Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown is a city of 23,044 people in Codington County, South Dakota, founded in 1879.
Why visit Watertown
Townapedia lists 16 museums and landmarks, 35 parks and trails, 44 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Odyssey Grand 8, Watertown Stadium, A.C. Gilruth House and Bramble Park Zoo.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 3°F, and about 41 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Watertown
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Watertown
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 wildlife artist Terry Redlin. Watertown is between Pelican Lake and Lake Kampeska, from which Redlin derived inspiration for his artwork.
From the Wikipedia article Watertown, South Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks16
Watertown Stadium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Stadium in South Dakota
A.C. Gilruth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Codington County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Courthouse serving Codington County, South Dakota
Codington County Heritage Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Museum in Watertown, South Dakota
Corson Emminger Round Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Round barn
Dr. Tarbell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
House in Watertown, South Dakota
John B. Hanten House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Mellette House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic home and museum in Watertown, South Dakota
Mount Hope Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Cemetery in Watertown, South Dakota
Old Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic building in Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic district in South Dakota, United States
4 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds35
23 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes44
Dempsey's Brewery Restaurant & Pub
Bar and pub · Pizza, Burger, American · 2.1 mi
127 North Broadway, Watertown
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00
32 more on the map.
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 (grandfather of Jack 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.
From the History section of Watertown, South Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship19
Evangelical United Brethren Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Watertown First United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 2.1 mi
4 2nd Avenue Southeast, Watertown
Prairie Lakes Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.4 mi
1230 19th Street Northeast, Watertown
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 3.4 mi
1200 19th Street Northeast, Watertown
First Baptist Church of Watertown
Church · Baptist · 2.3 mi
111 14th Avenue Northeast, Watertown
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Church · Foursquare · 2.5 mi
1120 4th Street Northeast, Watertown
Saint Martin's Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 2.3 mi
1200 2nd Street Northeast, Watertown
Shopping12
Nyberg's Ace Hardware
Hardware store · 2.8 mi
702 9th Avenue Southeast, Watertown
County Fair Foods of Watertown
Grocery · 2.3 mi
14 2nd Street Northeast, Watertown
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Great Plains Lutheran High School
School · Lutheran · 2.6 mi
1200 4th Street Northeast, Watertown
Saint Martin's Lutheran School
School · Lutheran · 2.3 mi
1200 2nd Street Northeast, Watertown
Healthcare6
Map of Watertown
179 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°F | 3°F | 0.6 in | 6.7 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 7°F | 0.7 in | 8.9 in |
| Mar | 39°F | 20°F | 1.0 in | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 54°F | 32°F | 2.1 in | 5.2 in |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 2.9 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 55°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 60°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 58°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 49°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 35°F | 1.9 in | 1.4 in |
| Nov | 40°F | 21°F | 0.7 in | 4.5 in |
| Dec | 26°F | 9°F | 0.7 in | 8.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Watertown Rgnl Ap Hcn (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Codington County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-07-06: Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-06-29: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-11-18: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2019-06-07: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Watertown Regional Airport (ATY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 0 miles away.
- Florence 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Castlewood 14 mi southeast, about 23 min by car
- Hayti 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- Lake Norden 23 mi south, about 37 min by car
- Lake Poinsett 23 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Clear Lake 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Estelline 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
- Bryant 27 mi southwest, about 43 min by car
- Clark 28 mi west, about 46 min by car
- Brookings 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Redlin Art Center, Bp0 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Watertown Stadium - main entrance, Megan D. Eades, Public domain
- Watertown Stadium - side view, Megan D. Eades, Public domain
- Watertown Stadium May 2017, Bp0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hanten House NRHP 89002337 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CARNEGIE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, CODINGTON COUNTY, SD, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Watertown Commercial HD4 NRHP 89000834 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CORSON EMMINGER ROUND BARN, CODINGTON COUNTY, SD, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MELLETTE HOUSE, WATERTOWN, CODINGTON COUNTY, SD, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Evangelical United Brethren Church, Watertown, South Dakota, Bp0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gilruth House NRHP88003031 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mount Hope Cemetery Mausoleum, Bp0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WATERTOWN POST OFFICE, CODINGTON COUNTY, SD, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CODINGTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, WATERTOWN, SD, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dr. Tarbell House NRHP 01000634 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bramble Park Zoo entrance, Watertown, SD, Bp0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Fordyce visits South Dakota businesses (55311750781), USDAgov, Public domain
- Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Fordyce visits South Dakota businesses (55310839142), USDAgov, Public domain
- A. Einar Johnson House NRHP 88003029 Codington Coounty, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- A. Einar Johnson House2 NRHP 88003029 Codington Coounty, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dr. Harry Henningson House NRHP 88003036 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1976 Pontiac Bonneville (29596036185), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- General Sheafe House2 NRHP 87000222 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1973 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible (28972819633), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1964 Mercury Park Lane Marauder (28973929763), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- General Sheafe House NRHP 87000222 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Freeburg House NRHP 88003035 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner (28970498004), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1959 Edsel Villager (28972866883), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1959 Edsel Villager (29562157366), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1966 GMC Custom Special Edition Pick-Up (29515310871), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1966 GMC Custom Special Edition Pick-Up (29486018862), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1966 GMC Custom Special Edition Pick-Up (29486013722), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Freeburg House2 NRHP 88003035 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1966 GMC Custom Special Edition Pick-Up (29561844146), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1962 AMC Rambler American Convertible (28972920113), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1962 AMC Rambler American Convertible (29562207686), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Ferris House NRHP 88003034 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ferris House2 NRHP 88003034 Codington County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DeGraff House2 NRHP 88003033 Codington County,SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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