In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Brookings, South Dakota
Half a day is enough: walk the SDSU campus and grab a meal on Main Avenue. Not a destination — a lunch stop on I-29.
Brookings is a college town on I-29, home to South Dakota State University. Its downtown Main Avenue has a few blocks of bars and pizzerias. Most travellers pass through on the way to the Glacial Lakes region or use it as a base for visiting nearby lakes and small towns. One meal and a short walk cover it.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, snow)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–90 excl. bed · Mid $90–150 excl. bed · High $150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Pizza slice | $3–5 |
| Draft beer | $4–6 |
| Motel room (chain) | $60–140 |
| Coffee | $2–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FSD · Sioux Falls Regional
- About 1 h south on I-29
Typical fares
- Sioux Falls Airport → Brookings
- about $60–80 by taxi or rideshare, about 1 h (check)
- Jefferson Lines bus (Sioux Falls → Brookings)
- about $20–30, about 1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. Main Avenue is walkable for a few blocks. No public transit worth using.
See and do
Known for
- South Dakota State University
- Main Avenue bars and pizza
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Norden | Car via US-14 and SD-28, about 20 min | About 25 min |
| Watertown, South Dakota | Car via I-29 N, about 45 min | About 50 min |
| Miller | Car via US-14 W, about 1 h | About 1 h 10 min |
| Huron, South Dakota | Car via US-14 W, about 1 h 15 min | About 1 h 25 min |
| Aberdeen, South Dakota | Car via I-29 N and US-12, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 40 min |
| Ipswich, South Dakota | Car via US-14 and SD-37, about 1 h 15 min | About 1 h 25 min |
Sleep
- I-29 / US-14 junction
- Chain hotels near the interstate; convenient for a night.
- Downtown / Main Avenue
- A few independent motels and B&Bs; walk to restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hellohello |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| How much? | How much?how much |
| Where is the bathroom? | Where is the bathroom?where is the bathroom |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Main Avenue bars can get rowdy on SDSU game nights.
- Winter driving on I-29 can be hazardous; check road conditions.
- Most businesses close early on Sundays.
Brookings is a safe college town. The main risk is winter driving on I-29.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Brookings, South Dakota yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- South Dakota State University
- Main Avenue bars and pizza
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Jefferson Lines: www.jeffersonlines.com/
- Wikivoyage: Brookings (South Dakota), revision 4699891 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4699891
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Brookings, South Dakota
Take me to this address, please
Take me to this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
English only; no language barrier.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/brookings-south-dakota). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.