Wessington Springs, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wessington Springs
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Jerauld County Courthouse in Wessington Springs
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Location in Jerauld County and the state of South Dakota
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Jerauld |
| Incorporated | 1893 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.80 sq mi (4.67 km2) |
| • Land | 1.80 sq mi (4.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,660 ft (510 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 771 |
| • Density | 428.10/sq mi (165.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
57382
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| Area code(s) | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-70220 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1267632 |
Wessington Springs is a small town in Jerauld County, South Dakota, USA. It is the main town, also called the county seat, for Jerauld County. In 2020, about 771 people lived here.
Contents
History of Wessington Springs
The town of Wessington Springs was started in 1880. Its layout was officially planned in 1882. This happened during a time when many people were moving to the area to farm. The town grew a lot starting in 1903. This was when a new Milwaukee Road train track was built, connecting the town from the east.
Wessington Springs was also home to Wessington Springs College. This was a school for higher education that operated from 1887 until 1968. Today, the town has a baseball field. It is home to an amateur baseball team called the Wessington Springs Owls.
2014 Tornado Event
On June 18, 2014, a tornado hit Wessington Springs. Around 7:45 PM, the tornado moved through the center of town. More than 50 homes were destroyed, and 77 people lost their homes. Many other buildings and properties were also badly damaged. Luckily, no one died, but some people were hurt. The town's emergency sirens warned residents early. This allowed people to go to the town's storm shelter, which helped prevent more injuries or deaths. The town was closed off for several hours to keep people safe and clear roads.
Geography and Climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, Wessington Springs covers an area of about 1.77 square miles (4.67 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Wessington Springs Weather
| Climate data for Wessington Springs, South Dakota (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
71 (22) |
86 (30) |
99 (37) |
101 (38) |
109 (43) |
111 (44) |
109 (43) |
105 (41) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
68 (20) |
111 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 50.1 (10.1) |
55.6 (13.1) |
70.4 (21.3) |
81.6 (27.6) |
88.3 (31.3) |
93.2 (34.0) |
99.3 (37.4) |
97.3 (36.3) |
92.6 (33.7) |
83.6 (28.7) |
68.0 (20.0) |
52.7 (11.5) |
100.7 (38.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.4 (−3.7) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
42.3 (5.7) |
55.6 (13.1) |
67.8 (19.9) |
78.1 (25.6) |
84.4 (29.1) |
82.3 (27.9) |
74.2 (23.4) |
58.7 (14.8) |
43.1 (6.2) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
56.0 (13.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
44.4 (6.9) |
56.8 (13.8) |
67.2 (19.6) |
73.0 (22.8) |
70.8 (21.6) |
62.4 (16.9) |
47.7 (8.7) |
33.2 (0.7) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
45.4 (7.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.0 (−13.9) |
10.6 (−11.9) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
33.3 (0.7) |
45.9 (7.7) |
56.3 (13.5) |
61.6 (16.4) |
59.4 (15.2) |
50.6 (10.3) |
36.6 (2.6) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
34.9 (1.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −13.1 (−25.1) |
−9.0 (−22.8) |
0.8 (−17.3) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
33.1 (0.6) |
46.4 (8.0) |
52.4 (11.3) |
50.8 (10.4) |
37.5 (3.1) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
6.7 (−14.1) |
−7.3 (−21.8) |
−16.8 (−27.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −36 (−38) |
−39 (−39) |
−20 (−29) |
1 (−17) |
17 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
43 (6) |
23 (−5) |
18 (−8) |
5 (−15) |
−23 (−31) |
−27 (−33) |
−39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.64 (16) |
0.73 (19) |
1.29 (33) |
3.02 (77) |
3.67 (93) |
3.85 (98) |
3.09 (78) |
2.90 (74) |
2.73 (69) |
2.09 (53) |
0.93 (24) |
0.72 (18) |
25.66 (652) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.5 (19) |
7.3 (19) |
6.4 (16) |
8.2 (21) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.7 (4.3) |
5.3 (13) |
8.1 (21) |
44.5 (113) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.8 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 8.4 | 10.7 | 11.3 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 84.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 20.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 320 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,093 | 241.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,618 | 48.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,401 | −13.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,352 | −3.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,453 | 7.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,488 | 2.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,300 | −12.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,203 | −7.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,083 | −10.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,011 | −6.6% | |
| 2010 | 956 | −5.4% | |
| 2020 | 771 | −19.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2018 Estimate |
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Wessington Springs Population in 2010
In 2010, the census showed that 956 people lived in Wessington Springs. There were 465 households and 266 families. The town had about 540 people per square mile. There were 526 housing units, with about 297 units per square mile.
Most of the people in Wessington Springs were White (99.0%). A small number were Native American (0.3%), Asian (0.3%), or from other races (0.2%). About 0.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Out of the 465 households:
- 16.3% had children under 18 living with them.
- 47.3% were married couples living together.
- 6.9% had a female head of household with no husband.
- 3.0% had a male head of household with no wife.
- 42.8% were not families.
Also, 38.1% of all households were individuals living alone. About 26.2% of these individuals were 65 years old or older. The average household had 1.97 people, and the average family had 2.57 people.
The average age in Wessington Springs was 57 years old.
- 16.1% of residents were under 18.
- 4.4% were between 18 and 24.
- 14.7% were between 25 and 44.
- 27.2% were between 45 and 64.
- 37.6% were 65 or older.
The town's population was 43.4% male and 56.6% female.
Local Media and News
The town of Wessington Springs gets its local news from the True Dakotan weekly newspaper.
Notable People from Wessington Springs
- Kyle Evans – A country and western singer and songwriter.
- Emma Louise Lowe – A musician, educator, and former First Lady of both American Samoa and Guam.
- Robert Vessey – The seventh Governor of South Dakota.
See also
In Spanish: Wessington Springs (Dakota del Sur) para niños
