View source for Aberdeen, South Dakota

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Aberdeen, South Dakota
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|native_name              = {{lang|lkt|Ablíla}}

<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline            = {{multiple image|border=infobox|total_width=300|caption_align=center|image_style=border:1;|perrow=1/2/2|image1=Aberdeen, South Dakota (2022).jpg|caption1=Downtown|image2=Capitol Theatre (Aberdeen, South Dakota).jpg|caption2=Capitol Theatre|image3=Aberdeen Federal Building.jpg|caption3=Aberdeen Federal Building|image4=Dacotah Plains Museum.jpg|caption4=Dacotah Prairie Museum|image5=Aberdeen Civic Arena.jpg|caption5=Aberdeen Civic Arena}}
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
|image_blank_emblem       = 
|blank_emblem_type        =

<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map                = Brown County South Dakota Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Aberdeen Highlighted.svg
|map_caption              = Location of Aberdeen
|pushpin_map              = South Dakota#USA
|pushpin_relief           = yes
|pushpin_label            = Aberdeen

<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[South Dakota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in South Dakota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Brown County, South Dakota|Brown]]

<!-- Government ----------->
|government_footnotes     = <ref name="Mayor">{{cite web|title=Mayor |url=https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/75/Mayor |publisher=City of Aberdeen, South Dakota |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref><ref name="City manager">{{cite web|title=City Manager |url=https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/24/City-Manager |publisher=City of Aberdeen, South Dakota |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref>
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Travis Schaunaman
|leader_title1            = [[City manager]]
|leader_name1             = Robin Bobzien
|established_title        = Established
|established_date         = June 15, 1879
|established_title1       = Settled
|established_date1        = 1880
|established_title2       = Incorporated (town)
|established_date2        = July 6, 1881<ref>{{cite web|title=SD Towns |url=http://history.sd.gov/Archives/forms/exhibits/SD%20Towns.pdf |publisher=[[South Dakota State Historical Society]] |access-date=February 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210030454/http://history.sd.gov/Archives/forms/exhibits/SD%20Towns.pdf |archive-date=February 10, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|established_title3       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] (city)
|established_date3        = May 8, 1882

<!-- Area ----------------->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024">{{cite web|title=2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_place_46.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 43.128
|area_land_km2            = 42.927
|area_water_km2           = 0.203
|area_total_sq_mi         = 16.652
|area_land_sq_mi          = 16.574
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.078
|area_water_percent       = 0.47

<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 27919
|pop_est_as_of            = 2024
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2024"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 28495
|population_rank          = US: 1433rd<br>SD: [[List of cities in South Dakota|3rd]]
|population_density_km2   = 650.39
|population_density_sq_mi = 1684.52
|population_urban         = 27982 <!-- 2020 Census -->
|population_urban_footnotes = <ref name="urban area">{{cite web|title=2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/29/2022-28286/2020-census-qualifying-urban-areas-and-final-criteria-clarifications |publisher=[[Federal Register]] |website=www.federalregister.gov |date=December 29, 2022 |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref>
|population_metro         = 41522 (US: [[Micropolitan statistical area|306th]]) <!-- 2024 Estimate -->
|population_demonym       = Aberdonian

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = –6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = –5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 1299
|coordinates              = {{Coord|45.464678|-98.468104|region:US-SD_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = 57401–57402
|area_code                = [[Area code 605|605]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 46-00100
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1267258<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1267258}}</ref>
|blank2_name              = [[List of state highways in South Dakota|Highways]]
|blank2_info              = [[U.S. Route 12 in South Dakota|US 12]], [[U.S. Route 281 in South Dakota|US 281]]
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/|aberdeen.sd.us}}
}}

'''Aberdeen''' ({{langx|lkt|Ablíla}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Ullrich|first=Jan F.|title=New Lakota Dictionary|url=http://www.lakotadictionary.org/nldo.php|edition=2nd|year=2014|publisher=Lakota Language Consortium|location=Bloomington, Indiana|isbn=978-0-9761082-9-0|access-date=February 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018034145/http://www.lakotadictionary.org/nldo.php|archive-date=October 18, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>) is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Brown County, South Dakota]], United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=Find a County |url=https://ce.naco.org/?find=true |publisher=[[National Association of Counties]] |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref> The population was 28,495 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Aberdeen_city,_South_Dakota?g=160XX00US4600100 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=September 5, 2025 |language=en}}</ref> and was estimated to be 27,919 in 2024,<ref name="USCensusEst2024"/> making it the [[List of cities in South Dakota|third-most populous city]] in the state.  Aberdeen is home of [[Northern State University]].

==History==
===Settlement===
Before Aberdeen or Brown County was inhabited by European settlers, it was inhabited by the [[Lakota people|Sioux Indians]] from approximately 1700 to 1879. Europeans entered the region for business, founding [[fur trading]] posts during the 1820s; these trading posts operated until the mid-1830s. The first "settlers" of this region were the [[Arikara]] Indians, but they would later be joined by others.

The first group of Euro-American settlers to reach the area that is now Brown County was a party of four people, three horses, two mules, fifteen cattle, and two wagons. This group of settlers was later joined by another group the following spring, and, eventually, more settlers migrated toward this general area, currently known as [[Columbia, South Dakota]]. This town was established on June 15, 1879, was settled in 1880,<ref name=EB>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-first=Dale H. |editor-last=Hoiberg |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Aberdeen |edition=15th |year=2010 |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. |volume=I: A-ak Bayes |location=Chicago |isbn=978-1-59339-837-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/28 28] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/28}}</ref> and was incorporated in 1882.

