Sioux Falls ( ) is the
most populous city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
and the
117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County is a county on the eastern border of the state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 197,214, making it the state's most populous county, and was estimated to be 208,639 in 2024. It contains over 22.56% o ...
and also extends into northern
Lincoln County. The population was 192,517 at the
2020 census,
and in 2023, its estimated population was 209,289.
According to city officials, the estimated population had grown to 219,588 as of early 2025. The Sioux Falls metro area accounts for more than 30% of the state's population. Chartered in 1856 on the banks of the
Big Sioux River
The Big Sioux River is a tributary of the Missouri River in eastern South Dakota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. It flows generally southwardly for ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataTh ...
, the city is situated in the rolling hills at the junction of
interstates 29 and
90.
History

The history of Sioux Falls revolves around the cascades of the
Big Sioux River
The Big Sioux River is a tributary of the Missouri River in eastern South Dakota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. It flows generally southwardly for ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataTh ...
. The falls were created about 14,000 years ago during the
last ice age. The lure of the falls has been a powerful influence.
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...
,
Ioway
The Iowa, also known as Ioway or Báxoje (, "grey snow people"), are a Native American tribe. Historically, they spoke a Chiwere Siouan language. Today, they are enrolled in either of two federally recognized tribes: the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma ...
,
Otoe
The Otoe ( Chiwere: Jiwére) are a Native American people of the Midwestern United States. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa, Missouria, and Ho-Chunk tribes.
Histori ...
,
Missouria
The Missouria or Missouri (in their own language, Niúachi, also spelled Niutachi) are a Native American tribe that originated in the Great Lakes region of what is now the United States before European contact.May, John D"Otoe-Missouria"''Oklah ...
,
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
(and
Ponca
The Ponca people are a nation primarily located in the Great Plains of North America that share a common Ponca culture, history, and language, identified with two Indigenous nations: the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma or the Ponca Tribe of ...
at the time),
Quapaw
The Quapaw ( , Quapaw language, Quapaw: ) or Arkansas, officially the Quapaw Nation, is a List of federally recognized tribes in the United States, U.S. federally recognized tribe comprising about 6,000 citizens. Also known as the Ogáxpa or � ...
,
Kansa,
Osage,
Arikara
The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...
,
Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...
, and
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...
people inhabited and settled the region prior to Europeans and European descendants. Numerous
burial mounds
A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. ...
still exist on the high bluffs near the river and are spread throughout the general vicinity. Indigenous people maintained an agricultural society with fortified villages, and the later arrivals rebuilt on many of the same sites that were previously settled.
Lakota
Lakota may refer to:
*Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes
*Lakota language
Lakota ( ), also referred to as Lakhota, Teton or Teton Sioux, is a Siouan languages, Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of ...
populate urban and reservation communities in the contemporary state and many Lakota, Dakota, and numerous other Indigenous Americans reside in Sioux Falls today.
French voyagers/explorers visited the area in the early 18th century. The first documented visit by an American of European descent was by
Philander Prescott Philander Prescott (September 17, 1801August 18, 1862) was an American trader, interpreter, and pioneer of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The town of Prescott, Wisconsin was first settled by and named after him.
Biography
Philander Prescott was the son ...
, who camped overnight at the falls in December 1832. Captain
James Allen led a military expedition out of Fort Des Moines in 1844. Jacob Ferris described the Falls in his 1856 book "The States and Territories of the Great West".
Two separate groups, the Dakota Land Company of
St. Paul
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
and the Western Town Company of
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...
, organized in 1856 to claim the land around the falls, considered a promising townsite for its beauty and water power. Each laid out claims, but worked together for mutual protection. They built a temporary barricade of turf which they dubbed "Fort Sod", in response to native tribes attempting to defend their land from the settlers. Seventeen men then spent "the first winter" in Sioux Falls. The following year the population grew to near 40.
