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==Transportation==
==Transportation==
===Roads===
===Roads===
Most residents of Sioux Falls travel and commute by car. [[Interstate 90]] passes east to west across the northern edge of the city, while [[Interstate 29]] bisects the western portion of the city from the north and south. [[Interstate 229 (South Dakota)|Interstate 229]] forms a partial [[loop route|loop]] around Sioux Falls, and connects with Interstate 90 to the northeast and Interstate 29 to the southwest. A [[grid plan|grid design system]] for city streets is the standard for the central (older) area of the city, while 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 Interstate 29. An interchange is also planned on I-90 at Marion Road. I-29 has recently been improved from I-90 to the 26th Street exit. This upgrade includes additional lanes and auxiliary lanes. During the summer of 2010, the city will construct an [[interchange]] at 85th Street on [[Interstate 29]] to serve the [[Avera Heart Hospital]] and future [[Sanford]] Office Park. A bridge, connecting Solberg Avenue to Tallgrass Avenue, will connect that area to the Empire Mall.<br/>
Most residents of Sioux Falls travel and commute by car. [[Interstate 90]] passes east to west across the northern edge of the city, while [[Interstate 29]] bisects the western portion of the city from the north and south. [[Interstate 229 (South Dakota)|Interstate 229]] forms a partial [[loop route|loop]] around Sioux Falls, and connects with Interstate 90 to the northeast and Interstate 29 to the southwest. A [[grid plan|grid design system]] for city streets is the standard for the central (older) area of the city, while 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 Interstate 29. An interchange is also planned on I-90 at Marion Road. I-29 has recently been improved from I-90 to the 26th Street exit. This upgrade includes additional lanes and auxiliary lanes.<br/>
Over the next decade, the city of Sioux Falls and the South Dakota Department of Transportation plan to construct a [[limited-access highway]] around the outer edges of the city 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) and will travel east on 101st Street, and curve northeast east of Western Avenue, then turns northerly near Sycamore Avenue. The highway will end at the Timberline Avenue exit (Exit 402 on I-90).
Over the next decade, the city of Sioux Falls and the South Dakota Department of Transportation plan to construct a [[limited-access highway]] around the outer edges of the city 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) and will travel east on 101st Street, and curve northeast east of Western Avenue, then turns northerly near Sycamore Avenue. The highway will end at the Timberline Avenue exit (Exit 402 on I-90).


Major north/south roads in Sioux Falls include: Ellis Road, Sertoma Avenue, Marion Road, [[I-29]], [[Louise Avenue]], Kiwanis Avenue, Western Avenue, Minnesota Avenue ([[South Dakota Highway 115]], south of Benson Road), Cliff Avenue (South Dakota Highway 115, north of Benson Road), Bahnson Avenue, Sycamore Avenue, Powder House Road/[[South Dakota Highway 11]], and Six Mile Road.
Major north/south roads in Sioux Falls include: Ellis Road, Sertoma Avenue, Marion Road, I-29, Louise Avenue, Kiwanis Avenue, Western Avenue, Minnesota Avenue ([[South Dakota Highway 115]], south of Benson Road), Cliff Avenue (South Dakota Highway 115, north of Benson Road), Bahnson Avenue, Sycamore Avenue, Powder House Road/[[South Dakota Highway 11]], and Six Mile Road.


Major west/east roads include: I-90, 60th Street North ([[South Dakota Highway 38]], west of I-29), Benson Road (South Dakota Highway 115 between Minnesota Avenue and Cliff Avenue), Russell Street/Maple Street, Madison St./Rice St. 10th/11th/12th Street/Arrowhead Parkway ([[South Dakota Highway 42]]), 26th Street, 33rd Street, 41st Street, 49th Street, 57th Street, 69th Street, 85th Street, and 101st Street.
Major west/east roads include: I-90, 60th Street North ([[South Dakota Highway 38]], west of I-29), Benson Road (South Dakota Highway 115 between Minnesota Avenue and Cliff Avenue), Russell Street/Maple Street, Madison St./Rice St. 10th/11th/12th Street/Arrowhead Parkway ([[South Dakota Highway 42]]), 26th Street, 33rd Street, [[41st Street]], 49th Street, 57th Street, 69th Street, 85th Street, and 101st Street.


