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Rapid City

Rapid City lies east of Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota. It’s known as a gateway to Mt. Rushmore, the massive iconic sculpture of 4 U.S. presidents. “City of Presidents,” a series of life-size statues, spans several blocks downtown. Rapid City is the 2nd most populous city in SD and the County seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek where the settlement developed, it is in western South Dakota, on the Black Hills eastern slope. The population was 74,703 as of 2020.

 

Known as the “Gateway to the Black Hills” and the “City of Presidents” because of the life-size bronze president statues downtown, Rapid City is split by a low mountain ridge that divides the city’s western and eastern parts. Ellsworth Airforce Base is on the city’s outskirts. Camp Rapid, part of the SD Army National Guard is in the city’s western part.

 

Rapid City has long been considered one of the gateways to the West, and its rich cowboy and Native American heritage is the result. Visitors won’t want to miss the area’s mammoth outdoor sculptures. There’s Mount Rushmore, of course, and many other local attractions such as the scenic Black Hills, several nearby cavern systems that offer guided tours, and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum.

 

Rapid City is home to such attractions as Art Alley, Dinosaur Park, The City of Presidents walking tour, Chapel in the Hills, Storybook Island, and Main Street Square. In the neighboring Black Hills are the tourist attractions of Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and the museum at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research. To the City’s East is Badlands National Park. 

Community
Schools

Blackhawk Elementary School

https://blackhawk.rcas.org

Canyonlake Elementary School

https://canyonlake.rcas.org

Corral Drive Elementary School

https://corraldrive.rcas.org

General Beadle Elementary School

https://generalbeadle.rcas.org

Grandview Elementary School

https://grandview.rcas.org

Horace Mann Elementary School

https://horacemann.rcas.org

Knollwood Heights Elementary School

https://knollwood.rcas.org

Meadowbrook Elementary School

https://meadowbrook.rcas.org

Pinedale Elementary School

https://pinedale.rcas.org

Rapid Valley Elementary School

https://rapidvalley.rcas.org

Robbinsdale Elementary School

https://robbinsdale.rcas.org

South Canyon Elementary School

https://southcanyon.rcas.org

South Park Elementary School

https://southpark.rcas.org

Valley View Elementary School

https://valleyview.rcas.org

Wilson Elementary School

https://wilson.rcas.org

Central High School

https://central.rcas.org

Stevens High School

https://stevens.rcas.org

Rapid City High School

https://rchighschool.rcas.org

East Middle School

https://east.rcas.org

West Middle School

https://west.rcas.org

North Middle School

https://north.rcas.org

South Middle School

https://south.rcas.org

Southwest Middle School

https://southwest.rcas.org

Drive Times

Highways

  • I-90 E & W
  • US Hwy 14
  • US Hwy 16
  • US Hwy 85
  • US Hwy 385
  • WY Hwy 24
  • WY Hwy 585
  • WY Hwy 111

Bus

  • Greyhound Bus station locations
  • 1. Gillette, WY
  • 2. Spearfish, SD
  • 3. Rapid City, SD

Air

  • Rapid City Regional Airport – 0 miles
  • Gillette-Campbell Regional Airport - 147 miles
  • Black Hills Municipal Airport - 46 miles
  • Belle Fourche Municipal Airport - 60 miles
  • Hulett Municipal Airport – 96 miles
  • Custer County Airfield - 44 miles
Commuter Info
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Contact

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With Us

Call the office at 307.467.6000 or you can text/call 605.569.3838. You may also enter your information below and we will contact you.

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