Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state.

Sioux City is the primary city of the four-county Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with a population of 143,005 in 2000 and a slight increase to an estimated 144,360 in 2009. The Sioux City-Vermillion, IA-NE-SD Combined Statistical Area had a population of 156,503 as of 2000 and has grown to an estimated population of 157,850 as of 2009.

Sioux City is at the navigational head of the Missouri River, about 95 miles north of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Sioux City and the surrounding areas of northwestern Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota are sometimes referred to as Siouxland, especially by the local media. Sioux City is the second largest city in the Sioux Falls-Sioux City, SD-IA-MN-NE Designated Market Area (DMA),with a population of 1,043,450.

Money recognized Sioux City in its August 2010 issue of "Best Places To Live". In 2008 and 2009, the Sioux City Tri-State Metropolitan Area was recognized by Site Selection as the top economic development community in the United States for communities with populations between 50,000 and 200,000 people.

In 2011, The Daily Beast, an American news reporting website, placed Sioux City on their list of The Top 40 Drunkest Cities in America, with a ranking of 14th.

History
The first people to live in this area were Native Americans. These inhabitants lived here thousands of years before any explorers from Spain or France arrived. Early French or Spanish fur traders were likely the first Europeans in the area. The first documented explorers to record their travels through this area were the Americans Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during the summer of 1804. Sergeant Charles Floyd, a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, died here on August 20, 1804, the only fatality during the two and a half-year expedition.

In 1891, the Sioux City Elevated Railway was opened and became the third steam powered elevated rapid transit system in the world, and later the first electric-powered elevated railway in the world after a conversion in 1892. However, the system fell into bankruptcy and closed within a decade.

The city gained the nickname "Little Chicago" during the Prohibition era due to its reputation for being a purveyor of alcoholic beverages.

On July 19, 1989, United Airlines flight 232 crash landed at Sioux Gateway Airport, killing 111 persons.

Geography and climate
Sioux City is located at °N, °W (42.497957, -96.395705). Sioux City is at an altitude of 1135 ft above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.0 square miles (144.9 km²), of which, 54.8 square miles (141.9 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (2.06%) is water.

Climate
Sioux City is located very near the center of the North American continent, far removed from any major bodies of water. This lends the area a humid continental climate, with hot, humid summers, cold snowy winters, and wide temperature extremes. Summers can bring daytime temperatures that climb into the 90s Fahrenheit, and winter lows can be well below zero.

2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 82,684 in the city, with a population density of. There were 33,425 housing units, of which 31,571 were occupied.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 85,013 people, 32,054 households, and 21,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,551.3 people per square mile (599.0/km²). There were 33,816 housing units at an average density of 617.1 per square mile (238.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.23% White, 2.41% African American, 1.95% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.27% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.89% of the population.

There were 32,054 households of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,429, and the median income for a family was $45,751. Males had a median income of $31,385 versus $22,470 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,666. About 7.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

The Sioux City Human Rights Commission is an impartial governmental agency that works to protect the rights of the population from discrimination.

Metropolitan area
As of the 2000 census, the Sioux City metropolitan area had 144,360 residents in four counties; the population was estimated at 143,157 in 2008. As defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the counties comprising the metropolitan area are (in descending order of population):
 * Woodbury County, Iowa
 * Dakota County, Nebraska
 * Union County, South Dakota
 * Dixon County, Nebraska

Two of these counties, Union and Dixon, were added to the metro area in 2003. In reality, only Woodbury, Dakota, and Union counties contain any metropolitan character; Dixon County is entirely rural.

Plymouth County is not considered part of metropolitan Sioux City although the extreme north and northwest sides of the city spill over into Plymouth County.

Economy
American Pop Corn Company is based in Sioux City.

Statistics from Sioux City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
 * Top employers

Arts and culture

 * The Sioux City Public Museum is located in a Northside neighborhood of fine Victorian mansions. The portico-and-gabled stone building was originally the home of the banker, John Peirce, and was built in 1890. The museum features Native American, pioneer, early Sioux City, and natural history exhibits. The museum will shortly be relocated downtown.