Although conflicts in
Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County is a county on the eastern border of the state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 197,214, making it the state's most populous county, and was estimated to be 208,639 in 2024. It contains over 22.56% o ...
between
Native Americans and white
settler
A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...
s were few, the
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several eastern bands of Dakota people, Da ...
engulfed nearby southwestern
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
. The town was evacuated in August of that year when two local
settlers
A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...
were killed as a result of the conflict. The settlers and
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer.
Etymology
The wo ...
s stationed here traveled to
Yankton in late August 1862. The abandoned townsite was pillaged and burned.
Fort Dakota, a military reservation established in present-day downtown, was established in May 1865. Many former settlers gradually returned and a new wave of settlers arrived in the following years. The population grew to 593 by 1873, and a building boom was underway in that year. The Village of Sioux Falls, consisting of , was incorporated in 1876 and was granted a city charter by the Dakota Territorial legislature on March 3, 1883.
The arrival of the
railroads
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...
ushered in the great Dakota Boom decade of the 1880s. The population of Sioux Falls mushroomed from 2,164 in 1880 to 10,167 at the close of the decade. The growth transformed the city. A
severe plague of grasshoppers and a
national depression halted the boom by the early 1890s. The city grew by only 89 people from 1890 to 1900.
In the 1890s Sioux Falls became a destination for women seeking divorce due to having some of the nation's most permissive divorce laws and being accessible by rail. It was known as the "Divorce Colony" and remained a popular venue for divorces until South Dakota changed its residency requirements in 1908.
But prosperity eventually returned with the opening of the John Morrell meat packing plant in 1909, the establishment of an airbase and a military radio and communications training school in 1942, and the completion of the interstate highways in the early 1960s. Much of the growth in the first part of the 20th century was fueled by agriculturally based industry, such as the Morrell plant and the nearby stockyards (one of the largest in the nation).
In 1955 the city decided to consolidate the neighboring incorporated city of
South Sioux Falls. At the time South Sioux Falls had a population of nearly 1,600 inhabitants, according to the 1950 census. It was the third largest city in the county after Sioux Falls and Dell Rapids. By October 18, 1955, South Sioux Falls residents voted 704 in favor and 227 against to consolidate with Sioux Falls. On the same issue, Sioux Falls residents voted on November 15 by the vote 2,714 in favor and 450 against.
In 1981, to take advantage of recently relaxed state
usury
Usury () is the practice of making loans that are seen as unfairly enriching the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is charged in e ...
laws,
Citibank
Citibank, N.A. ("N. A." stands for "National bank (United States), National Association"; stylized as citibank) is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of Citigroup, a financial services multinational corporation, multinational corporation. Ci ...
relocated its primary credit card center from
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to Sioux Falls. Some claim that this event was the primary impetus for the increased population and job growth rates that Sioux Falls has experienced over the past quarter-century. Others point out that Citibank's relocation was only part of a more general transformation of the city's economy from an industrially based one to an economy centered on health care, finance, and retail trade.
Sioux Falls has grown at a rapid pace since the late 1970s, with the city's population more than doubling from 81,182 in 1980 to 192,517 in 2020.
Then-President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
made his final stop of the
1996 presidential campaign in Sioux Fall
2019 tornadoes
On the night of
Tornadoes of 2019#September 10–11, September 10, 2019, the south side of Sioux Falls was hit by three strong EF2 tornadoes, severely damaging at least 37 buildings, including the Plaza 41 Shopping Center. One tornado hit the Avera Heart Hospital, damaging portions of the roof and windows, and causing seven injuries, including a man who fractured his skull as he was thrown into an exterior wall of the hospital. Another tornado hit the busy commercial district near the Empire Mall, injuring one woman inside her home. Another touched down on the far south side in a suburban residential area, tearing the roofs off homes. The total damage was more than $5 million.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.
The city is in extreme eastern South Dakota, about west of the
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
border.
Metropolitan area
The
Sioux Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of four South Dakota counties (
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln (na ...
,
McCook,
Minnehaha
Minnehaha is a Native American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem ''The Song of Hiawatha''. She is the lover of the titular protagonist Hiawatha and comes to a tragic end. The name, often said to mean "laughing wat ...
, and
Turner
Turner may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name
*One who uses a lathe for tur ...