===Creation of the town===
[[File:1883 bird's eye illustration of Aberdeen, South Dakota.jpg|thumb|right|1883 illustration of Aberdeen]]
Aberdeen, like many towns of the Midwest, was built around the newly developing railroad systems. Aberdeen was first officially plotted as a town site on January 3, 1881, by Charles Prior, the superintendent of the Minneapolis office of the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad|Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad]], or the Milwaukee Road for short, which was presided over by [[Alexander Mitchell (Wisconsin politician)|Alexander Mitchell]], Charles Prior's boss, who was responsible for the choice of town names. He was born in [[Aberdeen]], Scotland, after which the town of Aberdeen was named.<ref name=EB /> Aberdeen was officially founded on July 6, 1881, the date of the first arrival of a Milwaukee Railroad train. Aberdeen then operated under a city charter granted by the Territorial Legislature in March 1883.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

As Aberdeen grew, many businesses and buildings were constructed along the town's Main Street. However, this soon became a problem due to Aberdeen's periodic flooding, which led to it being referred to as "The Town in the Frog Pond". At first, this unique condition presented no problem to the newly constructed buildings because it had not rained very much but, when heavy rains fell, the Pond reappeared and flooded the basements of every building on Main Street, causing many business owners and home owners much turmoil. When this flooding happened, the city had one steam-powered pump that had to be used to dry out the entire area that had been flooded, which would take days, if not weeks – and more often than not, it would have rained again in this time period and caused even more flooding, even in the basements that had already been emptied of the water. When the water was gone from the basements, the city still had to deal with the mud that also resulted from the heavy rains.

The city decided in 1882 to build an artesian ditch to control the "Frog Pond" effects; the plan was later upgraded and developed into an artesian well in 1884 to combat the heavy rains and keep the basements from flooding. The artesian well was designed by the city engineers to prevent flooding and develop a water system. However, during the digging of the well, the water stream that was found underground was too powerful to be contained. The water came blasting out with violent force and had the entire Main Street submerged in up to four feet of water. The engineers realized the previous flaws of the artesian well plan and soon added a gate valve to the well to control the flow of water, giving Aberdeen its first working water supply.<ref>{{cite book |last=Artz |first=Don |title=The Town in the Frog Pond |url=http://aberdeenareahistory.org/files/original/8e9a8d5c9c79dc07cbe33a75d101db91.pdf |publisher=Memories, Inc. |location=Aberdeen, SD |year=1991 |pages=18, 36}}</ref>

Aberdeen had four different railroad companies with depots built in the newly developing town. With these four railroads intersecting here, Aberdeen soon became known as the "Hub City of the Dakotas". When looking down on Aberdeen from above, the railroad tracks converging in Aberdeen resembled the spokes of a wheel converging at a hub, hence the name "Hub City of the Dakotas". These four railroad companies are the reason why Aberdeen was able to grow and flourish as it did. The only railroad still running through Aberdeen is the [[BNSF Railway]].

[[L. Frank Baum]], who was later author of the book ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' and its many sequels, lived here with his wife and children from 1888 to 1891. He ran a fancy goods store, Baum's Bazaar, for over a year, which failed. He later published one of the city's then nine newspapers, where he used his editorials to campaign for women's suffrage (a suffrage amendment to the new South Dakota constitution was on the ballot at the time).<ref>*The Real Wizard of Oz* by Rebecca Loncraine, 2009</ref> The city's small amusement park has some features reflective of the Oz series. After his sojourn in Aberdeen, he moved to Chicago in 1892.

Five sitting [[President of the United States|Presidents of the United States]] have visited Aberdeen: [[William McKinley]] in 1899, [[Theodore Roosevelt]] in 1903, [[William Howard Taft]] in 1911, [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in 1936, and [[George W. Bush]] in 2002.[https://sodakgovs.com/2021/07/06/presidential-visits-to-south-dakota-updated/]

[[File:Aberdeen, South Dakota 1910.jpg|thumb|right|Labeled photograph of downtown Aberdeen, 1910]]

==Geography==
Aberdeen is located in northeastern South Dakota, in the [[James River (Dakotas)|James River]] valley, approximately {{convert|11|mi|km|0}} west of the river. The James River enters northeastern South Dakota in Brown County, where it is dammed to form two reservoirs northeast of Aberdeen. The city is bisected by ''Moccasin Creek'', a slow-moving waterway which flows south and then northeast to the James River.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|16.652|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|16.574|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.078|sqmi}} (0.47%) is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>

===Climate===
Aberdeen experiences a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa'') influenced by its position far from moderating bodies of water. This brings four distinct seasons, a phenomenon that is characterized by hot, relatively humid summers and cold, dry winters, and it lies in [[Hardiness zone|USDA Hardiness Zone]] 4b.<ref>{{cite web|title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/|archive-date=February 27, 2014|access-date=July 12, 2020|publisher=Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|url-status=live}}</ref> The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|12.8|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|72.3|°F|1}} in July, while there are 16 days of {{convert|90|°F|0}}+ highs and 38 days with sub-{{convert|0|°F|0}} lows annually.<ref name="NOAA txt" /> Snowfall occurs mostly in light to moderate amounts during the winter, totaling {{convert|42|in|cm|0}}. Precipitation, at {{convert|21.8|in|mm|0}} annually, is concentrated in the warmer months. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|−46|°F|0}} on January 12, 1912, and February 8, 1895, to {{convert|115|°F|0}} on July 6 and 15, 1936, although a {{convert|−42|°F|0}} reading occurred as recently as January 15, 2009.<ref name = ThreadEx />

