Bismarck () is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the U.S. state of

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan population was 133,626. In 2020, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small city in the United States. Bismarck was founded by European-Americans in 1872 on the east bank of the Missouri River. It has been North Dakota's capital city since 1889 when the state was created from the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

and admitted to the Union. Bismarck is across the river from

Mandan The Mandan are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains who have lived for centuries primarily in what is now North Dakota. They are enrolled in the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. About half of the Mandan still re ...

, named after a historic Native American tribe of the area. The two cities make up the core of the Bismarck–Mandan

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The North Dakota State Capitol is in central Bismarck. The state government employs more than 4,600 in the city. As a hub of retail and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of south-central North Dakota and north-central

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

History

For thousands of years, present-day central North Dakota was inhabited by

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, who created successive cultures. The historic

Native American tribe occupied the area long before Europeans arrived. The

Hidatsa The Hidatsa are a Siouan people. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Their language is related to that of the Crow, and they are sometimes considered a paren ...

name for Bismarck is ''mirahacii arumaaguash'' ("Place of the tall willows"); the Arikara name is ''ituhtaáwe tUhtaáwe'' In 1872 European Americans founded a settlement at what was then called Missouri Crossing, so named because the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

crossed the river there on their exploration of the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or ap ...

in 1804–06. It had been an area of Mandan settlement. Later the new town was called Edwinton, after Edwin Ferry Johnson, engineer-in-chief for the Northern Pacific Railway. Its construction of railroads in the territory attracted workers and settlers. In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railway renamed the city Bismarck in honor of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Railroad officials hoped to attract German immigrant settlers to the area and German investment in the railroad. It is the only U.S. state capital named for a foreign statesman. The discovery of gold in the nearby

Black Hills The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black ...

the following year was a greater impetus for growth. Thousands of miners came to the area, encroaching on what the Lakota considered sacred territory and leading to heightened tensions with the Native Americans. Bismarck became a freight-shipping center on the "Custer Route" from the

. In 1883 Bismarck was designated as the

of the

, and in 1889 as the state capital of the new state of

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.

Cityscape

2009-0521-CDNtrip049-ND-Bismarck-McKenziePatterson

The city has developed around downtown Bismarck, the center of historic development. It is distinctive because the city's major shopping center, Kirkwood Mall, is in the city center rather than in the suburbs. Several other major retail stores are in the vicinity of Kirkwood Mall, which was developed near the

Bismarck Civic Center The Bismarck Event Center (formerly Bismarck Civic Center) is a 10,100-seat multi-purpose facility located in Bismarck, North Dakota. It was known as the Bismarck Civic Center until September 2014. Ritterbush Brothers received an Award of Merit fo ...

. The two Bismarck hospitals, CHI St. Alexius Medical Center and Sanford Health (previously Medcenter One Health Systems) are both downtown. The streets are lined with small stores and restaurants. Much recent commercial and residential growth has taken place in the city's northern section, largely because of expanding retail centers. Among the shopping centers in northern Bismarck are

Gateway Fashion Mall Gateway Fashion Mall (formerly Gateway Mall) is an enclosed shopping mall in Bismarck, North Dakota. Opened in 1979, the mall has more than 30 successful stores. The anchor stores are Harbor Freight Tools, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Planet Fitness, Mid Dako ...

, Northbrook Mall, Arrowhead Plaza, and the Pinehurst Square " power center" mall. The North Dakota State Capitol complex is just north of downtown Bismarck. The 19-story

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

capitol is the tallest building in the state, at a height of . The capitol building towers over the city's center and is easily seen from away on a clear day. Completed during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

in 1934, it replaced a capitol building that burned to the ground in 1930. The capitol grounds encompass the

North Dakota Heritage Center The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, located on the North Dakota State Capitol grounds in Bismarck, is the state of North Dakota's official history museum. The original building, which was opened in 1981, is operated by the State Hi ...