) and one Minnesota county (
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
). The estimated population of this MSA in 2022 was 289,592, an increase of 4.6% from the 2020 census.
In addition to Sioux Falls, the metropolitan area includes
Canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative divisions
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and entertainment
* Canton (band), an It ...
,
Brandon,
Dell Rapids,
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...
,
Harrisburg
Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
,
Worthing
Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...
,
Beresford,
Lennox,
Hartford
Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
,
Crooks,
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
,
Montrose,
Salem
Salem may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Salem, Ontario, various places
Germany
* Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district
** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery
* Salem, Schleswig-Holstein
Israel
* Salem (B ...
, Renner, Rowena, Chancellor, Colton, Humboldt, Parker, Hurley,
Garretson, Sherman, Corson, Viborg, Irene, Centerville,
Luverne,
Hills
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as mountains. Hills fall und ...
, and
Beaver Creek.
Climate
Due to its inland location and relatively high latitude, Sioux Falls has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfa'', bordering on ''Dwa'') characterized by hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. It is in
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July; there are 15 days of maximums at or above and 25 days with minimums at or below annually.
[ Snowfall occurs mostly in light to moderate amounts during the winter, totaling .][ Precipitation, at annually, is concentrated in the warmer months.][ This results in frequent ]thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
s in summer from convection
Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
being built up with the unstable weather patterns. Extremes range from on February 9, 1899 to as recently as June 21, 1988.[
]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2020, there were 192,517 people and 86,565 households in the city.
2010 census
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 153,888 people, 61,707 households, and 37,462 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 66,283 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.8% White, 4.2% African American, 2.7% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.4% of the population.
There were 61,707 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.3% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.02.
The median age in the city was 33.6 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.
In 2015, the median household income in Minnehaha County, SD was $59,884, while Lincoln County, SD was $76,094. This represents a 0.29% growth from the previous year. The median family income for Sioux Falls was $74,632 in 2015. Males had a median income of $40,187 versus $31,517 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $26,392. 11.8% of the population and 8.5% of families were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
. Out of the total population, 16.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Many European immigrants, primarily from Scandinavia, Germany and the British Isles, settled in South Dakota in the 19th century. By 1890, one-third of the residents of South Dakota were immigrants.
Religion
Most Sioux Falls residents are Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
; Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
are the second-largest group. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...
is the largest Lutheran denomination in the city, with 20 churches in Sioux Falls. There are three mosques in Sioux Falls for approximately 3,000 Muslims. Sioux Falls also has the only Hindu temple in South Dakota, Hindu Temple of Siouxland, located in its suburb of Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...
.
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
Partially due to the lack of a state corporate income tax, Sioux Falls is home to a number of financial companies. The largest employers among these are Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...
and Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, t ...
.
While no longer as economically dominant as it once was, the manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the
secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
and food processing
Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing takes many forms, from grinding grain into raw flour, home cooking, and complex industrial methods used in the mak ...
sector remains an important component of Sioux Falls' economy. The Smithfield Foods/John Morrell meatpacking plant is the city's third-largest employer.
Arts and culture
Events
Downtown Sioux Falls hosts a SculptureWalk every summer and "First Fridays" on the first Friday of each summer month. The Downtown Riverfest brings live music, art, kids' activities and more in an annual festival that embraces the beauty of the Big Sioux.
Festival of Bands is a regional competition that hosts over 40 marching bands each year from across the Midwest. The Sioux Empire Spectacular is a Drum Corps regional competition. Party in the Park is an annual outdoor musical event held at Terrace Park. The Sioux Empire Fair is a regional fair held at the W. H. Lyon Fairgrounds, and the Sioux Falls JazzFest is hosted at Yankton Trail Park each year.
SiouxperCon is an annual nonprofit fan convention that celebrates comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, anime, board games, and video gaming.
