Vermillion (; "The Place Where Vermilion is Obtained") is a city and the county seat of Clay County. It is in the southeastern corner of South Dakota, United States, and is the state's 12th-most populous city. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 11,695. The city lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.
The area has been home to Native American tribes for centuries. French fur traders first visited in the late 18th century. Vermillion was founded in 1859 and incorporated in 1873. The name refers to the Lakota name: wa sa wak pa'la (red stream). Home to the University of South Dakota, Vermillion has a mixed academic and rural character: the university is a major academic institution for the state, with its only law and medical schools and its only AACSB-accredited business school. Major farm products include corn, soybeans, and alfalfa.
History
Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth of the Vermillion River near the present-day town on August 24, 1804. The previous day, they had killed their first bison; the next day, they climbed Spirit Mound. In May 1843, John James Audubon visited the Vermillion ravine to view the bird life. The town was considered for the site of South Dakota's first mental institution (now the Human Services Center) in 1873, but the hospital was eventually awarded to nearby Yankton. The original town was entirely below the bluffs on the banks of the Missouri River, and three-quarters of it washed away in the Great Flood of 1881.
William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft—candidates for the U.S. Presidency in the 1908 election—spoke in Vermillion on September 28 and 29, 1908, respectively. Along with Eugene Chafin, they toured South Dakota by train, including stops in Mitchell, Tripp, Yankton, and Elk Point.
John Philip Sousa conducted the Sousa Band on October 26, 1926, at the facility that in 1929 became known as Slagle Auditorium.
On March 24, 1967, in Vermillion, Thomas James White Hawk and William Stands murdered jeweler James Yeado and raped his wife.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , all land. The elevation of the city is .
Climate
Government
Vermillion operates under the council-manager form of government. Its governing body has nine members. Eight City Council members are elected from four wards, with two members representing each ward. The Mayor is elected at-large and presides over City Council meetings. The mayor may vote on all matters coming before the governing body. With the consent of the City Council, the mayor appoints individuals to serve on the Library Board and Planning Commission. The Library Board oversees the operations of the Vermillion Public Library and appoints a Library Director. All services and programs provided by the library are overseen by the board. The Planning Commission is charged with overseeing the long-range planning of the community, including zoning issues, subdivisions and formulation of the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission serves a vital role in recommending major policy changes to the governing body for the development of the community.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 11,695 people, 3,895 households, and 1,771 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,130 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.6% White, 2.3% African American, 3.8% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 3.3% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
There were 3,895 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 55.6% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 23.4 years. 15.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 41.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 14.4% were from 45 to 64; and 8.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.