Huron, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Huron, South Dakota
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World's Largest Pheasant in Huron
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Location in Beadle County and the state of South Dakota
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 Huron, South Dakota
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Beadle |
| Incorporated | 1883 |
| Named for | Huron Indians |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commissioner Form |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.81 sq mi (27.99 km2) |
| • Land | 9.72 sq mi (25.17 km2) |
| • Water | 1.09 sq mi (2.82 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,280 ft (390 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,263 |
| • Density | 1,467.54/sq mi (566.64/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
57350 and 57399
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| Area code(s) | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-31060 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1255722 |
| Airport code | HON |
| Website | huronsd.com |
Huron is a city in South Dakota, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Beadle County. In 2020, about 14,263 people lived there. This makes Huron the 8th largest city in South Dakota.
The first people settled in Huron in 1880. Today, Huron is famous for hosting the South Dakota State Fair. It also has a huge statue called the World's Largest Pheasant.
Contents
History of Huron
Huron was started in the 1880s. This was a time when many new railroads were being built and land was becoming popular. The city's early days are closely linked to the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. The railroad's general manager, Marvin Hughitt, chose the west bank of the James River for the railway's main office. The company bought a large area of land there. Huron was named after the Huron Indians.
The first map of Huron showed 11 city blocks. John Cain, a printer from New York, was Huron's first settler. He learned from the railroad company that their main town would be at the James River crossing.
From 1880, Huron and Pierre both wanted to be the capital city of South Dakota. Pierre was finally chosen in 1904. In Huron, Campbell Park and Winter Park were once planned to be part of the capital grounds. A block of land between these parks was meant for the capitol building.
Key Dates in Huron's History
- 1879 – The city's location was chosen.
- 1880 – The city area was measured and mapped out.
- 1881 – The first city government was formed. It had four trustees, a clerk, a justice of the peace, a marshal, and a surveyor.
- 1882 – The city adopted an "alderman" system of government. This meant elected officials helped run the city.
- 1883 – Huron officially became an incorporated city. It still uses its original city rules and seal.
- 1910 – The government changed from the alderman system to a city commission.
- 1935 – The city adopted a city manager form of government.
Geography and Climate
Huron covers about 10.57 square miles (27.38 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with about 1.09 square miles (2.82 square kilometers) being water.
Huron's Weather Patterns
Huron has a climate with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. This means temperatures can change a lot. The average temperature is around 16°F (-9°C) in January and 73.7°F (23.2°C) in July.
Each year, Huron usually has:
- About 22 days where the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
- About 67 days where the temperature stays below freezing (32°F or 0°C).
- About 28 days where the temperature drops to 0°F (-18°C) or lower.
The first freezing temperatures usually happen around September 30. The last freezing temperatures are around May 5. This gives a growing season of about 147 days for plants. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -43°F (-42°C) in 1912 and 1887. The hottest was 112°F (44°C) in 1966.
Most rain falls in May and June. Huron gets about 23.32 inches (592 mm) of rain each year. Snowfall averages about 44.4 inches (113 cm) per season. Snow usually falls between November and April.
| Climate data for Huron Regional Airport, South Dakota, 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1881−present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
71 (22) |
89 (32) |
97 (36) |
106 (41) |
109 (43) |
112 (44) |
110 (43) |
106 (41) |
102 (39) |
86 (30) |
71 (22) |
112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
43.7 (6.5) |
57.9 (14.4) |
70.0 (21.1) |
80.0 (26.7) |
85.7 (29.8) |
83.4 (28.6) |
75.7 (24.3) |
60.2 (15.7) |
43.9 (6.6) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
57.3 (14.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.0 (−8.9) |
20.5 (−6.4) |
32.9 (0.5) |
45.7 (7.6) |
57.9 (14.4) |
68.3 (20.2) |
73.7 (23.2) |
71.3 (21.8) |
62.6 (17.0) |
47.9 (8.8) |
33.1 (0.6) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
45.9 (7.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 6.2 (−14.3) |
10.2 (−12.1) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
33.6 (0.9) |
45.9 (7.7) |
56.7 (13.7) |
61.6 (16.4) |
59.2 (15.1) |
49.5 (9.7) |
35.5 (1.9) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
11.0 (−11.7) |
34.5 (1.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) |
−41 (−41) |
−25 (−32) |
−2 (−19) |
16 (−9) |
31 (−1) |
37 (3) |
33 (1) |
18 (−8) |
−6 (−21) |
−28 (−33) |
−34 (−37) |
−43 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.58 (15) |
0.75 (19) |
1.15 (29) |
2.52 (64) |
3.15 (80) |
3.89 (99) |
2.83 (72) |
2.59 (66) |
2.43 (62) |
1.95 (50) |
