US: 1393rd SD: 3rd |
• Density | 1,725.19/sq mi (666.11/km2) |
• Urban | 27,982 |
• Metro | 42,037 (US: 300th) |
Demonym(s) | Aberdonian |
Time zone | UTC–6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC–5 (CDT) |
ZIP codes |
57401-57402
|
Area code(s) | 605 |
Sales tax | 6.2% |
GNIS feature ID | 1267258 |
Aberdeen (Lakota: Ablíla) is a city in Brown County, South Dakota, United States. It's the main city of the county and is about 125 miles northeast of Pierre, South Dakota. In 2020, 28,495 people lived here, making it the third-largest city in South Dakota. Aberdeen is also home to Northern State University.
Contents
History of Aberdeen
Early Settlement
Before European settlers arrived, the Sioux Indians lived in the Aberdeen area from about 1700 to 1879. In the 1820s, Europeans came to the region to set up fur trading posts. These were places where people traded animal furs. The first Native American group in this area was the Arikara Indians.
The first group of Euro-American settlers came to what is now Brown County with horses, mules, cattle, and wagons. More settlers joined them later, and they started a town called Columbia, South Dakota in 1879.
How Aberdeen Started
Like many towns in the Midwest, Aberdeen grew because of the new railroad lines. The city was officially planned on January 3, 1881. It was named by Alexander Mitchell, whose boss was Charles Prior. Mitchell was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and named the new town after his hometown.
Aberdeen officially began on July 6, 1881, when the first train from the Milwaukee Railroad arrived. The city got its official rules from the government in March 1883.
As Aberdeen grew, many shops and buildings were built along Main Street. But there was a big problem: Aberdeen often flooded. People even called it "The Town in the Frog Pond." When it rained a lot, the basements of buildings on Main Street would fill with water. It took days or weeks to pump the water out, and often it would rain again, causing more floods.
To fix this, the city decided in 1882 to build a special ditch. Later, in 1884, they dug an artesian well to get water and stop the flooding. But when they dug the well, the water shot out with huge force, covering Main Street in up to four feet of water! Engineers then added a special valve to control the water flow, giving Aberdeen its first working water supply.
Aberdeen had four different railroad companies with stations in the town. Because these four railroads met here, Aberdeen became known as the "Hub City of the Dakotas." If you looked down from above, the railroad tracks coming into Aberdeen looked like the spokes of a wheel meeting at the center, or "hub." These railroads helped Aberdeen grow a lot. Today, only the BNSF Railway still runs through Aberdeen.
L. Frank Baum, who later wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, lived in Aberdeen with his family from 1888 to 1891. He tried running a store called Baum's Bazaar, but it didn't work out. He then worked for one of the city's newspapers. In his articles, he supported women's suffrage, which was about women getting the right to vote. Aberdeen has a small amusement park with features inspired by the Oz books.
Geography and Climate
Where is Aberdeen?
Aberdeen is in northeastern South Dakota, in the James River valley. It's about 11 miles west of the James River. The river has two reservoirs (man-made lakes) northeast of the city. A slow-moving stream called Moccasin Creek flows through the city.
The city covers about 15.60 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.
Aberdeen's Weather
Aberdeen has a humid continental climate, which means it has four clear seasons. Summers are hot and a bit humid, while winters are cold and dry.
- The average temperature in January is about 12.8°F.
- The average temperature in July is about 72.3°F.
- Each year, there are about 16 days where the temperature reaches 90°F or higher.
- There are about 38 days where the temperature drops below 0°F.
- Snowfall is usually light to medium, adding up to about 42 inches per year.
- Rainfall is about 21.8 inches per year, mostly in the warmer months.
The coldest temperature ever recorded was -46°F, and the hottest was 115°F.