Arts
In the beginning of the 21st century, Sioux Falls experienced a renaissance of cultural interest. The Sioux Empire Arts Council continues to lead in the Sioux Falls area arts scene and gives out Mayor's Awards each year in several categories for excellence demonstrated by Sioux Falls residents. The Sioux Falls SculptureWalk was the first visual evidence of the renaissance and is an attraction for both visitors and resident artists, hosting over 55 sculptures including a replica of the Michelangelo's David
''David'' is a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance sculpture in marble created from 1501 to 1504 by Michelangelo. With a height of , the ''David'' was the first colossal marble statue made in the High Renaissance, and since classical antiquity, a ...
. Work was essential to the renovation of the original Washington High School into the Washington Pavilion (housing two performing arts, a visual arts, and a science center).
The Northern Plains Indian Art Market (NPIAM) was established in 1988 by American Indian Services, Inc., of Sioux Falls as the Northern Plains Tribal Arts Show (NPTA). Northern Plains Tribal Arts dominated the Sioux Falls art scene from its inception in 1988. American Indian Services produced the juried art show and market from 1988 to 2003. Since 2004, Sinte Gleca University of Rosebud has been the producing organization. In the first 25 years of its existence—one of the longest-running Indian art shows in the country—over 800 artists from 7 northern plains states and two Canadian provinces exhibited at NPTA/NPIAM. Writers for national publications, filmmakers, and researchers have all joined the audiences over the years.
A permanent Northern Plains Tribal Arts collection is housed in the Egger Gallery at the Washington Pavilion. Since the Washington Pavilion opened its doors to the public in 1999, the collection has called the Visual Arts Center home. Originally the pieces were on an extended loan from American Indian Services, Inc.; in 2013, thanks to many supporters, the works were acquired under the title of the Augustana Tribal Arts Collection, and now officially belong to the Visual Arts Center.
As the 21st century began, poetry and literary events became more popular with the opening of the Sioux Empire Arts Council Horse Barn Gallery and due to a National Endowment for the Arts-supported Y Writer's Voice. The Y Writer's Voice included an annual reading series of 38 nationally known poets and writers, who performed works and youth workshops through the Sioux Falls Writers Voice in local performance spaces, at the YMCA after-school program, and in local schools, gaining national attention.
The Sioux Falls mayor's awards in literary arts designated movers and shakers during the growth and development of the literary arts scene. In addition to literary awards, there are mayor's awards in visual arts, performing arts, music, organizing in the arts, advocacy, and lifetime achievement, per the mayor's discretion.
The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival is a three-day outdoor musical event featuring two stages and is free to the public. It is held the third weekend in July at Yankton Trail Park. The Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society hosts national musicians during its annual concert series. Each year the series includes approximately five concerts with acts from all over the world. JazzFest, with over 125,000 in annual attendance, has expanded over the years to include the Jazziest Diversity Project, the All-City Jazz Ensemble, the Concert Series, and JazzFest Jazz Camp. 2016 was the festival's 25th anniversary year.
In 2019, Levitt at the Falls launched its first season of free concerts in a state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheater in Falls Park West. Downtown Sioux Falls boasts Ipso Gallery. the Orpheum Theater, SculptureWalk, The Premiere Playhouse, The Good Night Theatre Collective, Sioux Falls State Theater, the Museum of Visual Materials, the Interactive Water Fountain, Falls Park, Creative Spirits, Eastbank Art Gallery, Levitt at the Falls, and the Washington Pavilion, home to the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, the occasional Poets & Painters show, and the Spotlight Theatre Collective (formerly known as the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts.)
Landmarks
The Washington Pavilion contains the Kirby Science Discovery Center, as well as two performing arts centers that host several Broadway productions and operas. The South Dakota Symphony's home hosts dance groups as well as smaller theater and choral events. The Visual Arts Center, also part of the Pavilion complex, hosts six galleries of changing exhibits, all free of charge. The Wells Fargo Cinedome is a multi-format dome theater that plays several films each month. The Cinedome also hosts the Sweetman Planetarium, which presents at least one show every day.
The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum provides the area with natural history and animal exhibits in its park. The taxidermy animals once hosted within the Delbridge Museum were removed in 2023 due to health concerns of the high amounts of arsenic in the mounts.
