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Sioux Falls (pronounced "soo falls") is the largest city in the state of South Dakota. Situated on the prairie of the Great Plains at the conjunction of I-90 and I-29, Sioux Falls is a unique center of urban and rural interaction. Sioux Falls possesses a progressive business climate, many cultural venues, safe neighborhoods, good opportunities, and a suburb-type feel, making Sioux Falls a vibrant and healthy community. The city now has a population of about 144,000. The county seat of Minnehaha County, Sioux Falls serves a metro area of about 211,000. Chartered in 1856 on the banks of the Big Sioux River, Sioux Falls offers its residents a scenic natural setting to enjoy life. The Sioux River bike trail system winds its way through the city's park greenway, offering residents many opportunities to enjoy nature and escape from urban hustle. In the September 1992 issue of Money magazine, Sioux Falls was named the best place to live in America. The following year, Ryder Consumer Truck Rental rated Sioux Falls as the nation's number one destination, based on a survey among cities with a population above 100,000. Sioux Falls is also the home of one of the world's few replicas of Michelangelo's David.

History

The history of Sioux Falls revolves around the cascades of the Big Sioux River. The falls were created about 14,000 years ago when the last glacial ice sheet redirected the flow of the river into the large looping bends of its present course. Fueled by water from the melting ice, the river exposed the underlying Sioux quartzite bedrock, the hard pinkish stone of the falls. The quartzite itself is about a billion and a half years old. It began as sediments deposited on the bottom of an ancient, shallow sea.

The lure of the falls has been a powerful influence. A prehistoric people who inhabited the region before 500 B.C. left numerous burial mounds on the high bluffs near the river. These people were followed by an agricultural society that built fortified villages on many of the same sites. Tribes of the Lakota and Dakota, widely ranging nomadic bison hunters, arrived sometime around the 18th century. Early maps indicate they used the falls as a place to rendezvous with French fur trappers, considered the first European visitors at the falls.

The falls also drew the attention of early explorers. An August 1804 journal entry of the Lewis and Clark expedition describes the falls of the "Soues River." Famous pathfinder John C. Fremont and French scientist Joseph Nicollet explored the region in 1838 and also wrote a description of the falls. Both are considered second hand accounts rather than evidence of an actual visit.

The first documented visit was by Philander Prescott, an explorer, trader, and trapper who camped overnight at the falls in December 1832. Captain James Allen led a military expedition out of Fort Des Moines in 1844. The early descriptions of the falls were published in The States and Territories of the Great West, an 1856 book by Jacob Ferris which inspired townsite developers to seek out the falls.

The focus of intense land speculation activity in Minnesota and Iowa during the mid-1850s inevitably turned toward the Big Sioux River valley. Sioux Falls was founded by land speculators who hoped to build great wealth by claiming prime townsites before the arrival of railroads and settlers.

Two separate groups, the Dakota Land Company of St. Paul and the Western Town Company of Dubuque, Iowa organized in 1856 to claim the land around the falls, considering a promising townsite for its beauty and water power. The Western Town Company arrived first, and was soon followed by the St. Paul-based company in 1857. Each laid out 320-acre claims, but worked together for mutual protection. They built a temporary barricade of turf which they dubbed "Fort Sod," in response to hostilities threatened by native tribes. Seventeen men then spent "the first winter" in Sioux Falls. The following year the population grew to near 40.

Although conflicts in Minnehaha County between Native Americans and white settlers were few, the Dakota War of 1862 engulfed nearby southwestern Minnesota. The town was evacuated in August of that year when two local settlers were killed as a result of the conflict. The settlers and soldiers 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 of 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 1,200 acres, was incorporated in 1876 by the 12th legislative assembly of the Dakota Territory, which convened in the territorial capital of Yankton. The village charter proved to be too restrictive, however, and Sioux Falls petitioned to become a city. The city charter was granted by the Dakota Territorial legislature on March 3, 1883.

The arrival of the railroads 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.

But prosperity eventually returned. Key milestones include 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. Sioux Falls has been marked by impressive growth throughout the 20th century, and development continues at a strong pace today. 2005 was a record year for business building permits and as of March 2006, Sioux Falls is on pace this year to surpass the 2005 record. [http://www.siouxfalls.org/Mayor/News/2006/March/residential_construction_ahead.aspx

During the 20th century, the city grew as it was home to several major meat processing companies, including John Morrell. Sioux Falls is home to one of U.S.A.'s largest stockyards. Livestock and agriculture related industries were the major factor behind the city's growth.

Major Companies

  • Sioux Falls is the major health care center for eastern and central South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. There are 4 major hospitals in Sioux Falls: The South Dakota Veterans Hospital, Sioux Valley Hospital and Avera McKennan Hospital, both with outstanding honors, and, finally, The Heart Hospital of South Dakota.

  • The credit card operations of BankFirst, Capital Card Services, Citibank, HSBC, PREMIER Bankcard, Wells Fargo, and several other credit card and financial services companies are located in Sioux Falls and are major employers in the city.

  • The CSD (Communication Service for the Deaf) headquarters is located in Sioux Falls. CSD is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing broad-based services, ensuring public accessibility and increasing public awareness of issues affecting deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Geography

  • Sioux Falls is located at 43°32'11" North, 96°43'54" West (43.536285, -96.731780).

  • According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 145.9 km² (56.3 mi²). 145.9 km² (56.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.04% water.

  • Sioux Falls has been assigned the ZIP codes 57101, 57103-57110, 57117-57118, 57188-57189 and 57192-57198 and the FIPS place code 59020.

  • Sioux Falls is located in the extreme eastern part of South Dakota, about 15 miles west of the Minnesota border and 8 miles northwest of the Iowa border.