{{Weather box
| location = Aberdeen, South Dakota ([[Aberdeen Regional Airport]]), 1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1893–present
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 63
| Feb record high F = 70
| Mar record high F = 86
| Apr record high F = 98
| May record high F = 110
| Jun record high F = 112
| Jul record high F = 115
| Aug record high F = 112
| Sep record high F = 107
| Oct record high F = 96
| Nov record high F = 79
| Dec record high F = 69
| year record high F = 115
| Jan avg record high F = 44.6
| Feb avg record high F = 47.5
| Mar avg record high F = 64.5
| Apr avg record high F = 81.1
| May avg record high F = 89.2
| Jun avg record high F = 93.4
| Jul avg record high F = 95.9
| Aug avg record high F = 93.4
| Sep avg record high F = 90.2
| Oct avg record high F = 81.4
| Nov avg record high F = 64.2
| Dec avg record high F = 46.6
| year avg record high F = 98.0
| Jan high F = 23.7
| Feb high F = 28.6
| Mar high F = 41.7
| Apr high F = 57.6
| May high F = 70.4
| Jun high F = 80.2
| Jul high F = 84.9
| Aug high F = 82.9
| Sep high F = 74.9
| Oct high F = 59.3
| Nov high F = 42.5
| Dec high F = 28.7
| year high F = 56.3
| Jan mean F = 12.8
| Feb mean F = 17.5
| Mar mean F = 30.5
| Apr mean F = 44.5
| May mean F = 57.3
| Jun mean F = 67.6
| Jul mean F = 72.3
| Aug mean F = 69.7
| Sep mean F = 60.9
| Oct mean F = 46.3
| Nov mean F = 30.9
| Dec mean F = 18.3
| year mean F = 44.0
| Jan low F = 1.9
| Feb low F = 6.3
| Mar low F = 19.4
| Apr low F = 31.4
| May low F = 44.3
| Jun low F = 55.1
| Jul low F = 59.7
| Aug low F = 56.5
| Sep low F = 46.8
| Oct low F = 33.3
| Nov low F = 19.4
| Dec low F = 7.9
| year low F = 31.8
| Jan avg record low F = -24.3
| Feb avg record low F = -18.2
| Mar avg record low F = -5.6
| Apr avg record low F = 14.7
| May avg record low F = 28.4
| Jun avg record low F = 42.4
| Jul avg record low F = 47.6
| Aug avg record low F = 43.8
| Sep avg record low F = 29.8
| Oct avg record low F = 15.8
| Nov avg record low F = 0.1
| Dec avg record low F = -16.6
| year avg record low F = -28.1
| Jan record low F = −46
| Feb record low F = −46
| Mar record low F = −32
| Apr record low F = −6
| May record low F = 13
| Jun record low F = 28
| Jul record low F = 35
| Aug record low F = 30
| Sep record low F = 11
| Oct record low F = −6
| Nov record low F = −27
| Dec record low F = −39
| year record low F = -46
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.55
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.62
| Mar precipitation inch = 0.89
| Apr precipitation inch = 1.91
| May precipitation inch = 3.28
| Jun precipitation inch = 3.76
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.09
| Aug precipitation inch = 2.24
| Sep precipitation inch = 1.99
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.14
| Nov precipitation inch = 0.74
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.61
| year precipitation inch = 21.82
| Jan snow inch = 7.8
| Feb snow inch = 8.6
| Mar snow inch = 6.3
| Apr snow inch = 4.2
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 1.3
| Nov snow inch = 6.5
| Dec snow inch = 8.0
| year snow inch = 42.7
| Jan snow depth inch = 8.1
| Feb snow depth inch = 8.7
| Mar snow depth inch = 7.6
| Apr snow depth inch = 2.7
| May snow depth inch = 0.0
| Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
| Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
| Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
| Sep snow depth inch = 0.0
| Oct snow depth inch = 0.7
| Nov snow depth inch = 3.8
| Dec snow depth inch = 6.7
| year snow depth inch = 12.9
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 7.1
| Feb precipitation days = 7.0
| Mar precipitation days = 7.7
| Apr precipitation days = 8.1
| May precipitation days = 10.4
| Jun precipitation days = 11.5
| Jul precipitation days = 10.1
| Aug precipitation days = 8.1
| Sep precipitation days = 7.7
| Oct precipitation days = 7.6
| Nov precipitation days = 6.1
| Dec precipitation days = 6.9
| year precipitation days = 98.3
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 7.9
| Feb snow days = 6.9
| Mar snow days = 5.1
| Apr snow days = 2.0
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 1.2
| Nov snow days = 4.2
| Dec snow days = 6.9
| year snow days = 34.2
| Jan humidity = 72.8
| Feb humidity = 74.1
| Mar humidity = 73.4
| Apr humidity = 64.9
| May humidity = 62.4
| Jun humidity = 67.3
| Jul humidity = 64.4
| Aug humidity = 63.5
| Sep humidity = 66.3
| Oct humidity = 67.3
| Nov humidity = 75.1
| Dec humidity = 76.3
| year humidity = 69.0
| Jan dew point C = −15.9
| Feb dew point C = −11.7
| Mar dew point C = −5.6
| Apr dew point C = 0.2
| May dew point C = 6.2
| Jun dew point C = 12.6
| Jul dew point C = 14.9
| Aug dew point C = 13.2
| Sep dew point C = 7.7
| Oct dew point C = 1.7
| Nov dew point C = −5.5
| Dec dew point C = −12.4
| source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1964–1990)<ref name="NOAA txt">{{cite web
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00014929&format=pdf
| title = Station: Aberdeen, SD
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name = ThreadEx>{{cite web
|url=http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/
| title = Threaded Extremes
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = March 10, 2013}}</ref><ref name="NOWData NWS Aberdeen, SD (ABR)">{{cite web
|url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=abr
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name= WMO>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP4/72659.TXT
| title = WMO Climate Normals for ABERDEEN/REGIONAL ARPT SD 1961–1990
| access-date = August 29, 2020
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| archive-date = October 11, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211011035451/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP4/72659.TXT
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 3182
|1900= 4087
|1910= 10753
|1920= 14537
|1930= 16465
|1940= 17015
|1950= 21061
|1960= 23073
|1970= 26476
|1980= 25851
|1990= 24927
|2000= 24658
|2010= 26091
|2020= 28495
|estyear=2024
|estimate=27919
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2024">{{cite web|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |website=www.census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

Aberdeen is the principal city of the Aberdeen Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Brown and [[Edmunds County, South Dakota|Edmunds]] counties and has a population of 42,287 in the 2020 census and of 41,522 in the 2024 estimate.

According to realtor website [[Zillow]], the average price of a home as of July 31, 2025, in Aberdeen is $238,567.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aberdeen, SD Housing Market |url=https://www.zillow.com/home-values/50635/aberdeen-sd/ |publisher=[[Zillow]] |access-date=September 5, 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

As of the 2023 [[American Community Survey]], there are 12,341 estimated households in Aberdeen with an average of 2.20 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $63,715. Approximately 12.9% of the city's population lives at or below the [[Poverty in the United States|poverty line]]. Aberdeen has an estimated 70.5% employment rate, with 33.6% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.1% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aberdeen city, South Dakota |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/aberdeencitysouthdakota/PST045224 |access-date=September 5, 2025 |website=www.census.gov |language=en}}</ref>

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (92.8%), Spanish (3.0%), Indo-European (1.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (2.6%), and Other (0.6%).