The USS ''South Dakota'' Battleship Memorial to the World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
battleship
A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
USS ''South Dakota'' is on State Highway 42 (West 12th Street) and Kiwanis Avenue.
The 114th Fighter Wing
The 114th Fighter Wing (114 FW) is a unit of the South Dakota Air National Guard, stationed at Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station, Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained ...
is at Joe Foss Field and houses F-16C/D fighter aircraft. The SD ANG unit is known for its support of community activities and services.
A replica of Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
's ''David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
'' is near the downtown area at Fawick Park.
Sports
The Sioux Falls Canaries were known as the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants from 2010 to 2013. Patrick Mahomes Sr. pitched for the Sioux Falls Canaries in 2007 and 2008.
Special sporting events
Sioux Falls has several multipurpose athletic stadiums: the primarily baseball Sioux Falls Stadium
Sioux Falls Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It originally opened in 1941 and was renovated in 2000.
It is primarily used for baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between ...
, indoor Sioux Falls Arena
Sioux Falls Arena is a 7,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The facility was built in 1961. It seats 6,113 for basketball games and 4,760 for indoor football and hockey.
It was the home of the Sioux Falls Skyforce ...
, indoor Sanford Pentagon
The Sanford Pentagon (colloquially known as The Pentagon) is an indoor arena located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Pentagon opened in September 2013 and has a seating capacity of 3,250 spectators. It hosts the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA ...
, and indoor Denny Sanford Premier Center
The Denny Sanford Premier Center is an indoor arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The building is located at 1201 North West Avenue, and is connected to the Sioux Falls Arena and Sioux Falls Convention Center. The Arena's naming rights partner ...
. Sioux Falls Stadium hosted the 2007 American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...
all-star game.
Constructed in 2014, the Denny Sanford Premier Center is home to the Summit League's men's and women's basketball tournaments. The Premier Center also hosted the 2016 Division I Women's Tournament Regional as well as the 2017 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
Government
The city of Sioux Falls is led by a mayor–council (strong mayor) form of government. Mayoral elections occur every four years. City council seats are also contested every four years. Not all council members are elected in the same year, as the elections are staggered throughout even-numbered years. The council consists of five members elected to represent specific sections of the city and three additional seats that represent the city as a whole (that is, at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
). The council member position is designed to be part-time. Sioux Falls operates under a home rule
Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...
charter as permitted by the South Dakota constitution.
In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
won both Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, receiving 56% and 65% of the vote, respectively. In 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
won Minnehaha County by 0.7%, while John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
won Lincoln County by 15%. Both counties have voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election since 2012.
Education
Higher education
Sioux Falls is home to Augustana University
Augustana University is a private Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois, Swedish-heritage sister school, Augustana College. It deri ...
, the University of Sioux Falls
The University of Sioux Falls (USF) is a private university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. In fall 2014, the university enrolled a total of 1,142 undergraduate students and 311 graduate students. ...
, Sioux Falls Seminary
Kairos University is a network of seminaries and other private education providers. It was founded through the merge of 5 institutions, including Sioux Falls Seminary, a private Baptist seminary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is also affiliated t ...
, Southeast Technical College, National American University
National American University (NAU) is a private for-profit online university. It is owned by National American University Holdings, Inc. (NAUH). In 2018, NAU acquired the assets of Henley-Putnam University and now offers strategic security pr ...
, the South Dakota School for the Deaf
The South Dakota Services for the Deaf (SDSD) is a state agency that supports deaf children in South Dakota. Formerly it was a state-supported school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that provided services to meet the educational needs of ch ...
, the University of South Dakota's Sanford School of Medicine (Sioux Falls campus), Stewart School and the South Dakota Public Universities and Research Center (formerly known as USDSU).
Public schools
The Sioux Falls School District
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 is a public school district located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The district has 23 elementary schools, 6 middle schools and 4 high schools. , Sioux Falls School District serves over 25,000 stu ...