, the North Dakota State Library, the North Dakota Governor's Residence, the State Office Building, and the Liberty Memorial Building. The

North Dakota State Penitentiary The North Dakota State Penitentiary is a part of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and is located in Bismarck, North Dakota. As of January 2013 the prison population stood at a record level of 1,550 inmates.http://ww ...

is in eastern Bismarck. The Cathedral District, named after the Art Deco Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, is an historic neighborhood near downtown Bismarck. Some homes in this neighborhood date to the 1880s, although many were built in the first decades of the 20th century. At times, the city has proposed widening the streets in the neighborhood to improve traffic flow. Many residents object because such a project would require the removal of many of the towering American elms which line the streets. These have escaped the elm disease that destroyed street canopies of trees in eastern cities. After the completion of Garrison Dam in 1953 by the Army Corps of Engineers, which improved flood control, the

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

of the Missouri River became a more practical place for development. Significant residential and commercial building has taken place in this area on the south side of the city. The Upper Missouri River is still subject to seasonal flooding.

Climate

Situated in the middle of the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, a ...

, between the geographic centers of the United States and Canada, Bismarck displays a highly variable four-season

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 freez ...

( Köppen ''Dfa''/''Dfb''). Bismarck's climate is characterized by very cold, somewhat dry, snowy, and windy winters, and warm, humid summers.

Thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...

s occur in spring and summer, but much of the rest of the year is dry. The warmest month in Bismarck is July, with a daily mean of , with typically wide variations between day and night. The coldest month is January, with a 24-hour average of . Precipitation peaks from May to September and is rather sparse in the winter months. Winter snowfall is typically light to moderate, occurring with the passage of frontal systems; major storms are rare.

Demographics

2020

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2020, there were 73,622 people and 32,044 households residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 89.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 2.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 4.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% from Native Hawaiian, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 32,044 households, the average household size of which was 2.2. 6.7% of residents were under the age of five; 21.8% of residents were between the ages of six and 18; 17% of residents were over the age of 65. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2010

As of the

of 2010, there were 61,272 people, 27,263 households, and 15,624 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 28,648 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.4%

, 0.7%

, 4.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 56.1% were of

, 20.5% were of Norwegian, 7.2% were of Irish, 6.7% were of Russian, 3.7% were of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 3.6% were of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

descent. There were 27,263 households, of which 27% had children under the age of 18 living with them (the lowest percentage in North Dakota), 44.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 38 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 11% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000

As of the

of 2000, there were 55,532 people, 23,185 households, and 14,444 families residing in the city. The

was 2,065.2 per square mile (797.4/km²). There were 24,217 housing units at an average density of 900.6 per square mile (347.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.78%

, 3.39% Native American, 0.89% from two or more races, 0.75%

or Latino, 0.45% Asian, 0.28%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 0.17% from other races and 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

. There were 23,185 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males. The median income per household in the city was $39,422, and the median income per family was $51,477. Males had a median income of $33,804 versus $22,647 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $20,789. About 5.7% of families and 8.4% of the population 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 ...

, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are the following:

Arts and culture

The Belle Mehus

Auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, communit ...

, named after a local piano teacher, is a 1914 historic building in downtown Bismarck and is a center for the arts in the area. Performances of Northern Plains Dance and the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra are held there. Theater companies in Bismarck include the Capitol Shakespeare Society, Sleepy Hollow Summer Theatre, the Shade Tree Players children's theater group, Dakota Stage Ltd, University of Mary, Bismarck State College, and various high school groups. The Gannon and Elsa Forde Art Galleries are at Bismarck State College. The Missouri Valley Chamber Orchestra, founded in 2000, is the community's newest orchestra and performs a variety of musical genres.

Libraries

Bismarck libraries include Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library and North Dakota State Library.

Sports

Amateur

High school and college sports are the main feature of the local athletics landscape. The athletic teams at the three public Bismarck high schools,

Bismarck High School Bismarck High School (BHS) is a public high school located in Bismarck, North Dakota. It currently serves 1,197 students and is a part of the Bismarck Public Schools system. The grades offered at Bismarck High school are ninth through twelfth. T ...