The median age in the city was 35.8 years.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|+<big>Aberdeen, South Dakota – racial and ethnic composition</big><br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
! Race / ethnicity <small>(''NH = non-Hispanic'')</small>
! Pop. 1980<ref>{{cite book|title=General Social and Economic Characteristics: South Dakota |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1980/volume-1/south-dakota/1980censusofpopu80143u_bw.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |pages= |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref> !! Pop. 1990<ref>{{cite book|title=South Dakota: 1990 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-43.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |pages=33 |access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref> !! Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Aberdeen city, South Dakota|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US4600100|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref> !! Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Aberdeen city, South Dakota|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US4600100|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref> !! {{partial|Pop. 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Aberdeen city, South Dakota|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US4600100|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=September 5, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
| 24,970<br>(96.59%) || 23,867<br>(95.75%) || 23,209<br>(94.12%) || 23,759<br>(91.06%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |23,482<br>(82.41%)
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
| 35<br>(0.14%) || 39<br>(0.16%) || 89<br>(0.36%) || 171<br>(0.66%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |522<br>(1.83%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
| 797<br>(3.08%) || 806<br>(3.23%) || 775<br>(3.14%) || 922<br>(3.53%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |955<br>(3.35%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
| 86<br>(0.33%) || 124<br>(0.50%) || 133<br>(0.54%) || 327<br>(1.25%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |892<br>(3.13%)
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
| — || — || 26<br>(0.11%) || 42<br>(0.16%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |42<br>(0.15%)
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
| 0<br>(0.00%) || 3<br>(0.01%) || 4<br>(0.02%) || 16<br>(0.06%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |83<br>(0.29%)
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or multiracial]] (NH)
| — || — || 226<br>(0.92%) || 442<br>(1.69%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |1,054<br>(3.70%)
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
| 68<br>(0.26%) || 88<br>(0.35%) || 196<br>(0.79%) || 412<br>(1.58%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |1,465<br>(5.14%)
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''25,851<br>(100.00%)''' || '''24,927<br>(100.00%)''' || '''24,658<br>(100.00%)''' || '''26,091<br>(100.00%)''' || style='background: #ffffe6; |'''28,495<br>(100.00%)'''
|}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 28,495 people, 12,226 households, and 6,767 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Aberdeen%20city,%20South%20Dakota%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=September 5, 2025 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|1725.19|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 13,395 housing units at an average density of {{convert|810.98|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 83.61% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.94% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 3.67% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.14% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.15% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.20% from some other races and 5.29% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 5.14% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Aberdeen city, South Dakota |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/aberdeen-city-south-dakota/160-4600100/ |access-date=September 5, 2025 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 26,091 people, 11,418 households and 6,354 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1683.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 12,158 housing units at an average density of {{convert|784.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 91.84% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.68% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 3.62% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.26% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.16% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.46% from some other races and 1.98% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 1.58% of the population.

There were 11,418 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.4% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age was 36.4 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender make-up of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 24,658 people, 10,553 households and 6,184 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1902.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 11,259 housing units at an average density of {{convert|868.5|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.61% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.37% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 3.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.54% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.13% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.19% from some other races and 0.99% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 0.79% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 53.7% were of German, 15% Norwegian and 8.5% [[Irish American|Irish]].

There were 10,553 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.86.

21.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median household income was $33,276 and the median family income was $43,882. Males had a median income of $30,355 and females $20,092. The [[per capita income]] was $17,923. About 7.6% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the [[Poverty threshold|poverty line]], including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

===Religion===
There are several Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nazarere, and Non-denominational churches in the area, as well as one synagogue.<ref name="90years">{{cite news |last=Mettler |first=Angela |url=http://articles.aberdeennews.com/2007-09-23/news/26395715_1_kosher-meat-aberdeen-congregation-member |title='Sons of Isaac' celebrates 90 years |work=[[The American News]] |date=September 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325144546/http://articles.aberdeennews.com/2007-09-23/news/26395715_1_kosher-meat-aberdeen-congregation-member |archive-date=March 25, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Economy==
===Major employers===
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2021}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Aberdeen's employers
! Business
! Full-time employees
|-
| [[Avera Health|Avera]] Saint Luke's Hospital
| {{formatnum:1500}}
|-
| Aberdeen Public School District
| {{formatnum:650}}
|-
| [[Wells Fargo]] Auto Finance
| {{formatnum:450}}
|-
| [[3M]]
| {{formatnum:650}}
|-
| [[Super 8 Worldwide]]
| {{formatnum:400}}
|-
| [[Regal-Beloit|Hub City Inc.]]
| {{formatnum:339}}
|-
| Agtegra Cooperative
| {{formatnum:600}}+
|-
| Midstates Printing/Quality Quick Print
| {{formatnum:300}}
|-
| [[Northern State University]]
| {{formatnum:298}}
|}

===Super 8 Motels===
[[Super 8 Worldwide|Super 8 Motels]] was founded in 1972 by Dennis Brown and Ron Rivett as a motel referral system, which was replaced with a franchise operation in 1973. The first Super 8, with 60 rooms, was opened in 1974 in Aberdeen and still operates today as the Super 8 Aberdeen East.<ref>{{cite web |title=Super 8, Inc. {{!}} History |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3479900087.html |website=encyclopedia.com |access-date=June 12, 2015}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
The Aberdeen Area Arts Council publishes a small monthly newspaper, ''ARTiFACTS'', with information on area events.

The Aberdeen Community Theatre was created in 1979 and performs at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Aberdeen. The Capitol Theatre opened in 1927<ref>{{cite web |title=Aberdeen Community Theatre {{!}} History |url=http://aberdeencommunitytheatre.com/about/history/ |website=aberdeencommunitytheatre.com |access-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref> and donated to the Aberdeen Community Theatre in 1991; since then more than $963,000 has been spent on renovating and preserving the historical aspect of the Capitol Theatre. Today, the Aberdeen Community Theatre performs five mainstage productions and three youth productions per year.