 * The Sioux City Art Center,located Downtown, was formed in 1938 as part of the WPA's support of the arts. The Art Center is committed to supporting artists from Iowa and the greater Midwest. Also, the Center has a general program of acquisition of work by national and international artists, including important works by Thomas Hart Benton, Salvador Dalí, Käthe Kollwitz, Robert Motherwell, Claes Oldenburg, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and Grant Wood.


 * The Sergeant Floyd Monument commemorates the burial site of U.S. Army Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only man to die on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is a National Historic Landmark, with its prominent 100 ft obelisk situated on 23 acre of parkland, high on a river bluff with a splendid view of the Missouri River valley.


 * Chris Larsen Park, informally known as "The Riverfront," is the launching point for the riverboat casino and includes the Anderson Dance Pavilion, the Sergeant Floyd Riverboat Museum and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, opened in 2004. Massive Missouri River development began in 2005 with the opening of the MLR Tyme Marina area, which includes Beverly's, an upscale restaurant.


 * Grandview Park is located north of the downtown area, up from Rose Hill, between The Northside and The Heights. The Municipal Bandshell is located in the park with Sunday evening municipal band concerts. The Saturday in the Park music festival began in 1991 and is held there annually over a weekend around the Fourth of July. Behind the bandshell is a rose garden with an arbor and trellises which has been a site for outdoor weddings, prom and other special occasion photographs, and for children to play during the Sunday evening band concerts and other events. Downtown is also home to the largest historic theatre in Iowa, the Orpheum Theater.

Nearby communities

 * Elk Point, South Dakota is 15 miles north of Sioux City off of Interstate 29 with a population of 1,997 as of 2009.


 * Dakota City, Nebraska is just south of South Sioux City with a population of 1,908 as of 2009. It is the county seat of Dakota County.


 * Dakota Dunes, South Dakota is an unincorporated "master-planned community" just west of Sioux City in the extreme southeast corner of South Dakota with a population of 2,647 as of 2008. Construction began circa 1989. Up-scale homes, suburban-style office parks, and a country club golf course designed by Arnold Palmer characterize this area.


 * Hinton, Iowa is 6 miles north of Sioux City on Highway 75 with a population of 836 as of 2009.


 * Lawton, Iowa is 8 miles on Highway 20 with a population of 790 as of 2009.


 * Le Mars, Iowa is 20 miles north of Sioux City off of Highway 75 with a population of 9,124 as of 2009.


 * Jefferson, South Dakota is 9 miles north of Sioux City off of Interstate 29 with a population of 618 as of 2009.


 * North Sioux City, South Dakota is just across the Big Sioux River in Union County with a population of 2,601 as of 2009.


 * Sergeant Bluff is a mainly residential suburb adjacent to the southern city limits of Sioux City with a population of 4,027 as of 2009, and is less than a mile east of the Sioux City Airport.


 * South Sioux City, Nebraska is directly across the Missouri River in Dakota County. With nearly 12,213 residents as of 2009, it is the largest suburb of Sioux City. It was an All America City in 2003. Two bridges—the Veterans Memorial Bridge and the Interstate 129 bridge—connect Sioux City with South Sioux City.


 * Vermillion, South Dakota is home to the University of South Dakota, a Division I university located 33 miles northwest of Sioux City.

Parks and recreation

 * Stone State Park is in the northwest corner of the city, overlooking the South Dakota/Iowa border. Stone Park is near the northernmost extent of the Loess Hills, and is at the transition from clay bluffs and prairie to sedimentary rock hills and bur oak forest along the Iowa side of the Big Sioux River. The park is used by picnickers, day hikers, and for mountain biking.
 * Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center is a destination nature preserve for Woodbury County, and is located within the boundaries of Stone State Park. The butterfly garden is unique to the area; wild turkeys and white-tail deer are commonly sighted from the well-marked trails.


 * Downtown entertainment venues include the casino, the 10,000-seat Tyson Event Center/ Gateway Arena, Sioux City Orpheum Theatre, Promenade Cinema 14, Martin Ballroom, Galaxie Ballroom At-Bellevue and the Anderson Dance Pavilion which overlooks the Missouri River.


