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Bismarck, North Dakota

For other uses, see Bismarck.

For other places with the same name, see Bismarck.

Bismarck (/ˈbɪzmɑːrk/) is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat
of Burleigh County.[5] It is the second-most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The
city's population was estimated in 2017 at 72,865, while its metropolitan population was
132,142. In 2017, Forbes magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small
city in the United States.[6][7]

Bismarck was founded by European

Americans in 1872 on the east bank of
Bismarck, North Dakota
the Missouri River. It has been North State capital city
Dakota's capital city since 1889, when the
City of Bismarck
state was created from the Dakota
Territory and admitted to the Union.

Bismarck is across the river from Mandan,

named after a historic Native American
tribe of the area.[8] The two cities make
up the core of the Bismarck-Mandan
Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The North Dakota State Capitol, the

North Dakota State Capitol
tallest building in the state, 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 Flag
economic center of south-central North
Dakota and north-central South Dakota.

Contents

History

Main article: History of Bismarck, North Dakota Location within Burleigh County

For thousands of years, present-day

central North Dakota was inhabited by
indigenous peoples, who created
successive cultures. The historic Mandan
Native American tribe occupied the area
Bismarck
long before Europeans arrived. The
Hidatsa name for Bismarck is mirahacii
arumaaguash ("Place of the tall Location within North Dakota
willows");[9] the Arikara name is ituhtaáwe Show map of North Dakota
[itUhtaáwe].[10] Show map of the United States
Show all
In 1872 European Americans founded a
settlement at what was then called Coordinates: 46°48′48″N 100°46′44″W

Missouri Crossing, so named because the Country United States

Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the
State North Dakota
river there on their exploration of the
Louisiana Purchase in 1804-1806. It had County Burleigh
been an area of Mandan settlement. Later
Founded May 14, 1872
the new town was called Edwinton, after
Edwin Ferry Johnson (1803–1872), Named for Otto von Bismarck
engineer-in-chief for the Northern Pacific
Government
Railway. Its construction of railroads in
the territory attracted workers and • Mayor Steve Bakken
settlers.
Area[1]

In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railway

• State capital city 31.23 sq mi
renamed the city as Bismarck, in honor of (80.89 km2)
German chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
• Land 30.85 sq mi
Railroad officials hoped to attract German
(79.90 km2)
immigrant settlers to the area and
German investment in the railroad.[11] The • Water 0.38 sq mi
discovery of gold in the nearby Black Hills (0.98 km2)
of South Dakota the following year was a
Elevation 1,686 ft (514 m)
greater impetus for growth. Thousands of
miners came to the area, encroaching on Population (2010)[2]

what the Lakota considered sacred • State capital city 61,272

territory and leading to heightened
tensions with the Native Americans. • Estimate (2017)[3] 72,865

Bismarck became a freight-shipping • Rank US: 487th

center on the "Custer Route" from the
• Density 2,000/sq mi
Black Hills.[11] In 1883 Bismarck was
(760/km2)
designated as the capital of the Dakota
Territory, and in 1889 as the state capital • Urban 81,955 (349th)
of the new state of North Dakota.
• Metro 132,142 (304th)

Time zone UTC-6 (CST)

Geography
• Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)

ZIP codes 58501–58507

Area code(s) 701

FIPS code 38-07200

GNIS feature ID 1035849[4]

Early-May 2007 astronaut
Highways I-94, I-94 Bus., US
photography of Bismarck, North
Dakota, taken from the International 83, ND 95, ND 810,
Space Station (ISS) ND 1804

Bismarck is located at 46°48′48″N Website www.bismarcknd

100°46′44″W (46.813343, .gov
−100.779004).[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 31.23 square miles
(80.89 km2), of which, 30.85 square miles (79.90 km2) is land and 0.38 square miles
(0.98 km2) is water.[1]

Cityscape

The city has developed around downtown Bismarck,

the center of historic development. It is distinctive
because the city's major shopping center, Kirkwood
Mall, is in the center city rather than in the suburbs.
Several other major retail stores are in the vicinity of
Kirkwood Mall, which was developed near the
Bismarck Civic Center. The two Bismarck hospitals,
St. Alexius Medical Center and Sanford Health
Downtown Bismarck: Patterson Place
(previously Medcenter One Health Systems) are both (built in 1911 as the McKenzie Hotel) was
downtown. The streets are lined with small stores the tallest building in the state until
construction of the capitol building.
and restaurants, providing numerous amenities. Originally operated as a noted luxury
hotel, it has been adapted for senior
Much recent commercial and residential growth has housing and a retail restaurant.
taken place in the city's northern section, largely
because of expanding retail centers. Among the shopping centers in northern Bismarck are
Gateway Fashion Mall, Northbrook Mall, Arrowhead Plaza, and the Pinehurst Square "power
center" mall.