, Century High School, and Legacy High School, are known as The Demons, The Patriots, and The Sabers, respectively. The athletic teams at St. Mary's Central High School, Bismarck's Catholic high school, are known as The Saints. The teams at

Bismarck State College Bismarck State College (BSC) is a public college in Bismarck, North Dakota. It is the third largest college in the North Dakota University System with 3,781 students as of September 2016. Established in 1939, it is a comprehensive community c ...

and

United Tribes Technical College United Tribes Technical College (UTCC) is a private tribal land-grant community college in Bismarck, North Dakota. In 2012, UTTC had an enrollment 885 students, 635 full-time undergraduates, and 250 part-time undergraduates. History The UTTC wa ...

are known as The Mystics and Thunderbirds, and both compete in the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

. The teams at the

University of Mary The University of Mary (UMary or simply Mary) is a private, Benedictine university near Bismarck, North Dakota. It was established in 1959 as Mary College. The university is the largest degree-granting institution in western North Dakota. It h ...

are The Marauders and compete in the

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the western Midwestern United States. Nine of its ...

. Bismarck has an American Legion baseball team called the Governors. In the fall, the accent is on high school and college football. There are spirited rivalries among the several high schools in the area. The University of Mary added the sport in 1988. Most University of Mary football games are played in the Community Bowl. Other popular sports during the winter months include ice hockey, wrestling and basketball. In spring, baseball is one of the top amateur sports in the city with each high school, Bismarck State College, and The University of Mary providing teams. The University of Mary also has a softball team. High schools and colleges also feature track and field during the spring. In the summer, Bismarck has American Legion baseball and auto racing. The Fourth of July holiday is the height of rodeo time, with rodeos in Mandan and Bismarck. Slow-pitch softball is played by teams in the city. Bismarck is the host city of the world's largest charity softball tournament, the Sam McQuade Sr. softball tournament, in which more than 400 teams from all over the United States and Canada compete. The

Bismarck Bobcats The Bismarck Bobcats are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Central Division, and play out of Bismarck, North Dakota, in the V.F.W. Sports Center. Originally a part of the American Frontier Hockey Lea ...

hockey team of the North American Hockey League is made up of junior players (age twenty and younger, sometimes age twenty-one if waived). The Bobcats won back-to-back Borne Cup championships as members of the America West Hockey League before merging into the NAHL in 2003. The Bobcats have made several trips to the NAHL's national tournament, claiming their first-ever Robertson Cup title in 2010. Since 2017, the Bismarck Larks, a Northwoods League expansion baseball team, has played their home games at the Bismarck Municipal Ballpark.

Professional

The Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League was formerly based in Bismarck. The Wizards' first season took place in 1995 in the International Basketball Association. The Wizards won one title during their International Basketball Association days (1995–2001) and two during their Continental Basketball Association days (2001–2006). They were the 2006–2007 champions of the NBA D-League, their first season in the league. The team moved to Santa Cruz, California, in 2012, a year after being purchased by the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

. Starting with the 2017 season, Bismarck is home to the

Bismarck Bucks The Bismarck Bucks are an indoor American football team based in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Bucks joined Champions Indoor Football (CIF) as an expansion team in 2016, and began play for the 2017 season. The team moved to the Indoor Football Leagu ...

, a professional indoor football team in the

Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams am ...

. Bismarck has been the home of two professional indoor football teams, the Bismarck Blaze and the

Bismarck Roughriders The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) was a professional indoor American football, football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its deve ...

, but both teams left the city soon after they were formed. Bismarck once had a professional baseball team, the Dakota Rattlers, but the team moved to Minot after several seasons in Bismarck.

Parks and recreation

Bismarck has a large park system and an extensive network of exercise trails. The Bismarck Parks and Recreation District, established in 1927, operates many parks, swimming pools, and several golf courses within the city. The

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Memorial Building, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and operated by the recreation district, serves as a community gymnasium and was recognized by a 100 Cities 100 Memorials grant in 2018. The Parks and Recreation District operates roughly of public parkland. Sertoma Park stretches more than along the banks of the Missouri River. Within the park are several miles of biking trails and the Dakota Zoo. There are five golf courses in Bismarck: four 18-hole courses (Apple Creek Country Club, Hawktree Golf Club, Riverwood Golf Course, and Tom O'Leary Golf Course), and one nine-hole course (Pebble Creek Golf Course). Hunting and fishing are popular in the area, with hunting seasons for deer, pheasant, and waterfowl. Fishing is a year-round sport on the Missouri River bordering Bismarck, and there are public docks on the river. From north to south, there is a dock at the Port of Bismarck, from which the ''Lewis and Clark'' passenger riverboat plies the Missouri; Fox Island Landing, about a half mile southwest of Riverwood Golf Course; and the Bismarck Dock at General Sibley Park, which has a boat ramp and picnic facilities. In February 2007, Bismarck broke the record for the most snow angels made in one place. A total of 8,962 participants came to the capitol grounds for the event.

