This Minnesota County Could Hold 70% of South Dakota's Population

South Dakota is a large state when it comes to land mass. At 77,116 square miles, South Dakota is the 17th largest state in the US. Anyone who has driven from Sioux Falls to the Black Hills will find out five and half hours later just how large the state is.

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But when it comes to population, even though the state is growing, South Dakota comes in as the 5th least populous. Only North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming are smaller. Now I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I like South Dakota because it is sparsely populated. Even Sioux Falls with its 281,958 metro population is relatively small when you compare it to other cities, but that is ok.

Jacob Boomsma/ThinkStock

So now we have South Dakota's population size in perspective, what is that one Minnesota county that is 30% larger than South Dakota? Of course, it's Hennepin County where you will find Minneapolis. With a population of 1,270,730, Hennepin could hold all of South Dakota's population and still have room left over to fit in Wichita, Kansas.

That's a lot of people squeezed into one county.

MONISHA MALLI SRIDHARAN

Then if you go east across the Mississippi River into Ramsey County, home of Minnesota's Capital St. Paul, you'll find another 554,000 people in that county. That's about 60% of South Dakota's population.

With a total state-wide population of 5,707,390, Minnesota is six times larger than South Dakota with its 895,376 population. When it comes to land mass, South Dakota is large, but Minnesota is just a little larger at 86,935 square miles.

Facts and figures from Wikipedia.

The Ultimate Sioux Falls Visitor's Guide: A to Z

Sioux Falls has lots to explore; fun stuff for the whole family, food of every kind, educational opportunities, and more! If you have out-of-town guests visiting, show them around our city. Eat at places they've never eaten. Take them to places they'd never go. Take some great photos to post on social media (and don't forget the hashtag #HiFromSiouxFalls). We've even listed some cool hotels where they can stay if you don't have the room.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We call it the 'Sioux Empire.' It's the biggest city in the state with a population of nearly 200,000. We’re known for our namesake, Falls Park, along the Big Sioux River. Sioux Falls has received numerous accolades for its quality of life. We have been named the number one best place to rent in America. We’ve topped the list of Best States to Find a Job. Sioux Falls is the Best City in America for Young Professionals.

We've appeared on lists such as Most Charming Small Cities, Top 10 Place to Raise Kids, and even ranked 10th in the 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live. We have an abundance of achievements and you can see them on the Sioux Falls Development Foundation's website.

It's a pretty awesome city and that's why we think you should come and visit. If you're coming on business or pleasure, we've put together a list of places to go and things to see. We know you want to explore the attractions the city is known for like Falls Park, the Arc of Dreams, and the Sculpture Walk, but there's a lot more to see and do than just the touristy (that's really a word) stuff. The best places to go are where the locals go and we have a not your average, ordinary visitor's guide.

Here's a list of over 100 things to do and places to go in Sioux Falls.

Click HERE for a list of all the places we mention and links to each one. Print it out or save it to your phone and use it as a reference when you're visiting. See you soon!