The North Dakota State Capitol complex is just north of downtown Bismarck. The 19-story
Art Deco capitol is the tallest building in the city and the state, at a height of 241.75 feet
(73.69 m). The capitol building towers over the city's center and is easily seen from 20
miles (32 km) away on a clear day. Completed during the Great Depression in 1934, it
replaced a capitol building that burned to the ground in 1930. The capitol grounds house
the North Dakota Heritage Center, the North Dakota State Library, the North Dakota
Governor's Residence, the State Office Building, and the Liberty Memorial Building. The
North Dakota State Penitentiary is in eastern Bismarck.

The Cathedral District, named after the art deco Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, is an historic
neighborhood near downtown Bismarck. Some homes in this neighborhood date to the
1880s, although many were built in the first decades of the 20th century. At times, the city
has proposed widening the streets in the neighborhood to improve traffic flow. Many
residents object because such a project would require the removal of many of the towering
American elms which line the streets. These have escaped the elm disease that destroyed
street canopies of trees in Eastern cities.

After the completion of Garrison Dam in 1953 by the Army Corps of Engineers, which
improved flood control, the floodplain of the Missouri River became a more practical place
for development. Significant residential and commercial building has taken place in this
area on the south side of the city. The Upper Missouri River is still subject to seasonal
flooding.

Climate
Main article: Climate of Bismarck, North Dakota

Situated in the middle of the Great Plains, between the geographic centers of the United
States and Canada, Bismarck displays a highly variable four-season humid continental
climate (Köppen Dfb). Bismarck's climate is characterized by cold, somewhat snowy and
windy winters, and hot humid summers. Thunderstorms occur in spring and summer, but
much of the rest of the year is dry.

The warmest month in Bismarck is July, with a daily mean of 71.1 °F (21.7 °C),[13] with
typically wide variations between day and night. The coldest month is January, with a 24-
hour average of 12.8 °F (−10.7 °C).[13] Precipitation peaks from May to September and is
rather sparse in the winter months. Winter snowfall is typically light to moderate, occurring
with the passage of frontal systems; major storms are rare.

Climate data for Bismarck Municipal Airport, North Dakota (1981–2010 normals,[a] extremes 1874–
present[b])
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high 63 73 81 93 102 111 114 109 105 95 79 66 114
°F (°C) (17) (23) (27) (34) (39) (44) (46) (43) (41) (35) (26) (19) (46)
Mean
46.8 51.0 65.7 81.2 86.9 93.2 98.8 98.2 92.2 81.9 63.9 48.5 101.6
maximum °F
(8.2) (10.6) (18.7) (27.3) (30.5) (34.0) (37.1) (36.8) (33.4) (27.7) (17.7) (9.2) (38.7)
(°C)
Average 23.4 28.3 40.4 57.0 68.4 77.2 84.7 83.5 72.1 57.5 39.6 26.2 54.9
high °F (°C) (−4.8) (−2.1) (4.7) (13.9) (20.2) (25.1) (29.3) (28.6) (22.3) (14.2) (4.2) (−3.2) (12.7)
Daily mean 12.8 18.1 29.9 43.8 55.5 64.7 71.1 69.5 58.5 44.8 29.2 16.2 42.8
°F (°C) (−10.7) (−7.7) (−1.2) (6.6) (13.1) (18.2) (21.7) (20.8) (14.7) (7.1) (−1.6) (−8.8) (6.0)
Average low 2.2 7.9 19.4 30.7 42.7 52.0 57.4 55.5 44.9 32.2 18.8 6.1 30.8
°F (°C) (−16.6) (−13.4) (−7.0) (−0.7) (5.9) (11.1) (14.1) (13.1) (7.2) (0.1) (−7.3) (−14.4) (−0.7)
Mean
−22.8 −19.3 −5.3 13.7 27.0 38.8 45.6 41.6 28.6 15.3 −1.7 −17.5 −29.4
minimum °F
(−30.4) (−28.5) (−20.7) (−10.2) (−2.8) (3.8) (7.6) (5.3) (−1.9) (−9.3) (−18.7) (−27.5) (−34.1)
(°C)
Record low −45 −45 −36 −12 13 30 32 32 10 −10 −30 −43 −45
°F (°C) (−43) (−43) (−38) (−24) (−11) (−1) (0) (0) (−12) (−23) (−34) (−42) (−43)
Average
0.43 0.51 0.87 1.26 2.40 3.17 2.89 2.28 1.59 1.25 0.71 0.49 17.85
precipitation
(11) (13) (22) (32) (61) (81) (73) (58) (40) (32) (18) (12) (453)
inches (mm)
Average
8.9 8.1 9.1 4.2 0.4 0 0 0 0.2 2.2 8.8 9.3 51.2
snowfall
(23) (21) (23) (11) (1.0) (0) (0) (0) (0.51) (5.6) (22) (24) (130)
inches (cm)
Average
precipitation
7.5 7.0 7.9 7.4 10.1 11.2 9.7 8.2 7.5 6.6 7.0 7.6 97.7
days
(≥ 0.01 in)
Average
snowy days 9.7 8.1 6.4 2.5 0.4 0 0 0 0.1 1.4 6.6 10.0 45.2
(≥ 0.1 in)
Average
relative
71.3 72.4 69.9 61.8 60.1 65.0 61.8 60.6 63.7 63.8 72.0 74.5 66.4
humidity
(%)
Mean
monthly
149.4 153.5 222.3 244.3 296.1 318.1 354.6 316.2 245.9 191.7 122.6 122.9 2,737.6
sunshine
hours
Percent
possible 53 53 60 60 64 67 74 72 65 57 43 46 61
sunshine
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990),[13][14][15] The Weather Channel[16]