  • "Falls Park has been dramatically transformed in recent years by comprehensive improvements, effectively reversing decades of neglect and decline. The great scenic beauty of the Falls is now complemented by a beautiful park setting. Many new visitor amenities have been built, dense volunteer scrub brush has been cleared, alcohol has been banned from the Park, and an intensive system of historic style pedestrian lights makes Falls Park a safe, well-illuminated place after dark. Large floodlights illuminate the cascades themselves." (from www.siouxfalls.org)

The falls feature the very distinctive pink mineral Sioux Quartzite. Please scroll right to view the entire panoramic image.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, there were 123,975 people, 49,731 households, and 30,783 families residing in the city. The population density is 849.9/km² (2,201.4/mi²). There are 51,680 housing units at an average density of 354.3/km² (917.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.90% White, 1.80% African American, 2.12% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 2.49% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 49,731 households, 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% are married couples living together, 10.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% are non-families. 29.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.00.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $41,221, and the median income for a family is $51,516. Males have a median income of $32,216 versus $24,861 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,374. 8.4% of the population and 5.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

  • Primary Education
    • The Sioux Falls school district serves over 20,000 students living in Sioux Falls; there are four high schools (9-12), 5 middle schools (6-8), and 23 elementary schools (K-5). Sioux Falls Catholic Schools offer smaller class sizes, in a private setting to almost 6,000 students. Other private schools include Sioux Falls Christian Schools, Christian Center Elementary School and Sioux Falls Lutheran Schools. Because of sprawl, districts around Sioux Falls continue to grow at dramatic rates. Brandon Valley, Baltic, Harrisburg, Tea, Tri-Valley, and West-Central Districts serve many metro-area students.

Arts and Culture

  • History
    • During the past decade, Sioux Falls experienced a renaissance of cultural interest. With a plethora of white collar jobs finding a place in the area, Sioux Falls' leaders saw a need for more arts and culture in the region. Several building projects excited change from a city with little culture, almost no theatre, and very little art, to an area with high attendance of theatre and arts events.

  • The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science
    • The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science contains the Kirby Science Discover Center, a massive 4 floor, regional, hands-on science experience. The Pavilion also houses two performing arts centers, which play host to several broadway productions and operas. The South Dakota Symphony's home also 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 multiformat 60ft dome theater which plays several different films per month.

  • Downtown Art Walk
    • Downtown Sioux Falls plays host to an art walk every summer. The exhibits change yearly and most often reflect historical signifigance and progressive standards for the city.

Transportation

  • Most residents of Sioux Falls get around the region by car. Interstate 90 passes across the northern edge of the city, while Interstate 29 and spur-route Interstate 229 bisect the city. A grid design system provides residents with the ability to travel quickly around the city and region with wide, multi-lane roads.

  • Sioux Falls Transit, the local public transit organization, operates 15 bus lines within the city. Recently, the city added new park-and-ride stations. The Sioux Falls Paratransit serves members of the community who would otherwise not be able the travel by providing door to door service.

  • Jefferson Lines runs long-distance bus routes to Sioux Falls, but no Amtrak passenger trains pass through South Dakota.

Shopping

Sioux Falls is the shopping destination of the central plains. Serving a population of 500,000, Sioux Falls is home to most major stores and shops.

  • The Empire Mall and Empire East
    • The Largest shopping center between Minneapolis and Denver, provides residents with 180 stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, Marshall Fields, Hollister Co., Old Navy, Torrid, Charlotte Russe, JC Penny, Younkers, Sears and many more.

  • The Western Mall
    • Home to South Dakota Furniture Mart, South Dakota's largest furniture store, Best Buy, A two floor Scheel's sports store, a Movie theater, as well as many other national brands.

  • Downtown
    • The Downtown area is home to many local upscale shops where residents can find high-end brands with personalized service. Downtown's Phillip's Ave. is also home to many upscale lounges and bistros.

  • Dawley Farm Villiage
    • This east side center will include second locations of many stores in the Empire Mall, as well as a Multiplex and big box stores.

  • Galeria at River Bend
    • Sioux Falls newest major shopping center proposal. This center will feature almost 1 million square feet of high end retail in a lifestyle hybrid concept.

Religion

  • The Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, one of the two diocese in the state, has its cathedral on Duluth Avenue. St. Joseph's Cathedral is the largest church in South Dakota and one of the Largest Cathedrals in the United States. Sioux Falls is also the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota. The Episcopal Calvary Cathedral is the mother church for South Dakota Episcopalians.

Notable Landmarks

  • Sioux Falls has a memorial to the World War II battleship USS South Dakota. It is Located on highway 42 (W. 12th St.) and Kiwanis Ave. near the Great Plains Zoo.

  • The city is home of the 114th Fighter Wing, located at Joe Foss Field. The 114th houses F-16C/D fighter aircraft. This unit is well known for its support of community activities and services.

Minor league sports teams

Sister Cities

Sioux Falls has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

Media

Newspaper

  • Sioux Falls Argus Leader (Daily)
  • Sioux Falls Business Journal (Weekly)
  • Sioux Falls Shopping News (Weekly)
  • City Style (Monthly)
  • Tempest (Weekly) R.I.P.
  • ETC, For Her (Monthly)
  • Prime (Monthly)

Television Stations

Radio Stations

FM AM

Notable Residents

Popular Attractions

Additional Images

Image:Sioux_falls_park.jpg|Close up of the waterfall at Falls Park Image:SiouxFalls1-0106.jpg|The waterfall partially frozen in winter Image:SiouxFalls2-0106.jpg|Partially frozen waterfall

External links



Cities in South Dakota | Minnehaha County, South Dakota | Lincoln County, South Dakota | Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | スーフォールズ | Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Су-Фолс | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls

 

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