Climate data for Aberdeen, South Dakota (Aberdeen Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
70 (21) |
86 (30) |
98 (37) |
110 (43) |
112 (44) |
115 (46) |
112 (44) |
107 (42) |
96 (36) |
79 (26) |
69 (21) |
115 (46) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 44.6 (7.0) |
47.5 (8.6) |
64.5 (18.1) |
81.1 (27.3) |
89.2 (31.8) |
93.4 (34.1) |
95.9 (35.5) |
93.4 (34.1) |
90.2 (32.3) |
81.4 (27.4) |
64.2 (17.9) |
46.6 (8.1) |
98.0 (36.7) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 23.7 (−4.6) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
41.7 (5.4) |
57.6 (14.2) |
70.4 (21.3) |
80.2 (26.8) |
84.9 (29.4) |
82.9 (28.3) |
74.9 (23.8) |
59.3 (15.2) |
42.5 (5.8) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
56.3 (13.5) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 12.8 (−10.7) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
44.5 (6.9) |
57.3 (14.1) |
67.6 (19.8) |
72.3 (22.4) |
69.7 (20.9) |
60.9 (16.1) |
46.3 (7.9) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
44.0 (6.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 1.9 (−16.7) |
6.3 (−14.3) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
44.3 (6.8) |
55.1 (12.8) |
59.7 (15.4) |
56.5 (13.6) |
46.8 (8.2) |
33.3 (0.7) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
7.9 (−13.4) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −24.3 (−31.3) |
−18.2 (−27.9) |
−5.6 (−20.9) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
42.4 (5.8) |
47.6 (8.7) |
43.8 (6.6) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
15.8 (−9.0) |
0.1 (−17.7) |
−16.6 (−27.0) |
−28.1 (−33.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | −46 (−43) |
−46 (−43) |
−32 (−36) |
−6 (−21) |
13 (−11) |
28 (−2) |
35 (2) |
30 (−1) |
11 (−12) |
−6 (−21) |
−27 (−33) |
−39 (−39) |
−46 (−43) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.55 (14) |
0.62 (16) |
0.89 (23) |
1.91 (49) |
3.28 (83) |
3.76 (96) |
3.09 (78) |
2.24 (57) |
1.99 (51) |
2.14 (54) |
0.74 (19) |
0.61 (15) |
21.82 (554) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.8 (20) |
8.6 (22) |
6.3 (16) |
4.2 (11) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (3.3) |
6.5 (17) |
8.0 (20) |
42.7 (108) |
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 8.1 (21) |
8.7 (22) |
7.6 (19) |
2.7 (6.9) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
3.8 (9.7) |
6.7 (17) |
12.9 (33) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 10.4 | 11.5 | 10.1 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 98.3 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 6.9 | 34.2 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 72.8 | 74.1 | 73.4 | 64.9 | 62.4 | 67.3 | 64.4 | 63.5 | 66.3 | 67.3 | 75.1 | 76.3 | 69.0 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 3.4 (−15.9) |
10.9 (−11.7) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
32.4 (0.2) |
43.2 (6.2) |
54.7 (12.6) |
58.8 (14.9) |
55.8 (13.2) |
45.9 (7.7) |
35.1 (1.7) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
9.7 (−12.4) |
32.8 (0.4) |
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1964–1990) |
People of Aberdeen
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1890 | 3,182 | — | |
1900 | 4,087 | 28.4% | |
1910 | 10,753 | 163.1% | |
1920 | 14,537 | 35.2% | |
1930 | 16,465 | 13.3% | |
1940 | 17,015 | 3.3% | |
1950 | 21,061 | 23.8% | |
1960 | 23,073 | 9.6% | |
1970 | 26,476 | 14.7% | |
1980 | 25,851 | −2.4% | |
1990 | 24,927 | −3.6% | |
2000 | 24,658 | −1.1% | |
2010 | 26,091 | 5.8% | |
2020 | 28,495 | 9.2% | |
2022 (est.) | 28,210 | 8.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
Aberdeen is the main city in the Aberdeen Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Brown and Edmunds counties. In 2020, about 42,287 people lived in this larger area.
Population in 2020
In 2020, there were 28,495 people and 12,114 households in Aberdeen.
Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 26,091 people living in Aberdeen. About 91.8% of the people were White, 3.6% were Native American, and 1.3% were Asian. About 1.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
- 27.1% of households had children under 18.
- 42.1% were married couples.
- The average age in the city was 36.4 years.
- 22.2% of residents were under 18.
- 12.8% were between 18 and 24.
- 16.4% were 65 or older.
- The city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
Churches and Faiths
Aberdeen has many different churches, including Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Lutheran. There is also a synagogue.