===Public/Mass Transit===
===Public/Mass Transit===

Revision as of 01:07, 9 May 2010

City of Sioux Falls
City
Official seal of City of Sioux Falls
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Best Little City in America, Queen City of the West
Motto: 
The Heart of America
Location in Minnehaha County and in the state of South Dakota
Location in Minnehaha County and in the state of South Dakota
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Dakota
CountiesMinnehaha, Lincoln
Government
 • MayorMike Huether
Area
 • City
68.9 sq mi (145.9 km2)
 • Land67.2 sq mi (145.9 km2)
 • Water1.7 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
1,470 ft (448 m)
Population
 (2008)[1][2]
 • City
154,997
 • Density2,306.5/sq mi (1,062.3/km2)
 • Metro
232,930
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (Central)
ZIP codes
57100-57199
Area code605
FIPS code46-59020Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1267670Template:GR
Websitewww.siouxfalls.org

Sioux Falls (Template:Pron-en) is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County,Template:GR and also extends into Lincoln County to the south. It anchors the fastest growing metro area in the Midwest, with a total increase of 22% since 2000.

As of the 2000 census, Sioux Falls had a population of 123,975 and a metropolitan area population of 187,093. However, a 2008 Census Bureau estimate shows Sioux Falls to have grown to a population of 154,997,[1] with a metropolitan population of 232,930.[2] It is also the primary city of the Sioux Falls-Sioux City Designated Market Area (DMA), a larger media market region that covers parts of four states and has a population of 1,043,450. Chartered in 1856 on the banks of the Big Sioux River, the city is situated on the prairie of the Great Plains at the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 29. Sioux Falls is a regional center of urban and rural interaction.

History

Main article: History of Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The history of Sioux Falls revolves around the cascades of the Big Sioux River. 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, Ioway, Otoe, Missouri, Omaha (and Ponca at the time), Quapaw, Kansa, Osage, Arikira, Dakota, Nakota and Cheyenne people inhabited the region previous to European descendants. Numerous burial mounds still exist on the high bluffs near the river. These people operated an agricultural society that built fortified villages on many of the same sites that were previously settled. Lakota populate urban and reservation communities in the contemporary state and many Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, and other Indigenous Americans reside in Sioux Falls today.[3]

The first documented European visit was made by French voyagers/explorers, in the early 1700s, who mapped the area and took census counts of the Indigenous cities communities at that time (with the Blood Run population being 10,000 people, not outnumbered in population until the 1800s by Euro-American settlers, thus this area has been a thriving urban area for quite some time).

The first documented visit by an American (of European descent) was by Philander Prescott, 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".[4]

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. Each laid out 320-acre (1.3 km2) 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 1865.[5] 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 (4.9 km2), was incorporated in 1876 and was granted a city charter by the Dakota Territorial legislature on March 3, 1883.[6]

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 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 the agriculturally-based industry, such as the Morrell plant and the nearby stockyards (one of the largest in the nation).

Downtown Sioux Falls in 1908, looking west.

In 1955 the city decided to consolidate the neighboring incorporated city of South Sioux Falls. At the time the city had a population of nearly 1,600 inhabitants, according to the 1950 census. It was 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 laws, Citibank decided to relocate its primary credit card center from New York to Sioux Falls. Many 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.[7]

Sioux Falls has grown at a rapid pace since the late 1970s, with the city's population increasing from 81,000 in 1980 to a 2007 estimate of 154,997.[1]

Downtown Sioux Falls in 2010, looking west.