, which covers the majority of Sioux Falls,[ ]
Text list
/ref> serves over 23,000 students living in Sioux Falls and some of its surrounding suburbs. There are 25 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and six high schools, including:
* Axtell Park Building
* Career and Technical Education Academy
* Lincoln High School
* Roosevelt High School
* Jefferson High School
This is a list of memorials to Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third president of the United States and the author of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Buildings Elementary schools
*Jefferson Elementary School, in Cammack Villa ...
* Washington High School
Other school districts in Minnehaha County which cover parts of Sioux Falls include: Tea Area School District 41-5, Brandon Valley School District 49-2, Tri-Valley School District 49-6, and Lennox School District 41-4
Lennox School District 41-4 is a school district headquartered in Lennox, South Dakota. In addition to Lennox it includes Chancellor, South Dakota, Chancellor and Worthing, South Dakota, Worthing. It also includes a portion in Turner County, Sou ...
.[ Within Lincoln County, other districts which cover parts of Sioux Falls include Tea Area and ]Harrisburg School District 41-2
Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...
.[ ]
Text list
/ref>
Private schools
Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools is a centralized Catholic school system that includes eight schools: six elementary schools, all PreK-6 (St. Mary, St. Lambert, St. Michael-St. Katharine Drexel, Holy Spirit and Christ the King); one junior high (O'Gorman Junior High, grades 7–8); and one high school, O'Gorman O'Gorman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Áine O'Gorman (born 1989), Irish footballer
* Camila O'Gorman (1828–1848), wealthy socialite and figure of scandal in 19th century Argentina
* Chevalier O'Gorman (1732–1809), ...
(9–12). The junior and senior high O'Gorman schools are on the same campus. Approximately 2,800 students attend Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools. As of the 2009–10 school year the Sioux Falls Catholic School system's St. Joseph Cathedral School was closed.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod operates two schools in Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls Lutheran School is on 37th street, while the Lutheran High School of Sioux Falls is on Western Avenue. In 2018, voters approved a plan to move Sioux Falls Lutheran School to a new building near the I-29/I-229 merge on south Boe Lane. Students moved to the new building at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester.
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...
has two schools in Sioux Falls: Bethel Lutheran and Good Shepherd Lutheran.
Other private schools include Sioux Falls Christian Schools
Sioux Falls Christian Schools (SFC) is a private school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school was founded in 1958 as an elementary school named Calvin Christian. Since its inception, SFC has expanded and currently offers programs from ...
, Christian Center, The Baan Dek Montessori, Cornerstone School, and the Open Arms Christian Child Development Center.
Media
Infrastructure
Transportation
Roads
Most Sioux Falls residents travel and commute by car. Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
passes east to west across the northern edge of the city, while Interstate 29
Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...
bisects the western portion of the city from the north and south. Interstate 229
Interstate 229 (I-229) is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both related to Interstate 29:
* Interstate 229 (South Dakota), a bypass of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
* Interstate 229 (Missouri)
Interstate 229 ( ...
forms a partial loop around Sioux Falls, and connects with I-90 to the northeast and I-29 to the southwest. A grid design system for city streets is the standard for the central (older) area of the city; secondary streets in newer residential areas have largely abandoned this plan.
Due to current and expected regional growth, several large construction projects have been or will be undertaken. New interchanges have recently been added to I-29. An interchange was also completed on I-90 at Marion Road. I-29 has recently been improved from I-90 to 57th Street. This upgrade includes additional lanes and auxiliary lanes. Over the next decade, the city of Sioux Falls and the South Dakota Department of Transportation plan to construct a limited-access highway
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, partial controlled-access highway, and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a contro ...
around the city's outer edges to the south and east, known as South Dakota Highway 100. This highway will start at the northern Tea exit (Exit 73 on I-29, 101st Street), run east on 101st Street, curve northeast east of Western Avenue, then turn north near Sycamore Avenue. It will end at the Timberline Avenue exit (Exit 402 on I-90). Sioux Falls' major roads include W 41st, Minnesota, Main, W 26th (which becomes Louise as it turns south), 12th, 49th, 57th, and Western.
