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 County. 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 was approximately $200,000 .
Geography
Watertown is along the Big Sioux River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and 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 .
History
thumb|left|An 1883 bird's eye illustration of Watertown
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. The route included a slight bend to bring it closer to Watertown.