Accolades

  • In 1992, a healthy economy, low unemployment, and a low crime rate led to Sioux Falls being named "the best place to live in America" by Money Magazine.[8]
  • In 2006, Men's Health Magazine ranked Sioux Falls as the 93rd Angriest City in the Nation, out of 100 cities studied in the survey.[9]
  • In 2007, Allstate awarded Sioux Falls with the Allstate Safety Leadership Award in recognition of the safe drivers of the area, with Sioux Falls residents averaging an accident once every 13.7 years.[10][dead link‍] Sioux Falls was honored with the award again in 2008.
  • Also in 2007, Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal ranked Sioux Falls the 9th Best City for Minor League Sports, In its ranking of Minor League Markets.[11]
  • In the November 2007 issue of Men's Health Magazine, Sioux Falls was ranked #2 on the list of cities with the least debt, finishing just behind Billings, Montana.
  • Forbes named Sioux Falls the #1 Best Small Place For Business And Careers in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
  • Forbes also released the University of Cincinnati's 2006 "United States Drinking Water Quality Study Report", which had Sioux Falls ranked 3rd in Cleanest Drinking Water.
  • In 2009, CNN ranked Sioux Falls the 45th best place to live and launch a business out of a list of 100.[12]

Hauntings

  • The Sioux Falls Actors Studio next to the community playhouse is said to be haunted. When it was Rainbow Bar and Grill, a man dancing with a married woman was caught by her husband who was away, but he wanted to surprise her. In a fit of rage, he killed the man and he is seen walking and whistling Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
  • Sioux Falls Community Playhouse is said to be haunted. It is haunted by a ghost named Larry. While cleaning a vent, he slipped and accidentally hung himself. People see sinks turning on and toilets flushing. They also hear ghostly footsteps and voices.
  • The Washington Pavilion is said to be haunted[by whom?]. While converting the high school it used to be into its current museum state, a worker fell down the elevator shaft. It is said they feel touches and cold spots in the elevator. And at night screams and a thump are heard.

Geography

Primary geographic features of Sioux Falls.

Sioux Falls is located at 43°32'11" North, 96°43'54" West (43.536285, -96.731780).Template:GR According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2000, the city had a total area of 56.3 square miles (145.9 km²). 56.3 square miles (145.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.04% water. The city is located in the extreme eastern part of South Dakota, about 15 miles (24 km) west of the Minnesota border and 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the Iowa border. Sioux Falls has been assigned the ZIP codes 57101, 57103-57110, 57117-57118, 57188-57189 and 57192-57198 and the FIPS place code 59020.

Metropolitan Area

The Sioux Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of four counties, all of which are located in South Dakota: Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, and Turner.[13] The estimated population of this MSA in 2008 was 232,930, an increase of over 24% from the 2000 census.[2] According to recent estimates, Lincoln County is the ninth-fastest growing county (by percentage) in the United States.[14] In addition to Sioux Falls, several cities and towns included in the metropolitan area are Brandon, Dell Rapids, Tea, Harrisburg, Worthing, Beresford, Lennox, Hartford, Crooks, Baltic, Salem, Renner, Chancellor, Colton, Canton, Humboldt, Parker, Hurley, Garretson, Sherman, Corson, and Centerville make up this Metro Area.

Parks and recreation

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks' Outdoor Campus.

Sioux Falls maintains a network of more than 50 parks and greenways that are spread throughout the city. Probably the best known of these is Falls Park, established around the city's namesake waterfalls on the Big Sioux River, just north of downtown. Other notable parks include Terrace Park (Terrace Park History), McKennan Park, Sherman Park, and Yankton Trail park. A popular feature of the park system is a paved 16-mile (26 km) path used for biking, jogging, and walking. The path follows the course of the Big Sioux River, forming a loop around central Sioux Falls, with a few spurs off the main bike trail. The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks has an Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls where it has several outdoor areas devoted to wildlife. The Outdoor Campus hosts many outdoor activities throught the year as well; these activites include such things as star gazing and snowshoeing. During the winter, Great Bear Recreation Park offers skiing, snow boarding, and tubing. During the summer time Falls Park offers a free sound and light show telling the history of Sioux Falls from the people who settled around the falls to more recent history.