Government

Bismarck operates under the city commission style of municipal government. Citizens elect four commissioners on an

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 than ...

basis for terms of four years. The commission exercises both legislative and executive powers, with each commissioner exercising oversight over several city departments. The mayor, also elected at-large, serves as president of the commission and has few powers over and above his fellow commissioners. The mayor and commissioners serve four-year terms, with a limit of three consecutive terms. The mayor is Mike Schmitz. The city commission meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

Education

Elementary, middle and high schools

The Bismarck Public Schools system operates sixteen

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s, three

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s (Simle, Wachter, Horizon), three public high schools ( Century High, Legacy High School, and Bismarck High) and one alternative high school (South Central High School). The system educates 13,350 students and employs 1,500 people. Three Bismarck Catholic parishes operate

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

s (

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through eighth grade): St. Mary's Grade School, St. Anne's Grade School, and Cathedral Grade School. St. Mary's Grade School, founded in 1878, is the oldest continuously operating elementary school in North Dakota. The city has three

private high school Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

s: the Catholic St. Mary's Central High School, Shiloh Christian School, operated by Protestants, and Dakota Adventist Academy.

Higher education

There are three colleges and a university in Bismarck. The

is a four-year university, operated by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.

is a two-year public college, the largest degree-granting institution in the city, and a member of the North Dakota University System.

is a two-year tribal college. Sanford Health, formerly Medcenter One, operates a nursing school that offers a Bachelor of Science in nursing. The campus is just north of the medical center in central Bismarck.

Media

Print

Bismarck is served by the ''

Bismarck Tribune ''The Bismarck Tribune'' is a daily newspaper with a weekly audience of 82,000 unique readers, printed daily in Bismarck, North Dakota. Owned by Lee Enterprises, it is the only daily newspaper for south-central and southwest North Dakota N ...

,'' the city's daily newspaper. Established in 1873, the paper is the oldest continuously operating business in the city. The ''Tribune'' is the official newspaper of the city of Bismarck, Burleigh County, and the state of

. The daily newspapers of other major cities in North Dakota are also available at area newsstands.

Television

Bismarck is the center of a television market covering most of western North Dakota and portions of Montana. Five stations are based in Bismarck. The four commercial stations have rebroadcasters in

Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the ...

, Williston, and Dickinson. The stations are: * KBME ( ATSC RF channel 22) – virtual channels 3.1 PBS, 3.2

World In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

, 3.3 Minnesota Channel, 3.4 Lifelong Learning * KFYR ( ATSC RF channel 31) – virtual channels 5.1 NBC, 5.2 Me-TV * KXMB ( ATSC RF channel 12) – virtual channels 12.1 CBS, 12.3 Weather *

KBMY KBMY (channel 17) is a television station in Bismarck, North Dakota, United States, affiliated with ABC and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Forum Communications Company, the station maintains a news bureau and advertising sales office on North 15th Street ...

( ATSC RF channel 17) – virtual channels 17.1 ABC *

KNDB KNDB (channel 26) is a television station in Bismarck, North Dakota, United States. Owned by BEK Sports Network, Inc., a subsidiary of BEK Communications Cooperative, it is affiliated with multiple networks on various digital subchannels, with ...

( ATSC RF channel 26) – virtual channels 26.1 Fox Bismarck also carries KWMK, an affiliate of

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, on cable channel 14; as well as Public-access television channels, on

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

channels 2 and 12.

Radio

Bismarck supports 27 radio stations. Most of the commercial stations are owned by either iHeartMedia or Cumulus Media. Many of the lower frequency stations are broadcasters of national Christian radio networks. The local stations are:

FM frequencies

* KBMK 88.3 FM ( Contemporary Christian music) K-Love network affiliate * K204FG 88.7 FM ( Christian) BBN translator * KLBF 89.1 FM ( Christian) Faith Radio from the University of Northwestern - St Paul * KNRI 89.7 FM ( Christian rock) Air 1 affiliate * KCND 90.5 FM ( Public Radio)

Prairie Public Radio Prairie Public is a network of ten North Dakota radio stations. It is a service of Prairie Public Broadcasting, in association with North Dakota State University in Fargo. Prairie Public maintains active studios in Grand Forks, Fargo, and Bism ...

