| Official Name: | Brandon, South Dakota |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "Building a Better Life" |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the United States |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | South Dakota |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Minnehaha |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Harry Buck |
| Established Title3: | Incorporated |
| Established Date3: | 1973 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 14.93 |
| Area Land Km2: | 14.82 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.11 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5.77 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5.72 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.04 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 11048 |
| Population Density Km2: | 745.48 |
| Timezone: | Central |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | Central |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Coordinates: | 43.5917°N -96.5806°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 1352 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 57005 |
| Area Code: | 605 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 46-06840 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1254042 |
| Website: | City of Brandon |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1930.79 |
Brandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. Brandon is located five miles east of Sioux Falls. The population was 11,048 as of the 2020 census.[2]
A post office called Brandon has been in operation since 1878.[3] The city took its name from Brandon Township.[4]
Brandon is located along the Big Sioux River and Split Rock Creek.[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.41sqmi, of which 5.37sqmi is land and 0.04sqmi is water.[6]
As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 8,785 people, 3,118 households, and 2,417 families residing in the city. The population density was 1635.9PD/sqmi. There were 3,238 housing units at an average density of 603/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 3,118 households, of which 48.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.5% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.22.
The median age in the city was 32.9 years. 33.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 7.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.
The Great Bear Recreation Park is located miles to the west of Brandon on Rice Street.
The Big Sioux Recreation Area, a state recreation area consisting of a large forest surrounding the park's namesake Big Sioux River, is located west of Robert Bennis Elementary. It features many hiking and biking trails and bridges over the river, as well as camping sites and playgrounds.
Students in Brandon are served by the Brandon Valley School District. As South Dakota allows parents to enroll their students at any school district, regardless of district boundaries, the school district also serves students from the surrounding areas.
The Brandon Valley School District currently operates one high school, one middle school, one intermediate school, and four elementary schools. Brandon Valley High School, Brandon Valley Middle School, Brandon Valley Intermediate School, Brandon Elementary School and Robert Bennis Elementary School are all located within Brandon's city limits, while Valley Springs Elementary School is located a few miles east of Brandon in Valley Springs, and Fred Assam Elementary School is located a few miles west, in eastern Sioux Falls.
In fall of 2015, the Brandon Valley School District added an intermediate school. The school is adjacent to Robert Bennis Elementary School and educates fifth and sixth grade students. Because the city's population had been increasing exponentially, district officials were concerned that Brandon Valley Middle School, which served grades 6–8, was reaching capacity. Voters living within the district voted to fund $5.95 million of the estimated $14 million required to build the school by way of property tax.[8]
Interstate 90, the longest interstate highway in the United States, is located along the city's northern border with Corson and serves as a major east - west route through the city. South Dakota Highway 11 (known as Splitrock Boulevard in the city limits) runs a north - south route as well. Most businesses in Brandon are located on Splitrock Boulevard. Other major roads include Holly Boulevard, Sioux Boulevard, and Aspen Boulevard. Aspen Boulevard directly connects Brandon to other communities to the east such as Valley Springs, South Dakota; Beaver Creek, Minnesota; and Luverne, Minnesota.
Since 2013, Automania, the largest free car show in the region, has taken place along Holly Boulevard in the summer. The event brought more than 70,000 people to Brandon when it took place in 2013. AutoMania is now held 10 miles east, in Valley Springs, SD.[9] [10]