Bristol is a city located in western Day County, South Dakota, United States. It lies in Section 25 of Bristol Township, on the main line of what is now the BNSF Railway alongside U.S. Route 12. The population was 288 at the 2020 census.` Similar to many towns of the area and of the Midwest in general, Bristol came into being as a result of railroad expansion. The railroad, which first came through the area in the 1870s, identified the site which would become Bristol as Station #70. C.P. Prior, a district railroad surveyor and townsite agent, was given credit for naming Bristol in 1881. He named the town after Bristol, England.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code57219

Area code605

Living in Bristol

Work & commute in Bristol

Full picture →

Most working residents leave Bristol for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Webster (15%), Aberdeen (14%) and Watertown (7%). Half commute less than 31 miles.

Webster

15%

Aberdeen

14%

Watertown

Britton

3%Work in townlive and work in Bristol 31 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 87Jobs based herea commuter town

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Bristol →

Health in Bristol

Compared with South Dakota

2better than SD·8worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 16 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits all close Care 2▲ 5 close Mind all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

81.7%More adults treating high blood pressureSD 75.9% · better 87.2%More adults getting cholesterol checkedSD 84.8% · better 9.4%More adults with heart diseaseSD 6.8% · worse

Care nearby

Sanford Hospital Webster - CahWebster · 10.9 mi · ER · rural critical access

Horizon Health - AberdeenAberdeen · 35.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Bristol · CMS · HRSAHealth in Bristol →

Natural hazards in Bristol

Very low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 18% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding💨 Strong wind

0Does Bristol flood?no paid flood claims on record NoneDisasters that paid out hereof 23 declared for Day County

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Bristol →

Climate in Bristol

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Bristol has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

23° / 6°Winter

52° / 31°Spring

79° / 57°Summer

55° / 35°Fall