*KXRP 91.3 FM ( Christian) Family Radio affiliate *KPHA 91.7 FM (Christian radio, Catholic) KWTL, Real Presence Radio *KYYY 92.9 FM (Adult Contemporary) "Mix 92.9" *KBEP-LP 93.7 FM ( Christian) 3ABN affiliate *KQDY 94.5 FM (Country music, Country) "KQ 94.5" *K237FQ 95.3 FM translator simulcasting KJIT-LP *KBYZ 96.5 FM (Classic rock) "The Walleye" *KKCT 97.5 FM (Contemporary hit radio, Top 40/CHR) "Hot 97-5" *KACL (FM), KACL 98.7 FM (Classic hits) "Cool 98.7" *K259AF 99.7 FM translator simulcasting KFYR-AM *KLBE-LP 100.7 FM ( Christian rock) "Club Radio" *KSSS 101.5 FM (Mainstream Rock) "Rock 101" *KUSB 103.3 FM (Country music, Country) "US 103.3" *KNDR 104.7 FM (Christian radio, Contemporary Christian music) *KKBO 105.9 FM (Country music, Country) "Big Rig 105.9" *KJIT-LP 106.7 FM ( Contemporary Christian music) Radio 74 Internationale, Radio 74 affiliate *KXRV 107.5 FM (Classic Hits) "Mojo 107.5"

AM frequencies

*KFYR (AM), KFYR 550 AM (Talk radio, News/Talk/Sports/Oldies/Classic Hits/Contemporary hit radio, Top 40/CHR) "K-Fire" *KXMR 710 AM (Sports radio, Sports) "ESPN Radio, ESPN 710" *KBMR 1130 AM (Classic country) "Bismarck's original country station" *KLXX 1270 AM (Talk radio, Talk) *KDKT 1410 AM (Sports radio, Sports) "Fox Sports Radio 1410" *WQDL503 1610 AM (Traveler's Information Station), North Dakota Department of Transportation NOAA Weather Radio station WXL78 broadcasts from Bismarck on 162.475 MHz.

Infrastructure

Health care

Bismarck is a regional center for health care. The city has two hospitals: CHI St. Alexius Medical Center (285-bed) and Sanford Health (238-bed). When it opened in 1885, St. Alexius was the first hospital in

and the Catholic facility is the oldest health care provider in the state. St. Alexius and Medcenter One have joined forces to form the Bismarck Cancer Center. Medcenter One was founded in 1908 as Bismarck Evangelical Hospital. In 1955 it was renamed Bismarck Hospital. In 1984 it was renamed MedCenter One, and in 2012 it became part of the Sanford Health system.

Transportation

Public transit

2009-0521-ND-Bismarck-NorthernPacificdepot

The Capital Area Transit System (CAT), operated by Bis-Man Transit, began operations in May 2004. This public bus system has eleven routes throughout Bismarck and Mandan, Monday-Saturday. Bis-Man Transit also operates a para-transit service for senior citizens and people with disabilities. Bismarck had electric streetcar service from 1904 to 1931.

Aviation

Bismarck Municipal Airport is south of the city. It has the largest passenger volume in western North Dakota and the second highest within the state. The airport is served by United Express, Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. A new $15 million terminal opened in May 2005. The previous terminal was built in the mid-1960s and expanded in the mid-1970s. After a windstorm collapsed part of the roof connecting the expanded terminal to the original building, officials decided to demolish the entire complex and build the new terminal.

Rail service

The BNSF Railway runs east–west through the city. The railway was originally integral to the growth of Bismarck and Mandan. Today it is used for freight. Due to restructuring in the railroad industry, there has not been passenger train service to Bismarck station since Amtrak's North Coast Hiawatha (Amtrak), North Coast Hiawatha service ended in 1979. The closest Amtrak station is in

, 106 miles (170 kilometers) north of Bismarck, which is served by the Empire Builder.