Climate

Due to its inland location, Sioux Falls experiences a humid continental climate, which is characterized by hot, relatively humid summers and cold, drier winters. The average high temperature for the warmest month, July, is 86 °F (30 °C) while the average low for January, the coldest month, is 5 °F (-15 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1936 and 1988, and the lowest was -42 °F (-41 °C) in 1899.[15] Winters receive an average snowfall of 39.6 inches (100 cm).

Climate data for Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: Weatherbase[16]

Law and government

2006 Mayor & City Council
Mayor Dave Munson
Southeast Gerald Beninga
Southwest Greg Jamison
Northeast Kenny Anderson Jr.
Northwest Robert (Bob) Litz
Central Kermit Staggers
At-large Vernon Brown
At-large J. Pat Costello
At-large De Knudson
  • City 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. However, not all of the council members are elected in the same year, as the council 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). Sioux Falls operates under a home rule arrangement with the state of South Dakota.[17]
City Hall

Economy

Major Employers[21]
Organization Employees
Sanford Health 6,743
Avera Health 4,884
Wells Fargo 3,348
Citigroup, Inc. 3,200
John Morrell & Co. 3,200
Sioux Falls School Dist. 3,000

Originally centered on quarrying and agriculturally-based industries, the economy of Sioux Falls has become greatly diversified and more service-based over the last half-century, making the city an important location for financial services, health care, and retail trade.

Partially due to the lack of a state corporate income tax, Sioux Falls is the home of a number of financial companies. The largest employer among these, and fourth largest employer overall, is Citigroup. Other important financial service companies located in Sioux Falls include Great Western Bank, Total Card Inc., Capital Card Services, HSBC, PREMIER Bankcard, and Wells Fargo.

Sioux Falls is a significant regional health care center. There are four major hospitals in Sioux Falls: Sanford Health, Avera McKennan Hospital, the South Dakota Veterans Hospital, and the Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota. Sanford Health and Avera Health are the largest and second largest employers in the city, respectively.

Because of the relatively long distances between Sioux Falls and larger cities, Sioux Falls has emerged as an important regional center of shopping and dining. The Empire Mall, with over 180 stores, anchors one of the primary retail zones in the southwest section of the city. This area, centered mainly around the intersection of 41st Street and Louise Avenue, contains many large national chain stores and restaurants. Dawley Farm Village is a major commercial development that is being constructed for the east side of Sioux Falls. This major shopping district will be located at the intersection of Arrowhead Parkway (SD Highway 42) and Powder House Road (SD Highway 11). Downtown Sioux Falls is another important retail zone, offering more small, independent shops and restaurants than the Empire Mall area.

While no longer as economically dominant as it once was, the manufacturing and food processing sector remains an important component of the economy of Sioux Falls. The John Morrell meat packing plant is the third largest employer in the city. Other important manufacturing companies include Raven Industries, Bell Incorporated, Tyco, and Gage Brothers.

Sioux Falls also boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the United States.[22]

Demographics

Households

According to the 2000 census,Template:GR there were 123,975 people, 49,731 households, and 30,783 families residing in the city. Currently, the city is home to 155,000 persons with 66,778 households, and 44,242 families. The population density is 2,201.4 people per square mile (849.9/km²). There are 51,680 housing units at an average density of 917.7/sq mi (354.3/km²).

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18802,162—
189010,177370.7%
190010,2660.9%
191014,09437.3%
192025,20278.8%
193033,36232.4%
194040,83222.4%
195052,96929.7%
196065,46623.6%
197072,48810.7%
198081,18212.0%
1990100,81424.2%
2000123,97523.0%
2008[1] (est.)154,997Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "".