Economy and Jobs
Main Employers in Aberdeen
Many people in Aberdeen work for these companies and organizations:
Business | Full-time employees |
---|---|
Avera Saint Luke's Hospital | 1,500 |
Aberdeen Public School District | 650 |
Wells Fargo Auto Finance | 450 |
3M | 650 |
Super 8 Worldwide | 400 |
Hub City Inc. | 339 |
Agtegra Cooperative | 600+ |
Midstates Printing/Quality Quick Print | 300 |
Northern State University | 298 |
Super 8 Motels History
The first Super 8 Motels was opened in Aberdeen in 1974. It had 60 rooms and was started by Dennis Brown and Ron Rivett in 1972. You can still find this first Super 8 in Aberdeen today, called Super 8 Aberdeen East.
Arts and Culture
Local Arts and Shows
The Aberdeen Area Arts Council publishes a monthly newspaper called ARTiFACTS. It shares information about local events.
The Aberdeen Community Theatre started in 1979. They perform plays at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Aberdeen. The Capitol Theatre opened in 1927. It was given to the theatre group in 1991, and since then, a lot of money has been spent to fix it up and keep its historic look. The theatre group puts on five main shows and three youth shows each year.
The South Dakota Film Festival started in 2007. It happens every fall at the historic Capitol Theatre. Famous actors like Kevin Costner have visited this festival.
The Northern State University Theater Department also puts on plays during the school year.
Art Galleries
Aberdeen has four art galleries where you can see art:
- Presentation College's Wein Gallery
- Northern State University's Lincoln Gallery
- The Aberdeen Recreation & Cultural Center (ARCC) Gallery
- The ArtWorks Cooperative Gallery in The Aberdeen Mall
Sports and Fun Activities
Bowling
The Village Bowl in Aberdeen is a modern bowling center with many lanes. It's located at 1314 8th Ave NW.
Baseball History
Aberdeen has had a few minor league baseball teams. The Aberdeen Pheasants played from 1946 to 1971, and again from 1995 to 1997. Some famous players who later played in Major League Baseball, like Don Larsen and Jim Palmer, played for the Pheasants. In the 1960s, Cal Ripken, Sr., who later coached in the major leagues, coached the Pheasants.
On June 8, 2024, a special marker was placed at Northern State University. It was the first of its kind in South Dakota and marked 60 years since the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition game there.
Tennis
You can find 19 public tennis courts around Aberdeen:
- Melgaard Park (4 courts)
- Northern State University (6 courts)
- Holgate Middle School (8 courts)
Golf
Aberdeen has three golf courses:
- Lee Park Municipal Golf Course (18 holes)
- Moccasin Creek Country Club (18 holes)
- Rolling Hills Country Club (9 holes), which opened in 2005.
Hockey and Ice Skating
In winter, Aberdeen has several outdoor ice skating and hockey rinks for everyone to use. Aberdeen is also home to the Aberdeen Wings, a team in the NAHL hockey league.
Skateboarding and Rollerblading
There's a skate park at Melgaard Park, located between East Melgaard Road and 17th Ave SE. It has ramps, rails, and other features for skateboarding and rollerblading.
Disc Golf
Aberdeen has two disc golf courses: one at Melgaard Park and another at Richmond Lake Disc Golf Course.
Roller Derby
Aberdeen has an all-women's roller derby team called "A-Town Roller Girlz," started in 2011. They also have a junior roller derby team for younger players.
Parks and Recreation
Aberdeen Family YMCA
The YMCA here has a big aquatic center with a swimming pool, a fun pool with shallow entry, and a hot tub. It also has three gyms (one with a climbing wall), two racquetball courts, saunas, and steam rooms. They offer over 100 fitness classes each week, and you can even get childcare while you work out. There's also a wellness center with exercise machines and weights.
Family Aquatic Center
Opened in 2007, this water park has a pool with a shallow entry, a competition lap pool, a lazy river, many water slides, a sandy play area, and a snack bar.
Wylie Park Recreation Area
Wylie Park has go-kart racing, sand volleyball courts, and access to Wylie Lake. You can also find camping and picnic areas here. Wylie Lake is a small man-made lake where you can swim, relax on the beach, and go paddle boating in the summer. It's connected to Storybook Land.
