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Rapid City, South Dakota

Located in Pennington County, South Dakota, Rapid City was established in 1876. Gateway to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. The 1972 Rapid Creek flood killed 238 people.

Founded 1876 | Population 80,000 | Peak 80,000 (2024) | County Pennington County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Rapid City, South Dakota

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1876 Gold Rush: Black Hills gold discovery.

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1941 Ellsworth AFB: B-1 bomber base.

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1972 Flood: Rapid Creek flood kills 238.

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2010 Modern Era: Rapid City continued to develop as part of the region, with new infrastructure and community amenities.

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Latest News in Rapid City

Dec 23, 2015

South Dakota School Votes Have Armed Sentinels

PIERRE, South Dakota (December 23, 2015) – In a move that stirred up plenty of debate, a school district in South Dakota voted t…

Complete Historical Timeline

1876 Industry

Gold Rush

1941 Government

Ellsworth AFB

1972 Disaster

Flood

2010 Culture

Modern Era

Did You Know?

Gateway to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills.

The 1972 Rapid Creek flood killed 238 people.

Ellsworth AFB is home to B-1B Lancer bombers.

Rapid City is located in Pennington County, South Dakota.

Rapid City was founded in 1876.

Famous People from Rapid City, South Dakota

Lawrence Lessig

Teacher, Lawyer · Born Jun 3, 1961 · Age 64

Becky Hammon

Basketball Player, Basketball Coach · Born Mar 11, 1977 · Age 48

Tomi Lahren

Television Presenter, Political Pundit · Born Aug 11, 1992 · Age 33

Randy Lewis

Amateur Wrestler · Born Jun 7, 1959 · Age 66

Jessi Combs

Television Presenter, Racing Automobile Driver · Born Jul 27, 1980 · Died Aug 27, 2019 (age 39)

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