Roadways

Two federal highways pass through Bismarck. Interstate 94 in North Dakota, Interstate 94 runs east–west through the city. The north–south U.S. Route 83 in North Dakota, U.S. Route 83 merges in north Bismarck with Interstate 94 and runs east for roughly before turning south.

Walking & Cycling

BisParks BCycle is a public bikeshare system with four docks situated around the city. Bismarck is not ranked as a walk-friendly community, and is rated bronze for bike-friendliness.

Notable people

* Sam Aanestad, dentist and California state legislator * David Andahl, businessman and politician * Shane Balkowitsch, American wet plate photographer *Carmen Berg, Playboy Playmate (July 1987) *Leslie Bibb, actress * Paula Broadwell,Barney, Madison (January 30, 2012
Bismarck native profiles Gen. David Petraeus in new book.
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'' a consultant and author and extramarital partner of General David Petraeus * John Burke (North Dakota politician), John Burke, state Supreme Court Justice, tenth List of Governors of North Dakota, governor of North Dakota, 24th Treasurer of the United States * Gary Cederstrom, Major League Baseball umpire * Neil Churchill, Bismarck mayor * Dale Clausnitzer, Minnesota state legislator and businessman * Kent Conrad, U.S. Senator * Ronnie Cramer, artist, filmmaker * Dale DeArmond, printmaker and book illustrator * Weston Dressler, Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback * Shannon Galpin, founder of "Strength in Numbers" * Linnea Glatt, post-modern sculptor and installationist * John Hoeven, U.S. Senator, (since 2011) 31st List of Governors of North Dakota, Governor of North Dakota (2000–2010) * Clay Jenkinson, Author, Thomas Jefferson scholar * Thomas S. Kleppe, former Bismarck mayor, 41st U.S. United States Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior * Brock Lesnar, wrestler and former heavyweight UFC champion * Conrad Mandsager, entrepreneur and innovator, organization founder * Cara Mund, Miss America 2018 * Mike Peluso (ice hockey b. 1974), Mike Peluso, right wing with the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers * John Andrew Rea, newspaper editor, helped draft the state constitution * Mel Ruder, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist * Ed Schafer, 30th List of Governors of North Dakota, Governor of North Dakota, 29th U.S. United States Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture * Jonathan Twingley, artist, illustrator and novelist * Carson Wentz, professional football player for the Washington Commanders

Mayors of Bismarck

* Edmond Hackett; 1875 * John A. Mclean; 1875–1877 * George Peoples; 1877–1881 * R. B. Thurston; 1881–1882 * James W Raymond; 1882–1884 * John P. Dunn; 1884–1885 * John E. Carland; 1885–1886 * Israel P Hunt; 1886–1887 * William A. Bently; 1887–1890 * Isaac P. Baker; 1890–1891 * William A. Bently; 1891–1892 * Edward S. Allen; 1892–1894 * Albert N. Leslie; 1894–1896 * Edward G. Patterson; 1896–1900 * Francis H. Register; 1901–1905 * William H. Webb; 1905–1907 * Francis R. Smyth; 1907–1909 * Erastus A. Williams; 1909–1913 * Arthur W. Lucas; 1913–1921 * Amil P. Lenhart; 1921–1937 * Obert A. Olson; 1937–1938 * Neil Churchill, Neil O. Churchill; 1939–1946 * Amil P. Lenhart; 1946–1950 * Thomas S. Kleppe; 1950–1954 * Evan Lips; 1954–1966 * Ed V. Lahr; 1966–1974 * Robert O. Heskin; 1974–1978 * Eugene Leary; 1978–1986 * Marlan Haakenson; 1986–1990 * Bill Sorensen; 1990–2002 * John Warford; 2002–2014 * Mike Seminary; 2014–2018 * Steve Bakken; 2018–2022 * Mike Schmitz; 2022–present

History

Geography

Cityscape

Climate

Demographics

2020

2010

2000

Economy

Arts and culture

Libraries

Sports

Amateur

Professional

Parks and recreation

Government

Education

Elementary, middle and high schools

Higher education

Media

Print

Television

Radio

FM frequencies

AM frequencies

Infrastructure

Health care

Transportation

Public transit

Aviation

Rail service

Roadways

Walking & Cycling

Notable people

Mayors of Bismarck

See also

Notes

References

External links