Sisseton is a city in

Roberts County, South Dakota Roberts County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,280. Its county seat is Sisseton. The county was named either for S. G. Roberts of Fargo, North Dakota, or for Solomon Robar, an early ...

, United States. The population was 2,479 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Roberts County. Sisseton is the home to a number of tourist attractions, including the Nicollet Tower, and is near the "Song to the Great Spirit" building on the

Sisseton Wahpeton College Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC) is a public tribal land-grant college of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate on the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota. It was established in 1979 and serves the Dakota people and the general public. SWC has an ...

campus. The city is named for the Sisseton division of the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

people. It also serves as an important part of the

Lake Traverse Indian Reservation The Lake Traverse Indian Reservation is the homeland of the federally recognized Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, a branch of the Santee Dakota group of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans. Most of the reservation covers parts of five ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Sisseton has a relatively dry, four-season,

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb/Dfa''), with long, dry, cold winters, hot summers, and brief spring and autumnal transitions; like much of the southern half of the state, it lies in USDA Plant Hardiness zone 5. ;Notes:

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,470 people, 958 households, and 576 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,057 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 47.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 47.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 958 households, of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.22. The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 29.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,572 people, 1,003 households, and 631 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,093 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 56.07%

, 0.12%

, 40.86% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population. There were 1,003 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were

living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $26,698, and the median income for a family was $33,977. Males had a median income of $27,393 versus $20,586 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,019. About 14.9% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

, a small college that is part of

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation (), formerly Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe/Dakota Nation, is a federally recognized tribe comprising two bands and two subdivisions of the ''Isanti'' or Santee Dakota people. They are ...

, is near Sisseton in Agency Village. The college offers undergraduate and vocational degrees. About 80% of the college's 250 students are

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota ...

people. Sisseton School District 54-9 has four schools: Sisseton High School, Sisseton Middle School, New Effington Elementary and Westside Elementary. Tiospa Zina Tribal School, a tribal K-12 school in Agency Village, is from Sisseton.
Clipping
from

Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The ...

. it is

Bureau of Indian Education The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs that directs and manages education functions. Formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs ...

(BIE)-affiliated.

Media

FM radio

Transportation

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

Notable people

Joe Donnell Joe Donnell is an American politician who has served in the South Dakota House of Representatives since 2023. Career Donnell is the founder and director of Warriors Circle, a Christian nonprofit that works with Native Americans in the United St ...

, politician * Greg Long, musician * Lowell Lundstrom, American evangelist and musician * "Mean" Gene Okerlund, professional wrestling interviewer *

Gabriel Renville Gabriel Renville (April 1825 – August 26, 1892), also known as Ti'wakan (Sacred Lodge), was a US-government appointed chief of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe from 1866 until his death in 1892. He opposed conflict with the United Stat ...

, last chief of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux tribe *

Joe Robbie Joseph Robbie (July 7, 1916 – January 7, 1990) was an American attorney, politician, and the principal founder of the Miami Dolphins. Early life Robbie was raised in Sisseton, South Dakota, the second of five children. His father was a Leban ...

, original owner of the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

Floyd Westerman Floyd Westerman (August 17, 1936 – December 13, 2007) was a Sisseton Dakota musician, political activist, and actor. After establishing a career as a country music singer, later in his life he became an actor, usually depicting Native America ...

, actor *

Cynthia MacAdams Cynthia MacAdams (born Cynthia Rose Adams, September 5, 1939) is an American actress and photographer. She is recognized for her black and white portraiture, use of natural light and infrared photography, and images of sacred architecture. MacA ...

, actress and photographer

References

External links

City of Sisseton -- Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Roberts County, South Dakota Cities in South Dakota County seats in South Dakota Populated places established in 1907 1907 establishments in South Dakota Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate South Dakota placenames of Native American origin