 * Pulaski Park is named for the Polish General Kazimierz Pułaski, who fought in the American Revolution. This park features baseball diamond facilities, and is located in western Morningside along old U.S. Highway 75 (South Lewis Blvd.). It is largely built on the filled lakebed of Half Moon Lake, which was originally created in the 1890s by the excavation of fill dirt to build the approaches for the iron railroad bridge spanning the Missouri near the stockyards. The neighborhood on the bluff overlooking the park was historically settled by Lithuanian and Polish immigrants, many of whom worked in the meatpacking industry during the early 20th century.
 * Latham Park is located in a residential area of Morningside, and is the only privately owned and maintained open-to-the-public park within the city limits. It was left in trust in 1937 under the terms of Clara Latham's will; her family had built the house on 1 acre of ground in 1915. The house and grounds are currently being restored by the Friends of Latham Park.


 * First Bride's Grave is tucked in a corner pocket of South Ravine Park, lies a series of paths, trails, and steps leading to the grave of the First Bride of Sioux City, Rosalie Menard. She was the first bride of a non-native American to be wed in Sioux City, Iowa, thus receiving her title.


 * War Eagle Park is named for the Yankton Sioux chief Wambdi Okicize (d. 1851) who befriended early settlers. A monument overlooks the confluence of the Big Sioux and Missouri Rivers. The sculpture represents the chief in his role as a leader and peacemaker, wearing the eagle feather bonnet and holding the peace pipe.


 * Riverside Park is located on the banks of the Big Sioux River. One of the oldest recreational areas of the city, it is home to the Sioux City Boat Club and Sioux City Community Theater. The park is on land that once belonged to the first white settler in the area, Theophile Bruguier; his original cabin is preserved in the park.


 * Bacon Creek Park is located northeast of Morningside and features a scenic walking trail, dog park, picnic shelters, and playground equipment.

Golf courses, city parks, and aquatics: Sioux City is also home to several municipal public golf courses, including Floyd Park in Morningside, Green Valley near the Southern Hills, Sun Valley on the northern West Side, and Hidden Acres in nearby Plymouth County. Sioux City also has a number of private golf clubs, including Sioux City Country Club, and Whispering Creek Golf Club. The city has over 1132 acre of public parkland located at 53 locations, including the riverfront and many miles of recreation trails. Five public swimming pools/aquatics centers are located within Sioux City neighborhoods.

Education
The Sioux City Community School District serves 13,480 students living in Sioux City; there are three public high schools West High School, North High School, East High School (grades 9-12), three public Middle Schools, West Middle, North Middle, and East Middle (grades 6-8), and 19 Elementary Schools (grades K-5).
 * Public Schools

Because of sprawl, districts around Sioux City continue to grow at dramatic rates. South Sioux City, Hinton, North Sioux City, Lawton, Bronson, Elk Point, Jefferson, Vermillion, Le Mars, Hawarden, Akron, Westfield, Ponca, Sergeant Bluff, Wayne, Sioux Center, along with other school districts that serve many metro-area students. Sioux City Bishop Heelan Catholic School is a centralized Catholic School System that includes eight schools: six elementary schools, all Pre K-6. Sioux City Christian School's educates grades K-12. Sioux City is home to Morningside College, Briar Cliff University, Western Iowa Tech, St. Lukes College, Bellevue University and Tri-State Graduate Center.
 * Private Schools
 * Advanced Education

Television stations

 * KTIV, Channel 4, NBC affiliate (4.1) CW affiliate (4.2)
 * KCAU, Channel 9, ABC affiliate
 * KMEG, Channel 14, CBS affiliate (14.1) Azteca affiliate (14.2)
 * KSIN, Channel 27, PBS member station
 * KPTH, Channel 44, Fox affiliate (44.1) MyNetwork affiliate (44.2)