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.

Distribution

The 2006 American Community Survey's estimates of the racial makeup of the city is 88.9% White, 2.6% African American, 2.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 4.1% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 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.

Income

The median income for a household in 1999 in the city is $41,221; in 2003 HUD reported Minnehaha County had a median household income of $45,872, while Lincoln County had a median household income of $59,571. The median income for a family was $51,516 in 1999; in 2005 HUD reported that amount as $56,150. 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.

Religion

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, one of the two dioceses in the state, has its cathedral on Duluth Avenue. St. Joseph 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. Sioux Falls is also home to the Islamic Center of Sioux Falls. Around 3,000 muslims live in the Sioux Falls area.

Education

Augustana College's mascot with the administration building, East hall, and Old Main visible in the background

Higher education

Sioux Falls is home to Augustana College, University of Sioux Falls, Kilian Community College, Southeast Technical Institute, National American University, Colorado Technical University, the South Dakota School for the Deaf, Great Plains Baptist College, Globe University/Minnesota School of Business, Sioux Falls Seminary, Sanford School of Medicine, Stewart School and the South Dakota Public Universities and Research Center (formerly known as USDSU).

Public schools

The Sioux Falls School District serves over 20,000 students living in Sioux Falls; there are three high schools (Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Washington) (grades 9-12), five middle schools (grades 6-8), and 26 elementary schools (grades K-5). Because of sprawl, districts around Sioux Falls continue to grow at dramatic rates. Brandon, Valley Springs, Baltic, Canton, Harrisburg, Tea, Tri-Valley, and West-Central Districts serve many metro-area students.

There are five public middle schools in the city: Axtell Park Middle School, Edison Middle School, Memorial Middle School, Patrick Henry Middle School, and Whittier Middle School.

There are 26 public elementary schools in Sioux Falls (with an additional one planned to open and serve part of the city's west side in 2012): All-City at Jane Addams, Laura B. Anderson, Challenge Center, Cleveland, Discovery, Harvey Dunn, FIC at Jane Addams, Eugene Field, Robert Frost, Garfield, John Harris, Hawthorne, Hayward, Oscar Howe, Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, Longfellow, Lowell, Horace Mann, Terry Redlin, Renberg, Rosa Parks, Richard F. Pettigrew, Anne Sullivan, Mark Twain, and Laura Wilder.

Private schools

Sioux Falls Catholic Schools is a centralized Catholic school system that includes eight schools: six elementary schools, all PreK-6 (St. Mary, St. Lambert, St. Joseph Cathedral, 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 (9-12). Both the junior and senior high are on the same O'Gorman High School campus. Approximately 2,800 students attend Sioux Falls Catholic Schools. Although as of the 2009-2010 school year St. Joseph Cathedral school is closed for renovation.

Christian Center School was established in 1980 and educates in grades K-5. The school also operates daycare for children aged 3–14 and a preschool. Other private schools include The Baan Dek Montessori, Sioux Falls Christian Schools, Cornerstone School and Sioux Falls Lutheran Schools.

Culture

Sioux Falls is the Cultural center of South Dakota. Home to Universities, a Cathedral, Parks, and Museums, along with many art influences in the city.

Events

Downtown Sioux Falls plays host to a Sculpture Walk[23] every summer. The exhibits change yearly and most often reflect historical significance and progressive standards for the city.

Festival of Bands is a regional festival that hosts over 40 bands each year. The parade is in downtown Sioux Falls. Preliminaries are now held at Bob Young Field (Sanford Health Sports Complex), and Field Finals are held at Howard Wood Field.

LifeLight Festival, largest free Christian music festival in the country with over 300,000 attendees in 2007, is held yearly over Labor Day weekend at Wild Water West Waterpark just west of the city.

Party in the Park is an annual outdoor musical event held at Terrace Park. TNT Produktions holds this event at no charge to the public.