0.82 (21) |
0.66 (17) |
23.32 (592) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.8 (20) |
8.9 (23) |
6.6 (17) |
5.5 (14) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
5.8 (15) |
8.4 (21) |
44.4 (113) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.3 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 11.6 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 94.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.1 | 6.4 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 6.0 | 29.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 71.2 | 73.7 | 73.3 | 66.3 | 66.3 | 68.3 | 65.8 | 66.6 | 67.7 | 66.8 | 72.8 | 74.0 | 69.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 179.7 | 182.8 | 229.9 | 251.7 | 307.0 | 332.8 | 362.4 | 329.3 | 258.9 | 215.9 | 152.1 | 144.1 | 2,946.6 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 67 | 72 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 63 | 53 | 52 | 66 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
People of Huron
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 164 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,038 | 1,752.4% | |
| 1900 | 2,793 | −8.1% | |
| 1910 | 5,791 | 107.3% | |
| 1920 | 8,302 | 43.4% | |
| 1930 | 10,946 | 31.8% | |
| 1940 | 10,843 | −0.9% | |
| 1950 | 12,788 | 17.9% | |
| 1960 | 14,180 | 10.9% | |
| 1970 | 14,299 | 0.8% | |
| 1980 | 13,000 | −9.1% | |
| 1990 | 12,448 | −4.2% | |
| 2000 | 11,893 | −4.5% | |
| 2010 | 12,592 | 5.9% | |
| 2020 | 14,263 | 13.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Huron's Population in 2010
In 2010, Huron had 12,592 people living in 5,418 homes. About 3,179 of these were families. Most people (86.9%) were White. There were also people of African American, Native American, and Asian backgrounds. About 9.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 28.7% of homes had children under 18. Many homes (44.4%) were married couples. The average age in Huron was 39.8 years old. About 24.1% of residents were under 18.
Arts and Culture in Huron
Huron has a fine arts center and a community theater. These places offer shows and art activities for everyone.
In 2005, the Huron Event Center opened. This large building connects an arena, a hotel, and a convention center. It's a great place for big events.
The South Dakota State Fair is held at the South Dakota State Fair Speedway. This is a big annual event with rides, animals, and fun activities.
Parks and Recreation
The city has a waterpark called Splash Central. It has a large Olympic-sized pool, fun water slides, and a special area for younger children.
Education in Huron
The Huron School District serves the city. It has three public elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The mascot for Huron High School is the "Tigers." In 2022-2023, about 2,900 students were enrolled in the district.
Huron was also home to Si Tanka University (formerly Huron College) from 1983 to 2005.
For private education, Huron has Holy Trinity School, a Catholic elementary school. There is also James Valley Christian School, which is a private K-12 school.
Media in Huron
Newspaper
The local newspaper is called the Huron Daily Plainsman.
Television
KTTW has a satellite TV station in Huron. It is run by Tri-State Christian Television.
Radio Stations
You can listen to several radio stations in Huron:
- 1210 AM - KOKK (plays country music)
- 1340 AM - KIJV (plays adult contemporary music)
- 88.7 FM - KVCH (plays Christian radio)
- 88.7 FM - K213CL (part of National Public Radio)
- 93.3 FM - KJRV (plays classic rock)
- 95.3 FM - K237EL (plays adult contemporary music)
Transportation in Huron
U.S. Route 14 is a major road that goes east-west through the northern part of Huron. It crosses South Dakota Highway 37, which runs north-south.
The Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad also runs east-west through the city. It has maintenance buildings and a working roundhouse in Huron.
The Huron Regional Airport is owned by the city. It used to have flights to Denver, but it does not have scheduled passenger flights anymore.
People's Transit offers rides in and around Huron. You can call them to pick you up. They also connect to Jefferson Lines buses in Mitchell for longer trips.
Notable People from Huron
- Adolphus W. Burtt, former South Dakota Attorney General.
- Amit Kapur, former Chief Operating Officer of MySpace.
- Earl Caddock, a professional wrestler.
- J. L. Carr, an English novelist who taught in Huron.
- Roxanne Conlin, a politician from Iowa.
- Patrick Davis, a political consultant.
- John K. Fairbank, a historian of China, born in Huron.
- Archibald K. Gardner, a former federal judge.
- Bob Glanzer, former member of the South Dakota House of Representatives.
- Candace Hilligoss, an actress.
- Muriel Humphrey, U.S. Senator and wife of Hubert Humphrey.
- Raymond A. Johnson, an aviation pioneer.
- Craig Kennedy, a member of the South Dakota Senate.
- Cheryl Ladd, an actress and singer.
- Vernon C. Miller, a former sheriff who became a criminal.
- Arthur L. Padrutt, a politician from Wisconsin.
- John M. Patton, a member of the Minnesota Senate.
- Gladys Pyle, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without being appointed first.
- John L. Pyle, former Attorney General of South Dakota.
- Mamie Shields Pyle, a women's suffrage supporter.
- Mike Rounds, former South Dakota governor and U.S. senator.
- Chic Sale, an actor, born in Huron.
- Ron Tschetter, former Director of the Peace Corps.
- Fred M. Wilcox, former South Dakota state senator.
- Josh Haeder, the 33rd State Treasurer of South Dakota.
See also
In Spanish: Huron (Dakota del Sur) para niños