The South Dakota Film Festival established in 2007 is held annually in the fall. The festival has been host to Kevin Costner, Graham Greene, Adam Greenberg, CSA and many more stars of film and television. The festival's first feature film screened was ''Into The Wild'', shot partially in SD. The festival is held at the historic Capitol Theatre.

The Northern State University Theater Department puts on plays during the school year.

There are four galleries in Aberdeen: Presentation College's Wein Gallery, [[Northern State University]]'s Lincoln Gallery, the Aberdeen Recreation & Cultural Center (ARCC) Gallery and the ArtWorks Cooperative Gallery located in The Aberdeen Mall.

==Sports==

===Bowling===
The Village Bowl in Aberdeen is a modern bowling center with multiple lanes. Located at 1314 8th Ave NW.<ref>{{cite web|title = Bowling Alley Family Fun Aberdeen, SD|url=http://thevillagebowl.com/|website = The Village Bowl {{!}} Aberdeen {{!}} SD|access-date = September 27, 2015}}</ref>

===Minor league baseball===
Aberdeen has had three minor league baseball teams since 1920. The Aberdeen Boosters, a class D league team, played in 1920, the Aberdeen Grays, also a class D team, played from 1921 to 1923. The class C [[Aberdeen Pheasants]] from 1946 to 1971, and 1995 to 1997. The Pheasants were the affiliate of the former [[St. Louis Browns]] (and current [[Baltimore Orioles]]). Aberdeen was a stop to the majors for such notable players as [[Don Larsen]] (perfect game in the World Series), [[Lou Piniella]] (AL rookie of the year with [[Kansas City Royals]] in 1969), and [[Jim Palmer]], [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. In the 1960s, the Pheasants were Coached by Cal Ripken Sr, who later ended up being a Major League Coach and had two sons Cal Jr. and Billy that also played for the Orioles organization.

On June 8, 2024, the first SABR Historical Marker in the state of South Dakota was revealed on the campus of Northern State University. It was the 60th anniversary to the day when the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition game at the ballpark.

[[File:Aberdeen Pheasants SABR Historical Marker.jpg | thumb|right | alt=Aberdeen Pheasants SABR Historical Marker  | Aberdeen Pheasants SABR Historical Marker]]

===Tennis===
Aberdeen has 19 public tennis courts throughout the city – Melgaard Park (4), Northern State University (6), and Holgate Middle School (8).

===Golf===
Aberdeen has three golf courses: Lee Park Municipal Golf Course, Moccasin Creek Country Club and Rolling Hills Country Club. Lee Park and Moccasin Creek are both 18-hole courses.<ref>{{cite web | title=Lee Park Golf Course|url=https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/148/Lee-Park-Golf-Course |access-date=October 14, 2023 |website=Aberdeen}}</ref> Rolling Hills is a combined nine-hole course and housing development which opened in 2005.

===Hockey/ice skating===
Aberdeen has several outdoor skating rinks and hockey rinks open to the public during winter months. Aberdeen is also home to the NAHL team, [[Aberdeen Wings]].

===Skateboarding/rollerblading===
Aberdeen has a skate park located between East Melgaard Road and 17th Ave SE at Melgaard Park. The equipment installed includes a quarter pipe, penalty box with half pyramid, bank ramp, spine, kinked rail and a ground rail.

===Disc golf===
Aberdeen has two disc golf courses, Melgaard Park, and the Richmond Lake Disc Golf Course.

===Roller Derby===
Aberdeen has an All-women's Roller Derby league "A-Town Roller Girlz" established in 2011, also bringing Junior Roller Derby to the area.

==Parks and recreation==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2025}}

===Aberdeen Family YMCA===
The full service YMCA includes an aquatic center with a competitive size lap pool, zero depth entry recreation pool with play features and hot tub. There are three gyms one of which has a climbing wall. There are two racquetball courts. Saunas and steam rooms are in the men's and women's locker rooms. Over 100 group fitness classes are offered each week with child watch available (short term childcare). A wellness center that has cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights.

===Family Aquatic Center===
Completed in the summer of 2007, this complex includes a zero entry pool, competition lap pool, lazy river, numerous water slides, play sand area, and a concession area.

===Wylie Park Recreation Area===
Wylie Park Recreation Area features go-kart racing, sand volleyball courts, access to Wylie Lake, camping area, picnic areas, and is connected to Storybook Land. Wylie Lake is a small man-made lake, open in the summer months for swimming, lying on the beach, and paddle boating. [[File:Storybookland castle aberdeen sd.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Storybook Land Castle with [[Jack and the Beanstalk]] in the foreground]]

===Storybook Land===
Storybook Land is a park with attractions from several different children's storybooks. The park contains a castle, as well as a train that takes visitors through the park. There are two barns which contain petting zoos. Humpty Dumpty's Great Fall Roller Coaster was added to the park, summer 2015. Newly added is the Land of Oz, that features characters and attractions from [[L. Frank Baum]]'s ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''. Baum was a resident of Aberdeen in the 1880s. He left after a severe drought led to the failure first of his variety store Baum's Bazaar, and then to his newspaper ''The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer'', where he wrote an opinion column titled ''[[Our Landlady]]''.

===Kuhnert Arboretum===
The Kuhnert Arboretum provides many new learning experiences for the residents of the Aberdeen area, including school-aged children. The Arboretum offers environmental education, a children's area, rose garden collection, recreational trails and much more.

===Richmond Lake Recreation Area===
The Richmond Lake Recreation Area is used by all types of outdoors enthusiasts. Three separate areas in this park cater to the needs of campers, swimmers, naturalists, boaters and anglers. Campers stay in the South Unit, while the {{convert|200|acre|km2|1|adj=on}} Forest Drive Unit is a great place for wildlife viewing. The Boat Ramp Unit provides access to the more than {{convert|1000|acre|km2|0|adj=on}} lake.

