Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck (/ˈbɪzmɑːrk/; from 1872 to 1873: Edwinton) is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County.[8] It is the state's 2nd most populous city, after Fargo. The population was 73,622 at the 2020 census,[4] and was estimated to be 74,445 in 2022,[5] while its metropolitan population was 133,626. In 2020, Forbes magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small city in the United States.[9]
Bismarck, North Dakota
United States
May 14, 1872
January 14, 1875
Anne Cleary
Michael Connelly
Steve Marquardt
Greg Zenker
35.182 sq mi (91.121 km2)
34.685 sq mi (89.834 km2)
0.497 sq mi (1.288 km2)
41.85 sq mi (108.4 km2)
4,281.1 sq mi (11,088 km2)
1,745 ft (532 m)
73,622
74,445
US: 500th
ND: 2nd
2,146/sq mi (828.7/km2)
2,346/sq mi (905.9/km2)
134,846 (US: 306th)
31.5/sq mi (12.16/km2)
UTC–5 (CDT)
38-07200
1035934[2]
7.0%[7]
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 and admitted to the Union.[10]
Bismarck is across the river from Mandan, named after a Native American tribe of the area.[11] The two cities comprise the core of the Bismarck–Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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.
Sports[edit]
Amateur[edit]
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, 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 and United Tribes Technical College are known as The Mystics and Thunderbirds, and both compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association in the Mon-Dak Conference. The teams at the University of Mary are The Marauders and compete in NCAA Division II in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. 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. Most University of Mary football games are played in the Community Bowl. Other popular winter sports include ice hockey, wrestling and basketball.
In spring, baseball is one of the city's top amateur sports, with each high school, Bismarck State College, and The University of Mary providing teams. The University of Mary and Bismarck State College both also have 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 the U.S. and Canada compete.
The Bismarck Bobcats hockey team of the North American Hockey League is made up of junior players (age 20 and younger, sometimes 21 if waived). The Bobcats won back-to-back Borne Cup championships as America West Hockey League members before merging into the NAHL in 2003. The Bobcats have made several trips to the NAHL's national tournament, claiming their first Robertson Cup title in 2010.
Since 2017, the Bismarck Larks, a Northwoods League expansion baseball team, have played their home games at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark.[39]
Professional[edit]
The Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League were formerly based in Bismarck. The Wizards' first season took place in 1995 in the International Basketball Association. They won one title during their International Basketball Association days (1995–2001) and two during their Continental Basketball Association days (2001–2006). They were the 2006–07 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 of the National Basketball Association.
Starting with the 2017 season, Bismarck was home to the Bismarck Bucks, a professional indoor football team in the Indoor Football League. Bismarck has been the home of two professional indoor football teams, the Bismarck Blaze and the Bismarck Roughriders, but both 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[edit]
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 Memorial Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operated by the recreation district, serves as a community gymnasium and was recognized by a 100 Cities 100 Memorials grant in 2018.[40]
The Parks and Recreation District operates roughly 2,300 acres (930 ha) of public parkland.[41] Sertoma Park stretches more than 3 miles (4.8 km) 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.[42]
Government[edit]
Bismarck operates under the city commission style of municipal government. Citizens elect a mayor and four commissioners on an at-large basis for terms of four years, with a limit of three consecutive terms. The commission exercises both legislative and executive powers, with each commissioner exercising oversight over several city departments. The mayor serves as president of the commission and has few powers over and above his fellow commissioners.
The current mayor is Mike Schmitz.[43] The city commission meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
Education[edit]
Elementary, middle and high schools[edit]
The Bismarck Public Schools system operates sixteen elementary schools, three middle schools (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 13,768 students and employs 2,299 people in the School Year of 2022-2023.[44]
Three Bismarck Catholic parishes operate primary schools (kindergarten 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 schools: the Catholic St. Mary's Central High School, Shiloh Christian School, operated by Protestants, and Dakota Adventist Academy.
Higher education[edit]
There are three colleges and a university in Bismarck. The University of Mary[45] is a four-year university, operated by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.[46] Bismarck State College[47] is a two-year public college, and a member of the North Dakota University System. United Tribes Technical College[48] 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.
Infrastructure[edit]
Health care[edit]
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 Dakota Territory 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.[50] 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.[51]