Radio stations

 * FM stations
 * K-LOVE, 88.9, Plays commercial free contemporary Christian music. Also can be picked up on 107.5 out of Castana, Iowa.
 * KMSC, 92.9, operated by Morningside College
 * KWIT, 90.3, public radio, operated by Western Iowa Tech Community College
 * KGLI, 95.5, "KG95" -- adult contemporary; previously played top 40; signed on in 1983
 * KSEZ, 97.9, "Z98" -- plays rock music (classic and new rock); previously top 40 station "Rock 98" in the 1980s
 * KKMA, 99.5, "Kool 99.5" -- plays Classic Hits; formerly adult contemporary "Magic 99"; call letters were KZZL in the early 1980s as an easy listening format Home of Iowa State Cyclones athletics
 * KKYY, 101.3, "Y101.3" -- country music; the newest FM signal in the market
 * KQNU, 102.3, ("New 102.3") -- a "adult hits" station; signed on as Bob-FM on March 13, 2006
 * KTFC, 103.3, Religious radio station ("Midwest Bible Radio")
 * WNAX, 104.1, country; broadcasts from Yankton, South Dakota; low-power translator K283AG broadcasts at 104.5 FM in Sioux City, but both frequencies are audible in Sioux City. Previously oldies/classic hits KCLH; was top 40 KQHU "Q104" in 1990.
 * KSUX, 105.7, "The SuperPig, K-Sioux 105.7"; has played country music since the signal went on-air in the fall of 1990.
 * KSFT-FM, 107.1, "Kiss 107FM" -- top 40 station as of March 13, 2006; previously played adult contemporary; signed on in the mid-1990s.


 * AM stations
 * WNAX, 570, talk radio and farm news from Yankton, South Dakota; with a signal covering much of the upper Midwest
 * KMNS, 620, sports talk radio; was previously "62 Country"
 * KSCJ, 1360, talk radio; call letters derive from the Sioux City Journal, which once owned the station
 * KWSL, 1470, "Superhits 1470 KWSL", plays oldies; was previously broadcasting Spanish language music under the 'La Preciosa' branding

Print

 * Sioux City Journal, daily newspaper serving the Sioux City metro area east into Western Iowa and north to the South Dakota border.
 * Dakota County Star, weekly newspaper serving northeast Nebraska.
 * Sioux City Hispanos Unidos, bi-weekly Spanish readers paper.
 * The Weekender, weekly arts and entertainment magazine serving the Sioux City metro area east into Western Iowa and north to the South Dakota border.
 * Siouxland Magazine, quarterly magazine with community/lifestyle features.

Sports

 * The Sioux City Bandits are an indoor arena football team that plays for the American Professional Football League (APFL). The Bandits play their home games at the Tyson Events Center. They have been to the Indoor Football League playoffs five times.


 * The Sioux City Explorers are a non affiliated baseball team playing in American Association of Independent Professional Baseball league. The Explorers play their home games at Lewis and Clark Park. They have been to the League playoffs four times.


 * The Sioux City Musketeers are a junior hockey team based in Sioux City. They play in the United States Hockey League (USHL). They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center. Their first year of hockey was in 1972. The Musketeers have won the gold cup in the 1985-1986 season, the National Runner-up twice (1993–94, 1995–96), the Anderson Cup twice (1981–82, 1985–86), the Clark Cup three times (1981–82, 1985–86, 2001–02), and were the West Division Playoff Champions for the 2004-05 season.


 * The Sioux City Roller Dames are a non-profit roller derby corporation. The Roller Dames play all home games at The Longlines Family Recreation center. The Dames hosted their first tournament in November 2008.

Transportation
Interstate 29 is a major controlled-access highway in Sioux City and the surrounding area providing easy access of the 20 mile stretch covering Sioux City and the majority of its suburbs. It approaches the city from Omaha to the south before curving northwest along the Missouri River near downtown. The highway then enters South Dakota and curves back to the north as it approaches Sioux Falls. Interstate 129 is an auxiliary Interstate Expressway that connects South Sioux City, NE to the north side of Sioux City and works as a bypass for travelers to other surrounding suburbs. Interstate 129 also interconnects with U.S. Route 75 which is in expansion to interstate form connecting Sioux City to Worthington, Minnesota. U.S. Route 20, the longest road in the United States spanning 3,365 miles (5,415 km) is also in the works of expanding from a two-lane highway to four-lanes from Sioux City, Iowa to Dubuque, Iowa which will provide a faster and easier access for travel from the over crowded highway of Interstate 80 in Iowa. Sioux City Transit, the local public transit organization, operates 16 bus lines within the city. Recently, the city added a new transfer station in Sioux City's Downtown Area. The Sioux City Paratransit serves members of the community who would otherwise not be able the travel by providing door to door service.
 * Roads
 * Public/Mass Transit

Sioux City also has several taxi companies that operate within the city.

