Aberdeen is the third-largest city in South Dakota, a hub of about 28,000 people on the wide-open plains of the northeast part of the state. Known locally as the "Hub City" for the railroad lines that once converged here, Aberdeen is the commercial center for a vast agricultural region. The town has a genuine small-city warmth and more going on than you might expect from its remote location.
The Dacotah Prairie Museum downtown covers the natural and cultural history of the Northern Plains, from the Lakota and Dakota peoples through the homesteading era. The Storybook Land park, based on children's literature characters, is a well-loved family attraction set in Wylie Park, which also has a campground and a small zoo. Northern State University gives the town a youthful energy and supports a modest arts scene.
Aberdeen is the hometown of L. Frank Baum, who lived here in the late 1880s before writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The connection is celebrated around town. If you are driving across South Dakota on US-12 or US-281, Aberdeen is a natural stopping point with good restaurants and a genuinely friendly atmosphere. The surrounding prairie, particularly in summer when the grasslands are in full bloom, has a stark beauty that rewards a slow drive with the windows down.