Richmond Lake Recreation Area's small campground offers a quiet camping experience. The park also features a wheelchair accessible camping cabin.

The park's extensive trail system features over {{convert|10|mi|km}} of trails, including both accessible and interpretive trails. Hikers, bikers, and horseback riders can observe the abundance of prairie plants and wildlife of the area up-close.

The park has multiple private and public boat ramps as well as an accessible fishing dock. Richmond Lake has a population of walleye, northern pike, bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, catfish, and bullheads within its waters. An entrance fee is required to gain access to the water and park itself.

==Government==
Aberdeen is the center of government for Brown County. City government is overseen by a City Manager/Council form of government with a mayor and eight council members. The City Manager is Robin Bobzien, and the City Council is composed of Mayor Travis Shaunaman and Council Members Char Liebelt, Rich Ward, Erin Fouberg, Rob Ronayne, Alan Johnson, Tiffany Langer, David Novstup and Justin Reinbold. Each council member serves a five-year term.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/74/City-Council|title=City Council &#124; Aberdeen, SD – Official Website}}</ref>

[[File:Brown county south dakota courthouse aberdeen.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Brown County Courthouse]]
[[File:Aberdeen sd city hall.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Aberdeen's Municipal Building]]

County government is overseen by five commissioners. Each county commissioner serves a five-year term. The county commissioners include Duane Sutton, Drew Dennert, Mike Wiese, Mike Gage, and Doug Fjeldheim. Aberdeen is home to Brown County offices including clerk-magistrate, county auditor, landfill office, register of deeds, county treasurer, coroner, emergency management, highway superintendent, public welfare, state's attorney, and a few others.

The state senators from Brown County include [[Brock Greenfield]] and [[Al Novstrup]], and the state representatives included [[Lana Greefield]], [[Kaleb Wies]], [[Carl Perry]] and [[Drew Dennert]]. They are all in office until December 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Who_Are_My_Legislators/Default.aspx?District=0&City=47&County=0 |title=2017 Legislators |website=Legis.sd.gov |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313064448/http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Who_Are_My_Legislators/Default.aspx?District=0&City=47&County=0 |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2008, Governor [[Mike Rounds]] named Aberdeen as the South Dakota Community of the Year.

==Education==

===Public schools===
Aberdeen Public Schools are part of the [[Aberdeen School District (South Dakota)|Aberdeen School District]]. The school district has six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.

The elementary schools are C.C. Lee Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, May Overby Elementary School, O.M. Tiffany Elementary School, Simmons Elementary School and Mike Miller Elementary School. The two middle schools are Holgate Middle School, which serves the north side of Aberdeen, and Simmons Middle School, which serves the south side of the city. Students in the district attend [[Central High School (Aberdeen, South Dakota)|Central High School]]. The Hub Area Technical School is located in the district. Aberdeen also has an alternative middle and high school.

The Aberdeen School District's enrollment for the year 2024–2025 was approximately 4,326 students,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aberdeen.k12.sd.us/dsc/districtinfo/Report_Card.pdf |title=Aberdeen School District 06-1 : District Report Card |location=Aberdeen, South Dakota |date=2005 |website=Aberdeen.k12.sd.us |access-date=July 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215145355/http://www.aberdeen.k12.sd.us/dsc/districtinfo/Report_Card.pdf |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the average class size was in the low to mid-twenties. Due to a projected increase in enrollment and the modernization of facilities, Simmons Middle School was completely remodeled with the demolition of the original 1929 building and the addition of a new classroom and cafeteria building which was completed in August 2008. The public school in Aberdeen is AA under the SDHSAA.

===Parochial schools===
Aberdeen has several parochial schools, including the Catholic-affiliated [[Roncalli High School (Aberdeen, South Dakota)|Roncalli High School]], the nondenominational Aberdeen Christian School, and Trinity Lutheran School of the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod|WELS]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Trinity Lutheran School |url=http://www.trinityaberdeen.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=3760&c=1}}</ref>

===Special programs===
The [[South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired]] is a state special school under the direction of the [[South Dakota Board of Regents]].<ref>{{cite web |title=South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired |url=http://sdsbvi.northern.edu/ |url-status=dead |website=sdsbvi.northern.edu |access-date=July 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815214648/http://sdsbvi.northern.edu/ |archive-date=August 15, 2012}}</ref>

===Higher education===

====Northern State University====
[[Northern State University]] (NSU) is a public university that was founded in 1901<ref name=EB /> and today occupies a {{convert|72|acre|m2|adj=on}} campus. 2,528 students, ranging from first-year to graduate students, attended NSU for the 2006–2007 school year. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1.

NSU was originally called the Institute of South Dakota before changing its name to Northern Normal and Industrial School in 1901. It changed its name again in 1939 when it became the Northern State Teachers College, and again in 1964, becoming Northern State College before finalizing as Northern State University in 1989.

NSU offers thirty-eight majors and forty-two minors as well as other degrees, and also has nine graduate degree areas for students wishing to further their education after achieving their first degree.

The mascot of NSU is the wolf named Thunder.<ref>{{cite web |title=University Relations – Thunder Appearances |url=http://www.northern.edu/about/Pages/ur/thunder.aspx |website=Northern.edu |access-date=September 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928145735/http://www.northern.edu/about/Pages/ur/thunder.aspx |archive-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref>

====Presentation College====
[[Presentation College (South Dakota)|Presentation College]] was a Catholic college on a {{convert|100|acre|km2|adj=on}} campus, and was founded in 1951.<ref name=EB /> Enrollment in fall 2014 was reported to be 735.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.presentation.edu/admissions/faqs/ |title=Business Office FAQs &#124; Tuition & Aid &#124; Presentation College |website=Presentation.edu |access-date=July 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906061722/https://www.presentation.edu/admissions/faqs/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> PC offers 26 programs between the main Aberdeen campus and the other campuses located throughout the state. Most of the degrees offered are in the health-care field. The student to teacher ratio is 12:1. Presentation's mascot is the Saint, giving it the nickname the Presentation College Saints. Presentation College announced that it would no longer take new enrollments, and closed the college at the end of the summer semester in 2023.