Jefferson Lines runs long-distance bus routes to Sioux City. Non-Transfer destinations include Winnipeg, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Omaha. There is no Amtrak passenger train service that passes through northwest Iowa. Several domestic airlines serve Sioux Gateway Airport.
 * Air Travel

Notable people

 * John W. Aldridge, born in Sioux City, grew up in Tennessee, literary critic, author.
 * Dave Bancroft, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop; nicknamed "Beauty"
 * Joe Bisenius, Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher and graduate of Bishop Heelan High School
 * Tommy Bolin, born in Sioux City, member of Deep Purple and The James Gang who also had a solo career
 * Mildred Brown, African-American journalist, worked in Iowa as a teacher before moving to Omaha and founding the Omaha Star
 * Macdonald Carey, actor; the longtime patriarch on Days of our Lives
 * Matt Chatham, born in Newton, Iowa, New York Jets linebacker
 * Dave Croston (1963– ) former NFL player for Green Bay Packers
 * Colonel George E. "Bud" Day, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam POW, recipient of the Medal of Honor; the United States' most highly decorated officer since General Douglas MacArthur. The Sioux City Airport is named Colonel Bud Day Field in his honor as is 6th Street (Honorable Bud Day Street).
 * W. Edwards Deming, raised in Polk City, quality-control expert; helped improve Japan's quality control
 * Sharon Farrell (1940– ) actress (birth name Sharon Forsmoe)


 * Bruce Forbes, author, professor of Religious Stuides Morningside College relationship to Sioux City
 * For Today, a Christian metal band signed to Facedown Records
 * Esther and Paulline Friedman, better known as Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren; graduates of Central High School
 * Peggy Gilbert, jazz saxophonist and bandleader
 * Dan Goldie, former tennis player, winner of 2 ATP singles titles
 * Fred Grandy, television actor who played Gopher Smith on The Love Boat, was a U.S. congressman, former CEO of Goodwill, and radio personality for WMAL Radio, Washington, D.C.
 * Dick Green, raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, former MLB second baseman with the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics
 * William L. Harding (1877–1934) born in Sibley, the 22nd Governor of Iowa 1917–1921
 * Jules Harlow, conservative Jewish rabbi and liturgist
 * Kirk Hinrich, professional basketball player currently with Atlanta Hawks.
 * Noah Holcomb, professional cyclist
 * Harry Hopkins, Secretary of Commerce, moved to Council Bluffs shortly after birth, advisor to FDR during World War II
 * Ryan Kisor, jazz trumpeter
 * George Koval, 1913–2006, Soviet atomic spy and only Soviet agent to infiltrate the Manhattan Project
 * Al McIntosh, born in Park River, North Dakota, newspaper editor whose columns are featured in Ken Burns' The War
 * Jerry Mathers, Beaver Cleaver on TV's Leave It To Beaver
 * Daniel Matousek, lead singer and guitarist for The Velaires, graduate of Central High School
 * John Melcher, United States senator from Montana from 1977 to 1989
 * Lori Petty, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, actress best known for her starring role in A League of Their Own
 * Frances Rafferty, MGM actress of the 1940s and early TV star best known for the sitcom December Bride
 * Ann Royer, painter, sculptor
 * Laurens Shull, All-American football player killed in France during World War I
 * Edward J. Sperling, born in Slutsk, Belarus, Jewish writer and humorist
 * Morgan Taylor, set 400-meter hurdles Olympic record while winning gold medal in 1924
 * Morgan Thomas, jazz trombonist with Louis Prima Orchestra; recorded prolifically with Prima and Keely Smith in the 1950s and 1960s
 * Ted Waitt co-founder of Gateway, Inc.
 * Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor and author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
 * Pierre Watkin, actor in radio, films and TV from 1930s-1950s, most famously played editor Perry White in the original Superman serials
 * Tony Watson, current MLB pitcher (Pirates)
 * Kathleen Weaver, writer and editor
 * Don Wengert, baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1995–2001
 * Gerald W. Wolff, retired historian of the American West and Indians, is a former resident of Sioux City.

Sister cities

 * Lake Charles, Louisiana (since 1995)
 * Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan (since 2003)