The Sioux Empire Fair is a regional fair held at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds every year and attracts tens of thousands of attendees.

Arts

Replica of Michelangelo's Moses at Augustana College

In the past decade, Sioux Falls experienced a renaissance of cultural interest. With a plethora of white collar jobs 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 almost no theatre, and very little art, to an area with high attendance of theatre and arts events.[citation needed]

The Sioux Empire Arts Council continues to be an initiating leader in the arts scene of the Sioux Falls area and give out Mayor's Awards each year in several categories for excellence demonstrated by Sioux Falls residents within the particular form.[24]

Poetry and literary events began to come to greater popularity with the opening of the Sioux Empire Arts Council Horse Barn Gallery and due to a National Endowment for the Arts-supported Writer's Voice. The Writer's Voice included a reading series of 38 nationally known poets and writers (per year) who performed works and youth workshops through the Sioux Falls Writers Voice in local performance spaces, at the YMCA afterschool program, and in local area schools.[25]

These two entities along with the resurgence of events regularly hosted at the Washington Pavilion's Leonardo's Cafe (Lincoln High School Writer's Guild), the Sioux Empire Arts Council's Horse Barn Art Gallery, and several coffee house locations, including Black Sheep Coffee.

Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science

During this renaissance Allison Hedge Coke moved to Sioux Falls from Rapid City as she was serving the State of South Dakota, first as a part-time literary artist in the Sioux Falls Schools and then as a full-time literary artist in residence for the Sioux Falls school district. Later she held the literary artist role with the school district while simultaneously teaching at Kilian College and the University of Sioux Falls. She continually participated at-large in the national literary field as a visiting writer/performing artist. Tom Foster moved to Sioux Falls (from California), having already developed a presence in the California Slam scene and was integral to keeping public open-mics going strong. Charles Luden continued to make poetry a typical presence throughout the art scene as he had advocated for decades by this time. Deb Klebanoff began to create more high-profile city spaces for poetry and literary events to be secured through the city and area government. Hedge Coke continued to initiate and implement new literary programming while advocating for youth involvement and neighborhood issues in Sioux Falls Arts & Cultural life. The Washington Pavilion continued to donate space for literary activities as well as the Siouxland Sioux Falls Library. Eventually, David Allan Evans returned to Sioux Falls as the current State of South Dakota Poet Laureate and enhanced the literary scene with his reintroduction to the Sioux Falls community and presence as the state poet. Rosie Blunk, long-time theater teacher from Sioux Falls, retired from teaching and began hosting the Poetry Out Loud! state competitions as well.

The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival, JazzFest, has become a huge summer event in Sioux Falls and the region. JazzFest is now a three-day outdoor musical event featuring two stages and is free to the public. The event is held the third weekend in July at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls.[26] The Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society plays host to national musicians during their annual concert series. Each year the concert series includes approximately five concerts with acts from all over the world.

Landmarks

Replica of Michelangelo's David in Fawick Park

The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science contains the Kirby Science Discover 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 multiformat 60 ft (18 m) dome theater that plays several films each month.

The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum provides the area with natural history and animal exhibits in its 50-acre (200,000 m2) park, and has an impressive number of dioramas depicting wildlife.[27][28]

The memorial to the World War II battleship USS South Dakota is on State Highway 42 (West 12th Street) and Kiwanis Avenue.

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.

One of two replicas of Michelangelo's David in the world is near the downtown area.

Transportation

Roads

Most residents of Sioux Falls travel and commute by car. Interstate 90 passes east to west across the northern edge of the city, while Interstate 29 bisects the western portion of the city from the north and south. Interstate 229 forms a partial loop around Sioux Falls, and connects with Interstate 90 to the northeast and Interstate 29 to the southwest. A grid design system for city streets is the standard for the central (older) area of the city, while 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 Interstate 29. An interchange is also planned on I-90 at Marion Road. I-29 has recently been improved from I-90 to the 26th Street exit. 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 around the outer edges of the city 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) and will travel east on 101st Street, and curve northeast east of Western Avenue, then turns northerly near Sycamore Avenue. The highway will end at the Timberline Avenue exit (Exit 402 on I-90).

