Brookings, city, seat of Brookings County, eastern South Dakota, near the Big Sioux River; incorporated 1883. It is a commercial and manufacturing center situated in a region producing grain and livestock. Products include seeds, medical supplies, and electrical and electronic equipment. South Dakota State University (1881) is here. The community was founded in 1879 and is named for Judge Wilmot W. Brookings, an early settler. Population 14,951 (1980); 16,270 (1990); 18,504 (2000).
