Aberdeen, South Dakota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aberdeen, South Dakota Ablíla
City
Downtown Capitol Theatre Aberdeen Federal Building Dacotah Prairie Museum Aberdeen Civic Arena
Location in Brown County and the state of South Dakota
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)
• City	28,495
• Estimate  (2022)	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.

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.

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:

Aberdeen's employers

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

See also

In Spanish: Aberdeen (Dakota del Sur) para niños