==Media==
''[[The American News]]'' was founded as a weekly newspaper in 1885, by C.W. Starling and Paul Ware. It is now a daily newspaper.

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ align=bottom |
! style="background:#ccf;"| Channel<br />([[ATSC|Digital]])
! style="background:#ccf;"| [[Callsign]]
! style="background:#ccf;"| Network
! style="background:#ccf;"| Owner
|-
|3.1||[[KELO-TV|K24DT-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KELO)}}||[[CBS]]||[[Nexstar Media Group]]
|-
|3.2||[[KELO-TV|K24DT-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KELO)}}||[[MyNetworkTV]]||[[Nexstar Media Group]]
|-
|7.1||[[KTTW|K39CZ-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KTTW)}}||[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]||Independent Communications
|-
|7.2||[[KTTW|K39CZ-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KTTW)}}||[[This TV]]||Independent Communications|
|-
|7.3||[[KTTW|K39CZ-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KTTW)}}||[[Cozi TV]]||Independent Communications|
|-
|13.1||[[KSFY|K33MI-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KSFY)}}||[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]||Gray Television|
|-
|13.2||[[KSFY|K33MI-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KSFY)}}||[[The CW|CW]]||Gray Television|
|-
|13.3||[[KSFY|K33MI-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KSFY)}}||[[MeTV]]||Gray Television|
|-
|46.1||[[KDLT|K33MI-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KDLT)}}||[[NBC]]||Gray Television|
|-
|46.2||[[KDLT|K33MI-D]]<br />{{small|(Translator of KDLT)}}||[[Antenna TV]]||Gray Television|
|-
|16.1||[[KCSD-TV|KDSD]]||[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]||[[South Dakota Public Broadcasting|SDPB]]
|-
|16.2||[[KCSD-TV|KDSD]]||[[World (TV channel)|World]]||[[South Dakota Public Broadcasting|SDPB]]
|-
|16.3||[[KCSD-TV|KDSD]]||[[Create (TV network)|Create]]||[[South Dakota Public Broadcasting|SDPB]]
|-
|16.4||[[KCSD-TV|KDSD]]||[[PBS Kids|Kids]]||[[South Dakota Public Broadcasting|SDPB]]
|}

===AM radio===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="6"|[[AM radio]] stations
|-
!Frequency!!Call sign!!Name!!Format!!Owner!!City
|-
|930 AM||[[KSDN (AM)|KSDN]]||930 KSDN||[[News/Talk]]||Hub City Radio||Aberdeen
|-
|1420 AM||[[KGIM (AM)|KGIM]]||ESPN Radio 1420/107.1||Sports||Hub City Radio||Aberdeen
|}

===FM radio===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="7"|[[FM radio]] stations
|-
!Frequency!!Call sign!!Name!!Format!!Owner!!Target city/[[media market|market]]!![[City of license]]
|-
|88.1 FM||[[KFCA (FM)|KFCA]]||||[[Christian music|Christian]]||American Christian Radio||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|89.7 FM||[[K209FR]]||[[Christian music|Christian]]||[[Christian rock]]||[[CSN International]]||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|90.1 FM||[[American Family Radio|KEEA]]||||[[Christian music|Christian]]||American Family Radio||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|90.9 FM||[[KDSD-FM|KDSD]]||South Dakota Public Broadcasting||[[Public radio]]||South Dakota Public Broadcasting||Aberdeen||Pierpont
|-
|91.7 FM||[[KDSD-FM|K219CM]]||South Dakota Public Broadcasting||[[Public radio]]||South Dakota Public Broadcasting||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|94.1 FM||[[KSDN-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||[[K-Love|KLRJ]]||K-Love||[[Christian music|Christian]]||Educational Media Foundation||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|97.7 FM||[[KNBZ]]||Sunny 97.7||[[Adult contemporary music|Adult contemporary]]||Hub City Radio||Aberdeen||Redfield
|-
|98.5 FM||[[KBHL|K253AB]]||Praise FM||[[Christian music|Christian]]||Christian Heritage Broadcasting||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|102.1 FM||[[KGIM (AM)|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||[[Contemporary hit radio|Top 40]]||Hub City Radio||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|107.1 FM||[[KGIM (AM)|K296FW]]||ESPN Radio 1420/107.1||[[Sports radio|Sports]]||Hub City Radio||Aberdeen||Aberdeen
|-
|107.7 FM||[[KABD]]||107-7 The Shark||[[Adult hits]]||Dakota Broadcasting||Aberdeen||Ipswich
|}

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
====Air====
The [[Aberdeen Regional Airport]] is currently served by [[Delta Connection]]. It offers flights to [[Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport]] using the [[Bombardier CRJ550]] aircraft.

====Roadways====
There are two major US highways that serve Aberdeen. One is [[U.S. Route 281|US Highway 281]], a north–south highway that runs continuously from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, the only three-digit U.S. highway to do so. This also makes it the longest three-digit U.S. highway. The second highway is [[U.S. Route 12|US Highway 12]] that runs east–west across northern South Dakota from the [[Minnesota]] border before curving northwest into the southwestern corner of North Dakota. The western terminus is in Aberdeen, Washington, and the eastern terminus is in downtown Detroit, Michigan. US Highway 12 is the major thoroughfare in Aberdeen, and is signed in the city of Aberdeen as 6th Avenue South. US Highway 281 was recently realigned onto a new bypass that was constructed around the western area of the city.

====Intercity Bus====
[[Jefferson Lines]] is a bus service from Aberdeen that connects to [[Sioux Falls, South Dakota]], [[Fargo, North Dakota]], and [[Minneapolis|Minneapolis, Minnesota]].

====Public Transit====
Ride Line Transportation Services provides [[Demand-responsive transport|demand response]] service to the Aberdeen area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aberdeen.sd.us/182/Ride-Line-Transportation-Services|title=Ride Line Transportation Services|access-date=May 30, 2023}}</ref> Aberdeen is the largest city in South Dakota without fixed-route service.

