Brookings Wedding

Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, USA. The population was 18,504 at the 2000 census and the 5th largest city in South Dakota. It is the county seat of Brookings CountyGR6, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher education in the state.

The town is named for Wilmot Wood Brookings who was part of the Western Town Company, and oversaw construction of a road running from the Minnesota border, through present-day Brookings County, to the shores of the Missouri River.

Medary, the first substantive settlement constructed in the area, was organized in 1857. The location was among the first three non-in Dakota Territory. The City of Brookings formed just over four miles north of the Medary settlement when the railroad bypassed the existing townships (Medary, Oakwood, and Fountain), favoring a path between them as a compromise.

Brookings is located at 441823N, 964717W (44.306253, -96.788105)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.1 km (12.0 mi). 30.9 km (11.9 mi) of it is land and 0.2 km (0.1 mi) of it (0.58%) is water.