Watertown, South Dakota

Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center, which houses many of the works of Terry Redlin, one of the nation's most popular wildlife artists. Watertown is between Pelican Lake and Lake Kampeska, from which Redlin derived inspiration for his artwork.

The population was 22,655 at the 2020 census, making Watertown South Dakota's 5th-most populous city. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties. It is home to the Bramble Park Zoo. 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 along the Big Sioux River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 25.04 sqmi, of which 17.45 sqmi is land and 7.59 sqmi is water. Watertown sits on the Big Sioux River and two major lakes, Pelican Lake and Lake Kampeska. Most of Watertown also sits on a short plateau. Watertown Regional Airport's elevation is 1745 ft.

History
Watertown was founded in 1879 as a rail terminus when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad reactivated part of a line it had constructed to Lake Kampeska. The city was named after Watertown, New York, the hometown of brothers John E. and Oscar P. Kemp, two of the city's founders. The town was originally planned to be called Kampeska.

During the 1880s, Watertown prospered as a transportation hub after the railroads had extended farther west. Along with several other cities, it had been a candidate for capital of the new state of South Dakota, losing to the more centrally located Pierre. The city's newspaper, the Watertown Public Opinion, began publishing in 1887.

In the mid-20th century, Interstate 29 was constructed through eastern South Dakota. The route included a slight bend to bring it closer to Watertown. Its construction was a major economic benefit to Watertown and the communities near it.

Climate
In the last decades the climate is configured as hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa); it previously had a warm-summer (Dfb). Although it is a humid city, it is relatively dry for its climatic category, due to its position in the Great Plains, which still provides an even greater thermal amplitude, especially in the higher values.

Demographics
The per capita income for the city was $18,994. About 5.7% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 21,482 people, 9,278 households, and 5,563 families residing in the city. The population density was 1231.3 PD/sqmi. There were 10,050 housing units at an average density of 575.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% White, 0.4% African American, 2.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 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 census of 2000, there were 20,237 people, 8,385 households, and 5,290 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,328.9 PD/sqmi. There were 9,193 housing units at an average density of 603.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.25% White, 0.14% African American, 1.65% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. 47.1% were of German, 19.8% Norwegian and 5.9% Irish ancestry. 96.5% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish and 1.1% German 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 married couples 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 age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

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. The Aspen Institute awarded the prize in March 2017 in Washington, D.C., after an intense data collection process that included a rigorous review of critical elements of student success, such as 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.

Watertown Middle School (7th and 8th grades) is Watertown's only public middle school. Construction of the school was completed in 2015. The community's "Prairie Lakes Wellness Center" opened in 2017, adjacent to the middle school. When the middle school opened in 2015, the former middle school was renovated and became the Intermediate School (5th and 6th grades).

Watertown has multiple elementary schools. The five public elementary schools are 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. Watertown Christian School is a private non-denominational Christian elementary school.

The Watertown Regional Library is the town's main library. It is on 6th St. NE and open every day of the week.

Harmony Hill High School was a Catholic girls' boarding school in Watertown from 1967 to 1974.

Points of interest

 * Redlin Art Center
 * Bramble Park Zoo
 * Codington County Heritage Museum
 * Mellette House
 * Watertown Family Aquatic Center
 * Watertown Stadium
 * Lake Kampeska
 * Pelican Lake
 * Watertown Regional Library
 * The Goss Opera House

Local media

 * Newspaper
 * The Watertown Public Opinion is the local daily newspaper.

Transportation

 * [[Image:I-29.svg|20px]] Interstate 29 serves Watertown at Exits 177 and 180
 * [[Image:US 81.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 81
 * [[Image:US 212.svg|23px]] U.S. Highway 212
 * [[Image:SD 20.svg|20px]] South Dakota Highway 20


 * 20th Avenue South, 20th Avenue Southeast, and 29th Street Southeast: alternate city truck route around Watertown's south side
 * 448th Avenue and North Lake Drive: former South Dakota Highway 139; runs along Lake Kampeska's west side

Watertown also has one airport, Watertown Regional Airport, served by Denver Air Connection with flights to Denver and Chicago O'Hare, and local bus service provided by the Watertown Area Transit Corporation.

Jefferson Lines provides intercity bus service to Watertown.

Notable people

 * Cleveland Abbott (Tuskegee Institute), 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 of the Briggs & Stratton Corporation
 * John Hamre (born 1950), Deputy Secretary of Defense and international studies specialist
 * Fred H. Hildebrandt, U.S. Representative from South Dakota
 * Wendell "Bud" Hurlbut (1918–2011), amusement park designer
 * J. A. Jance (born 1944), writer
 * Charles B. Kornmann (born 1937), federal judge on United States District Court for the District of South Dakota
 * Jake Krull (1938–2016), U.S. general and South Dakota state senator
 * George R. Mather, general in the U.S. Army, Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command (USCINCSO) from 1969 to 1971
 * Arthur C. Mellette (1842–1896), last Dakota territorial governor and first governor of South Dakota
 * Kristi Noem (born 1971), current governor of South Dakota
 * Hope A. Olson, author and information studies professor
 * Henry Roberts Pease (1837–1907), Civil War veteran and U.S. senator from Mississippi
 * Lee Raymond (born 1938), chemical engineer and longtime chairman and CEO of Exxon Corporation and ExxonMobil, born and attended primary and secondary school in Watertown
 * Terry Redlin (1937–2016), wildlife artist whose work is displayed at Redlin Art Center
 * Bob Scholtz (born 1937), football player
 * Joseph Schull (1906–1980), Canadian playwright and historian
 * Ramona Solberg (1921-2005), jeweler
 * Lee Schoenbeck (born 1958), lawyer and current president pro tempore of the State Senate
 * Neal Tapio (born 1970), businessman and former Trump presidential campaign director for South Dakota
 * Timmy Williams (born 1981), comedian (The Whitest Kids U' Know)
 * Roger Zwieg (1942–2015), NASA test pilot and flight instructor

Notable visitors
Former President Barack Obama has visited Watertown twice, in 2008 during his presidential campaign, and in 2015 to address the graduating class at Lake Area Technical College.

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