Storybook Land
Storybook Land is a park filled with attractions from different children's storybooks. It has a castle and a train that takes visitors around. There are also two barns with petting zoos. In 2015, the Humpty Dumpty's Great Fall Roller Coaster was added. There's also a new Land of Oz area, with characters and attractions from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum lived in Aberdeen in the 1880s.

Kuhnert Arboretum
The Kuhnert Arboretum is a place for learning about nature. It has environmental education programs, a children's area, a rose garden, and trails for walking.
Richmond Lake Recreation Area
The Richmond Lake Recreation Area is great for outdoor lovers. It has three separate areas for campers, swimmers, nature watchers, boaters, and people who like to fish.
- Campers stay in the South Unit.
- The 200-acre Forest Drive Unit is perfect for seeing wildlife.
- The Boat Ramp Unit gives access to the over 1000-acre lake.
The park has a small campground for a quiet camping experience. It also has a cabin that is easy for people in wheelchairs to use.
There are over 10 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. You can see many prairie plants and animals up close.
Richmond Lake has many fish like walleye, northern pike, bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, catfish, and bullheads. You need to pay a fee to enter the park and use the water.
Education in Aberdeen
Public Schools
Aberdeen Public Schools are part of the Aberdeen School District. The district has:
- Six elementary schools: C.C. Lee, Lincoln, May Overby, O.M. Tiffany, Simmons, and Mike Miller.
- Two middle schools: Holgate Middle School (north side) and Simmons Middle School (south side).
- One high school: Central High School.
- The Hub Area Technical School.
- An alternative middle and high school.
In 2011–2012, about 3,945 students were in the Aberdeen School District. Simmons Middle School was rebuilt in 2008 to be more modern.
Private Schools
Aberdeen also has several private schools:
- Roncalli High School (Catholic)
- Aberdeen Christian School (non-denominational)
- Trinity Lutheran School (WELS)
Special Programs
The South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a special state school for students who are blind or have low vision.
Colleges and Universities
Northern State University
Northern State University (NSU) is a public university founded in 1901. It has a 72-acre campus. In 2006–2007, 2,528 students attended NSU. There are about 19 students for every teacher.
NSU has changed its name a few times over the years. It offers many different majors and minors, as well as graduate degrees. The mascot of NSU is the wolf, named Thunder.
Presentation College
Presentation College was a Catholic college founded in 1951. It had a 100-acre campus. In 2014, about 735 students were enrolled. The college offered many degrees, mostly in healthcare. Presentation College closed at the end of summer 2023.
Media in Aberdeen
Newspapers
The American News started as a weekly newspaper in 1885. Now, it's a daily newspaper.
Television Channels
You can watch several TV channels in Aberdeen:
Channel (Digital) |
Callsign | Network | Owner |
---|---|---|---|
3.1 | K24DT-D (Translator of KELO) |
CBS | Nexstar Media Group |
3.2 | K24DT-D (Translator of KELO) |
MyNetworkTV | Nexstar Media Group |
7.1 | K39CZ-D (Translator of KTTW) |
Fox | Independent Communications |
7.2 | K39CZ-D (Translator of KTTW) |
This TV | |
7.3 | K39CZ-D (Translator of KTTW) |
Cozi TV | |
13.1 | K33MI-D (Translator of KSFY) |
ABC | |
13.2 | K33MI-D (Translator of KSFY) |
CW | |
13.3 | K33MI-D (Translator of KSFY) |
MeTV | |
46.1 | K33MI-D (Translator of KDLT) |
NBC | |
46.2 | K33MI-D (Translator of KDLT) |
Antenna TV | |
16.1 | KDSD | PBS | SDPB |
16.2 | KDSD | World | SDPB |
16.3 | KDSD | Create | SDPB |
16.4 | KDSD | Kids | SDPB |
Radio Stations
Aberdeen has several AM and FM radio stations playing different types of music and talk shows.
