Sioux Falls, South Dakota is the largest city in the state of South Dakota. The city is located in Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties, South Dakota in the southeast corner of the state near the borders of Iowa and Minnesota. It is situated at the intersection of Interstates 90 (east-west) and Interstate 29 (north-south).
Chartered in 1856 on the banks of the Big Sioux River, the quarrying and agricultural industries were early leaders in the area's economy. In the 21st Century, Sioux Falls has become a center of financial services, health care, and retail.
The history of Sioux Falls revolves around the waterfalls on the Big Sioux River in the middle of the city. The falls were created about 14,000 years ago. Several Native American peoples, including the Osage, Dakota, and Cheyenne lived in the region before European immigrants and their descendants.
Sioux Falls has a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Cold arctic air and snowfall mark the winter months in Sioux Falls. Summers are often mild with frequent thunderstorms and the occasional tornado.
Sioux Falls is part of the Sioux Falls School District. The district has 23 elementary schools, five middle schools, and four high schools serving over 23,000 students. Sioux Falls is also home to Augustana University, the University of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Seminary, Southeast Technical College, National American University, the South Dakota School for the Deaf, the University of South Dakota's Sanford School of Medicine (Sioux Falls campus), Stewart School and the South Dakota Public Universities and Research Center.
Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools is a centralized Catholic school system in Sioux Falls that includes eight schools: six elementary schools, and a high school (O'Gorman).
Sioux Falls has a number of parks, including Falls Park, situated around the falls on the Big Sioux River. The city's park system includes a nearly 20-mile paved bike path. The Sioux Falls River Greenway, the Outdoor Campus at Sertoma Park, Great Bear Recreation Park, Midco Aquatic Center, and the Big Sioux Recreation Area give Sioux Falls many recreational options.