[[File:Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot Aberdeen SD.jpg|thumb|right|Historic [[Milwaukee Road]] depot in Aberdeen]]

====Railroads====
The [[BNSF Railway]] conveys freight and grain through Aberdeen. Until 1969 the [[Milwaukee Road]] ran trains between Aberdeen and [[Minneapolis]]. Earlier, until 1961, trains from Chicago to Seattle ran through the railroad's [[Aberdeen station (Milwaukee Road)|Aberdeen station]]. Burlington Northern purchased parts of the Milwaukee Road's "Pacific Extension" into Montana when the Milwaukee Road when bankrupt and ended service in 1977.

In addition, the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]] was absorbed into the Burlington Northern in March 1970 with the merger of the Spokane, Portland, & Seattle Railway, the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad, and the Northern Pacific Railway into one railroad company. The former Great Northern trackage was later purchased from Burlington Northern by [[Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad]].

The [[Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway]] had a lightly used branch line from Donde South Dakota through Aberdeen, South Dakota to Long Lake, South Dakota and this line became Chicago & Northwestern Railway property when the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway merged with the [[Chicago & Northwestern Railway]] October 1960. [[Chicago & Northwestern]] already had a lightly used branch line from James Valley Junction, South Dakota to Oakes, North Dakota. All the lines saw little traffic and were eventually abandoned by the [[Chicago and Northwestern]] before its 1995 merger with the [[Union Pacific Railroad]].

====Taxi====
Aberdeen Taxi service provides general taxi service in Aberdeen. Aberdeen Shuttle provides shuttle service to and from the airport along with general taxi services.

====Car rental====
There are five car rental services in Aberdeen: Hertz, Avis, Dollar-Thrifty, Toyota Rent-a-Car, and Nissan Rental Car. Hertz and Avis Car rental are located in the airport terminal. Dollar-Thrifty is located in Aberdeen Flying Service. Toyota Rent-a-Car and Nissan Rental Car are located at Harr Motors across from the airport.

===Healthcare===
Aberdeen has two hospitals, Avera St. Luke's Hospital and Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanfordaberdeen.org/ |title=Sanford Aberdeen |publisher=Sanford Aberdeen |date=May 15, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207133041/http://www.sanfordaberdeen.org/ |archive-date=December 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

There are several nursing homes in the area, including Avera Mother Joseph Manor, [[HCR Manor Care|Manor Care]], Bethesda Home of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Health and Rehab, Angelhaus and Gellhaus Carehaus.

==Notable people==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Michael Andrew (swimmer)|Michael Andrew]], Olympic [[Swimming (sport)|swimmer]]<ref>Waltman, Scott (June 14, 2021). [https://www.aberdeennews.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/06/14/michael-andrew-swimming-tokyo-olympics-100-meter-breaststroke/7695700002/ "Former Aberdeen swimmer Michael Andrew qualifies for Tokyo Olympics"]. ''[[Aberdeen News]]''. Retrieved July 21, 2021.</ref>
* [[Bruce Baillie]], experimental filmmaker, founding member of [[Canyon Cinema]]
* [[Sam Barry]], Hall of Fame basketball, football and baseball coach
* [[L. Frank Baum]], famous for his book ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''<ref name=EB />
* [[Joshua Becker]], [[Simple Living|minimalist]] writer
* [[Jerry Burke]], organist for [[Lawrence Welk]]
* [[John Cacavas]], Hollywood [[film score]] composer
* [[Emma Amelia Cranmer]], temperance reformer, woman suffragist, writer
* [[Tom Daschle]], former [[U.S. senator]] and [[Senate majority leader]]
* [[Drew Dennert]], member of the [[South Dakota House of Representatives]]
* [[Justin Duchscherer]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] pitcher for the [[Oakland Athletics]]
* [[Thomas Dunn (musician)|Thomas Dunn]], conductor who contributed to [[early music revival]]
* [[Sara K. Dye]], M.D. (Sac and Fox/Shawnee), surgeon dedicating to reducing diabetes-related amputations<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography: Dr. Sara K. Dye |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/changing-the-face-of-medicine/physicians/biography_sara_dye.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125012343/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/changing-the-face-of-medicine/physicians/biography_sara_dye.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2025 |website=National Library of Medicine |access-date=15 January 2025}}</ref>
* [[Fischer quintuplets]], the first surviving [[quintuplets]] in the United States were born in Aberdeen in 1963
* [[Terry Francona]], baseball manager
* [[Matilda Joslyn Gage]], [[women's suffrage|suffragist]], Native American activist and author
* [[Hamlin Garland]], author of the ''Middle Border'' series.<ref name=EB />
* [[Mary GrandPré]], illustrator
* [[Matt Guthmiller]], Once the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe by air
* [[Joseph Hansen (writer)|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 for [[BC Andorra|Bàsquet Club Andorra]]
* [[David C. Jones]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]] [[General of the Air Force|general]] and former chairman of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]]
* [[Ronald Leighty]], politician
* [[Roland Loomis]], key figure in the [[modern primitive]] [[Social movement|movement]]
* [[Kenneth J. Meier]], political scientist, [[Texas A&M University]]
* [[Don Meyer]] college basketball coach
* [[Saul Phillips (basketball)|Saul Phillips]] college basketball coach
* [[Ron Rivett]], founder of Super 8 Motels and My Place hotels
* [[Paul Sather]] college basketball coach
* [[Julie Sommars]], actress
* [[Eddie Spears]], actor
* [[Michael Spears]], actor
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Aberdeen (South Dakota)}}
* [https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/ City of Aberdeen, SD – official website]
* [https://aberdeensd.com/ Aberdeen Changing The Game – community website]
* {{Wikisource-inline|list=
** {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Aberdeen (city)|display=Aberdeen |volume=1 |page=49 |noicon=x}}
** {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Aberdeen (South Dakota) |short=x |noicon=x}}
}}

{{Brown County, South Dakota}}
{{South Dakota}}
{{South Dakota county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aberdeen, South Dakota| ]]
[[Category:Cities in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Cities in Brown County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:County seats in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1880]]
[[Category:1880 establishments in Dakota Territory]]