AM Radio
AM radio stations | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequency | Call sign | Name | Format | Owner | City |
930 AM | KSDN | 930 KSDN | News/Talk | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen |
1420 AM | KGIM | ESPN Radio 1420/107.1 | Sports | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen |
FM Radio
FM radio stations | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequency | Call sign | Name | Format | Owner | Target city/market | City of license |
88.1 FM | KFCA | Christian | American Christian Radio | Aberdeen | Aberdeen | |
89.7 FM | K209FR | Christian | Christian rock | CSN International | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
90.1 FM | KEEA | Christian | American Family Radio | Aberdeen | Aberdeen | |
90.9 FM | KDSD | South Dakota Public Broadcasting | Public radio | South Dakota Public Broadcasting | Aberdeen | Pierpont |
91.7 FM | K219CM | South Dakota Public Broadcasting | Public radio | South Dakota Public Broadcasting | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
94.1 FM | KSDN | 94.1 The Rock | Classic rock | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
94.5 FM | K233BN | Christian contemporary | Prairie Winds Broadcasting | Aberdeen | Aberdeen | |
94.9 FM | KLRJ | K-Love | Christian | Educational Media Foundation | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
97.7 FM | KNBZ | Sunny 97.7 | Adult contemporary | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen | Redfield |
98.5 FM | K253AB | Praise FM | Christian | Christian Heritage Broadcasting | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
102.1 FM | K271CN | KSDN | News/Talk | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
103.7 FM | KGIM-FM | Pheasant Country 103 | Country | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen | Redfield |
105.5 FM | KMOM | 105.5 Maverick FM | Country | Dakota Broadcasting | Aberdeen | Roscoe |
106.7 FM | KBFO | Point FM | Top 40 | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
107.1 FM | K296FW | ESPN Radio 1420/107.1 | Sports | Hub City Radio | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
107.7 FM | KABD | 107-7 The Shark | Adult hits | Dakota Broadcasting | Aberdeen | Ipswich |
City Services
Getting Around Aberdeen
By Air
The Aberdeen Regional Airport offers flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
By Road
Two main US highways serve Aberdeen:
- US Highway 281: This highway runs from the Canadian border all the way to the Mexican border. It's the longest three-digit US highway.
- US Highway 12: This highway goes east-west across northern South Dakota. In Aberdeen, it's known as 6th Avenue South.
By Bus
Jefferson Lines provides bus service from Aberdeen to cities like Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Local Transit
Ride Line Transportation Services offers on-demand rides around Aberdeen. It's the biggest city in South Dakota without regular bus routes.
By Train
The BNSF Railway carries freight and grain through Aberdeen. In the past, other train lines also ran through the city, connecting it to places like Minneapolis and Chicago.
Taxis and Car Rentals
Aberdeen Taxi service and Aberdeen Shuttle offer taxi rides. You can also rent cars from companies like Hertz, Avis, Dollar-Thrifty, Toyota Rent-a-Car, and Nissan Rental Car.
Healthcare
Aberdeen has two hospitals: Avera St. Luke's Hospital and Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center. There are also several nursing homes for older adults.
Notable People from Aberdeen
- Michael Andrew, Olympic swimmer
- Bruce Baillie, experimental filmmaker
- Sam Barry, Hall of Fame coach for basketball, football, and baseball
- L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- Joshua Becker, writer about minimalism
- Jerry Burke, organist for Lawrence Welk
- John Cacavas, Hollywood film score composer
- Emma Amelia Cranmer, temperance reformer and writer
- Tom Daschle, former U.S. senator
- Drew Dennert, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives
- Justin Duchscherer, MLB pitcher
- Thomas Dunn, conductor
- Fischer quintuplets, the first surviving quintuplets in the United States, born in Aberdeen in 1963
- Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians baseball manager
- Matilda Joslyn Gage, suffragist and activist
- Hamlin Garland, author
- Mary GrandPré, illustrator
- Matt Guthmiller, once the youngest person to fly around the world
- Joseph Hansen, mystery writer
- Charles N. Herreid, Governor of South Dakota
- Josh Heupel Football player and coach
- Ron Holgate, singer and actor
- Buel Hutchinson, lawyer and politician
- Colton Iverson (born 1989), basketball player
- David C. Jones, USAF general
- Roland Loomis, key figure in the modern primitive movement
- Kenneth J. Meier, political scientist
- Don Meyer college basketball coach
- Saul Phillips college basketball coach
- Ron Rivett, founder of Super 8 Motels
- Paul Sather college basketball coach
- Julie Sommars, actress
- Eddie Spears, actor
- Michael Spears, actor
See also
In Spanish: Aberdeen (Dakota del Sur) para niños