Major north/south roads in Sioux Falls include: Ellis Road, Sertoma Avenue, Marion Road, I-29, Louise Avenue, Kiwanis Avenue, Western Avenue, Minnesota Avenue (South Dakota Highway 115, south of Benson Road), Cliff Avenue (South Dakota Highway 115, north of Benson Road), Bahnson Avenue, Sycamore Avenue, Powder House Road/South Dakota Highway 11, and Six Mile Road.

Major west/east roads include: I-90, 60th Street North (South Dakota Highway 38, west of I-29), Benson Road (South Dakota Highway 115 between Minnesota Avenue and Cliff Avenue), Russell Street/Maple Street, Madison St./Rice St. 10th/11th/12th Street/Arrowhead Parkway (South Dakota Highway 42), 26th Street, 33rd Street, 41st Street, 49th Street, 57th Street, 69th Street, 85th Street, and 101st Street.

Public/Mass Transit

Main downtown bus terminal.

Sioux Falls Transit, the local public transit organization, runs Sioux Area Metro, which operates 16 bus lines within the city.[29] Recently, the city added a new park and ride station on the southwest side of Sioux Falls on Louise Avenue between 49th and 57th Street's. The Sioux Area Metro Paratransit serves members of the community who would otherwise not be able the travel by providing door to door service.

Sioux Falls also has several taxi companies that operate within the city.

Jefferson Lines runs long-distance bus routes to Sioux Falls. Non-Transfer destinations include Winnipeg, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Omaha. There is no Amtrak passenger train service that passes through South Dakota.

Air Travel

Several domestic airlines serve Sioux Falls Regional Airport, also known as Joe Foss Field (in honor of famed aviator and former Governor Joe Foss), offering non-stop flight service to a number of major U.S. airport hubs, including Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Orlando Sanford International Airport, Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, Phoenix's Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants AAIPB, Baseball Sioux Falls Stadium 1993 1
Sioux Falls Stampede USHL, Ice hockey Sioux Falls Arena 1999 2
Sioux Falls Storm IFL, Indoor football Sioux Falls Arena 2000 4
Sioux Falls Skyforce NBA-DL, Basketball Sioux Falls Arena 1989 2

Championships

  • The then Sioux Falls Canaries, now the Sioux Falls Pheasants, won the 2008 American Association championship, beating the Grand Prairie Airhogs in a 5-game series that was capped off with an epic 5 to 4 walk-off win in the 12th inning of Game 4.
  • The Sioux Falls Skyforce have reached the playoffs nine times, winning the CBA Championship during the 1995-96 season, and later during the 2004-05 season. They currently play in the NBDL (the minor league of the NBA).
  • The Sioux Falls Storm, who currently play in the IFL, have won four consecutive championships in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, winning 40 straight games from July 30, 2005 to March 29, 2008, the longest winning streak in professional sports history.
  • The Storm is one of two arena football teams to ever post a shutout, beating the Peoria Roughriders 72-0 in 2006.
  • The Sioux Falls Stampede won the United States Hockey League's Anderson Cup during the 2005-06 season and Clark Cup during the 2006-07 season.

Special events

Sioux Falls has also had its share of special sporting events.

  • Sioux Falls Stadium played host to the 2007 American Association All-Star Game.[30]
  • Sioux Falls Arena has hosted the Continental Basketball Association All-Star Game 3 Times, in 1996, 2000 and 2003. It also hosted the D-League Showcase in early 2007.
  • Sioux Falls Arena has also hosted the USHL Prospects/All-Star Game in 2002 and 2009 season.
  • Sioux Falls Arena hosted the Summit League Basketball Championships in 2009 & 2010 and will host in 2011 & 2012.
  • Currently, Sioux Falls is also home to the USA Deaf Sports Federation
  • In July 2009, Sioux Falls hosted the 16U ASA A National Championship of Fastpitch softball.