Public/mass transit
Sioux Area Metro
The Sioux Area Metro (SAM) is the local governmental transit agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the state's largest public transportation operator. They provide multiple scheduled fixed routes and paratransit services. In December 2023, city ...
, the local public transit organization, operates 16 bus lines within the city, with most routes operating Monday through Saturday. Recently, the city added a new transfer station in Sioux Falls on Louise Avenue between 49th and 57th Streets. The Sioux Area Metro Paratransit serves members of the community who would otherwise not be able to travel by providing door-to-door service. Public transportation is supplemented with the SAM On Demand service that offers microtransit
Microtransit is a form of bus demand responsive transport vehicle for hire. This transit service offers a flexible routing and/or flexible scheduling of minibus vehicles shared with other passengers. Microtransit providers build routes ad-hoc ex ...
options.
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States.
History
The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...
runs long-distance bus routes to the Sioux Falls Bus Station. Non-transfer destinations include Grand Forks
Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. The city's population was 59,166 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the state, after Fargo and Bismarck. Grand For ...
, Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
, Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
, and Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
. Until 1965 a branch of the Milwaukee Road
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...
train from Chicago, the ''Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
,'' made a stop in Sioux Falls.
Air
Many domestic airlines serve Sioux Falls Regional Airport
Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport three miles northwest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. It is named in honor of aviator and Sioux Falls native Joe Foss, who later serve ...
.
Rail
The BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...
provides freight rail service. Amtrak does not directly serve any community in South Dakota. The closest station is in Omaha, nearly 200 miles away.
Notable people
* James Abourezk
James George Abourezk ( ; February 24, 1931February 24, 2023) was an American attorney and politician from South Dakota. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both chambers of the United States Congress for one term each, and was the fi ...
, first Arab-American U.S. senator, practiced law in Sioux Falls
* Erika M. Anderson, aka EMA, musician and digital media artist
* Jacob M. Appel
Jacob M. Appel (born February 21, 1973) is an American polymath, author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer, and social critic.Nagamatsu, Sequoia "A Few Words with the Ubiquitous Jacob M. Appel" ''Prince Mincer'' Journal http://primemincer.com/ con ...
, author, wrote '' Coulrophobia & Fata Morgana'' while living in Sioux Falls
* Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she became a former List of NXT Women's Champions, two-time and lon ...
, former MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
fighter and professional wrestler
* George Botsford
George Botsford (February 24, 1874 – February 1, 1949) was an American composer of ragtime and other forms of music.
Early life and education
Botsford was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sioux Falls, Dakota Territory. He grew up mostly ...
, composer and pianist, noted for the "Black and White Rag
The "Black and White Rag" is a 1908 ragtime composition by George Botsford.
The song was recorded widely for both the phonograph and player piano, and was the third ragtime composition to sell over one million copies of sheet music. Early recor ...
"
* Chris Browne
Christopher Kelly Browne (May 16, 1952 – February 5, 2023) was an American comic strip artist and cartoonist. He was the son of cartoonist Dik Browne and brother of cartoonist Chance Browne. From 1989 to 2023, Browne wrote and drew the comic s ...
, comic strip artist and cartoonist, ''Hägar the Horrible
''Hägar the Horrible'' is the title and main character of an American comic strip created by cartoonist Dik Browne and syndicated by King Features Syndicate. It first appeared on February 4, 1973 (in Sunday papers) and the next day in daily ne ...
''
* Benny Castillo Benny Castillo (born July 15, 1966 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball player and manager (baseball), manager.
Early life
Raised in the Bronx, New York, Castillo attended Park West High School, where he was co ...
, 11-year minor league baseball player and manager
* Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is an American former professional football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...
, professional football player
* Devin Clark, UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
mixed martial artist
* Donn Clendenon
Donn Alvin Clendenon (July 15, 1935 – September 17, 2005) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from to . He is most notable for his performance during the 1969 World Series when he ...
, MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
first baseman
* Dusty Coleman, MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
infielder
* Brian Cummings
Brian Douglas Cummings is an American voice actor. He is known for his work in commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on '' The All-New Let's Make a Deal'' from 1984 to 1985.