Foldings

On September 26, 2007, the Sioux Falls Spitfire suspended operations.[31]

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings played their first game in Sioux Falls an exhibition, against the Dallas Cowboys on August 5, 1961. The game was played at Howard Wood Field.

Sister cities

In accordance with Sister Cities International, an organization that began under President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, Sioux Falls has been given three international sister cities in an attempt to foster cross-cultural understanding:

Germany Potsdam, Germany
United Kingdom Strabane, Northern Ireland
Russia Surgut, Russia

Media

See also: Media in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Notable natives and residents

Additional Images

References

  1. ^ a b c d "2008 City Population Estimates - South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  2. ^ a b c "Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area population and estimated components of change: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008" (CSV). 2008 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-07-01]]. Retrieved 2009-08-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "American Indian Services Inc". Retrieved 2008-04-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ "History of Sioux Falls". City of Sioux Falls. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  5. ^ Angelfire.com, Retrieved on 2008-06-21
  6. ^ Sioux falls- FactMonster.com
  7. ^ Hetland, Cara. Sioux Falls 25 years after Citibank's arrival. Publicradio.org, Minnesota Public Radio. 24 February 2006. (accessed 23 March 2007)
  8. ^ Hawkins, Yvonne. "Viewpoint: We shouldn't treat accolades as ho-hum news" Siouxfallsbusinessjournal.com
  9. ^ "How Angry Is Your City?". Health:MetroGrades. Men’s Health. Retrieved 24 Nov 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ "3rd Annual Allstate America's Best Drivers Report".
  11. ^ David Broughton and Bill King (August 20, 2007). "Rounding out the top 10 markets". Street & Smith's Sports Group. Retrieved 24 Nov 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ Peter McDougall (July 2, 2008). "100 best places to live and launch". CNNMoney.com. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  13. ^ "Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Components". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  14. ^ "Estimates for the 100 Fastest Growing U.S. Counties in 2004: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2004". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  15. ^ National and Local Weather Forecast, Radar, Map and Report
  16. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States of America". Weatherbase. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  17. ^ "2006 Action Plan Draft" (CSV). City of Sioux Falls. 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  18. ^ "Sioux Falls Crime Statistics" (CSV). www.cityrating.com. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  19. ^ "2004 Presidential Election Data Graphs - South Dakota". www.uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  20. ^ "2008 Presidential Eletion Data Graphs - South Dakota". www.uselectionatlas.org. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate - 2008-10-26" ignored (help)
  21. ^ "Major Area Employers". Sioux Falls Development Foundation. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  22. ^ "25 Best Cities to Find a Job". CNN. Retrieved 2008-11-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  23. ^ Jim Clark. "SculptureWalk Sioux Falls homepage". Retrieved 25 Nov 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  24. ^ "Mayor's Awards for the Arts". Sioux Empire Arts Council. Retrieved 2008-04-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ YMCA of the USA. "YMCA National Writer's Voice". Retrieved 25 Nov 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  26. ^ Jazzfestsiouxfalls.com "JazzFest homepage". 2009. Retrieved 25 Nov 09. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  27. ^ Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History (April 8, 2005). "Our History & Our Mission". Retrieved 25 Nov 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  28. ^ WiseGeek.com. "What is there to do in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?".
  29. ^ "Sioux Falls Transit First to Deploy RouteMatch Software's Fixed Route CAD/AVL Solution". Market Wire. 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  30. ^ "2007 American Association All Star Game". aabfan.com. July 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  31. ^ Sports KSFY (September 26, 2007). "SpitFire Suspend Operations". KSFY. Retrieved 2008-10-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  32. ^ "Profile of James Abourezk".
  33. ^ "About John Thune".
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