Life and career
Having begu ...
, voice actor
* George Jonathan Danforth, South Dakota politician
* Chris Darrow
Christopher Lloyd Darrow (July 30, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. He was considered to be a pioneer of country rock music in the late-1960s and performed and recorded with numerous groups, ...
, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter
* Karl Dean
Karl Foster Dean (born September 20, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 6th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Nashville's Director of Law under Mayor Bill P ...
, former mayor of Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
* Cooper DeJean
Cooper Michael DeJean (born February 9, 2003) is an American professional football cornerback and punt returner for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, receiving unanim ...
, NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles
* Nick Dinsmore, WWE Superstar 1999–2009 and WWE coach 2012–2015
* William Dougherty, South Dakota politician
* Wallace L. Dow, Wallace Dow, architect
* Walker Duehr, professional ice hockey player, played in the National Hockey League
* Oscar Randolph Fladmark, World War II and Korean War fighter pilot, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
* James D. Ford, former Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives
* Terry Forster, pitcher for five MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
teams
* Joe Foss, World War II "flying ace, ace of aces" fighter pilot, first commissioner of the American Football League; 20th governor of South Dakota
* Michael E. Fossum, astronaut
* Neil Graff, quarterback for several NFL teams
*George Barnes Grigsby, Alaska Territory's at-large congressional district, delegate to Congress from Alaska Territory
*John T. Grigsby, Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota
*Melvin Grigsby, American Civil War and Spanish–American War veteran who served as Attorney General of South Dakota
*Sioux K. Grigsby, Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota
* Donald A. Haggar, lawyer and legislator
* Mary Hart (TV personality), Mary Hart, television personality, ''Entertainment Tonight''
* Allison Hedge Coke, writer and educator
* Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, U.S. representative from , current President of Augustana University
Augustana University is a private Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois, Swedish-heritage sister school, Augustana College. It deri ...
* Crystal Johnson (attorney), Crystal Johnson, state's attorney for Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County is a county on the eastern border of the state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 197,214, making it the state's most populous county, and was estimated to be 208,639 in 2024. It contains over 22.56% o ...
* January Jones, actress, best known for playing Betty Draper on ''Mad Men''
* Herbert Krause, author (1905–1976)
* David Lillehaug, associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and Attorney General of Minnesota
* Mike Martz, former head coach of NFL's St. Louis Rams, born in Sioux Falls
* Gail Matthius, actress, cast member on ''Saturday Night Live''
* Milton J. Nieuwsma, author, screenwriter, producer
* Pat O'Brien (radio and television personality), Pat O'Brien, television personality, ''Access Hollywood''
* A. J. Rosier, Wyoming Senate, Wyoming state senator
* David Soul, actor, co-star of ''Starsky & Hutch''
* David Stenshoel, musician (Boiled in Lead)
* Joan Tabor, actress
* John Thune, South Dakota senator; U.S. Senate Majority Leader
* Shane Van Boening, professional pool player
* Jerry verDorn, actor, ''Guiding Light'' and ''One Life to Live''
Sister cities
Sioux Falls' sister cities are:
* Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
* Potsdam, Germany
See also
* ''The Divorce Colony''
* Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the meat industry in the United States
* List of cities in South Dakota
* Pandora papers
Notes
References
Further reading
* Olson, Gary D. "Norwegian Immigrants in Early Sioux Falls: A Demographic Profile", ''Norwegian-American Studies'', 36 (2011), pp 45–84.
* Olson, Gary D. "A Dakota Boomtown: Sioux Falls, 1877–1880", ''Great Plains Quarterly'' (2004) 24#1 pp 17–30
* The author is professor emeritus of History at Augustana College.
* Tingley, Ralph and Tingley, Kathleen. ''Mission in Sioux Falls: The First Baptist Church, 1875–1975'' (1975)
* ''History of Southeastern Dakota: Its Settlement and Growth'' (1881)
External links
City of Sioux Falls -- Official Website
Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
Cities in South Dakota
Cities in Minnehaha County, South Dakota
County seats in South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1856