Demographics

Census Pop. %±
1880 1,758 —
1890 2,186 24.3%
1900 3,319 51.8%
1910 4,913 48.0%
1920 7,122 45.0%
1930 11,090 55.7%
1940 15,496 39.7%
1950 18,541 19.7%
1960 27,670 49.2%
1970 34,703 25.4%
1980 44,485 28.2%
1990 49,256 10.7%
2000 55,532 12.7%
2010 61,272 10.3%
Est. 2017 72,865 [17] 18.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
2017 Estimate[19]

2010

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 61,272 people, 27,263 households, and 15,624
families residing in the city. The population density was 1,986.1 inhabitants per square mile
(766.8/km2). There were 28,648 housing units at an average density of 928.6 per square
mile (358.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.4% White, 0.7% African American,
4.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more
races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry,
56.1% were of German, 20.5% were of Norwegian, 7.2% were of Irish, 6.7% were of Russian,
3.7% were of American, 3.6% were of English.

There were 27,263 households of which 27% had children under the age of 18 living with
them (the lowest percentage in North Dakota[20]), 44.1% were married couples living
together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male
householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 34.8% of all households
were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age
or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age in the city was 38 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 11%
were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to
64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6%
male and 51.4% female.

2000

At the time of the 2000 Census, there were 55,532 people, 23,185 households, and 14,444
families residing in the city. The population density was 2,065.2 per square mile
(797.4/km²). There were 24,217 housing units at an average density of 900.6 per square
mile (347.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.78% White, 3.39% Native American,
0.89% from two or more races, 0.75% Hispanic or Latino, 0.45% Asian, 0.28% Black or
African American, 0.17% from other races and 0.03% Pacific Islander.

There were 23,185 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with
them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no
husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of
individuals and 10.5% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to
24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or
older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income per household in the city was $39,422, and the median income per
family was $51,477. Males had a median income of $33,804 versus $22,647 for females.
The per capita income for the city was $20,789. About 5.7% of families and 8.4% of the
population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of
those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Bismarck operates under the city commission style of municipal government. Citizens elect
five at-large city commissioners, which means they must generally command a majority of
the electorate. This decreases the opportunity for smaller interest groups or minorities to
elect candidates of their choice, reducing representation of the electorate. The president
of the city commission fills the office of mayor of the city. The current mayor of Bismarck is
Steve Bakken. The city commission meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each
month.

Economy

According to the City's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[21] the largest
employers in the city are the following:

# Employer # of Employees

25,000 (company wide, including multi-state

1 Sanford Health
area.)

2 State of North Dakota 4,400

3 St. Alexius Medical Center 2,264

4 Bismarck Public Schools 1,804

5 United States government 1,200

7 MDU Resources 616

8 Walmart 690

9 Aetna 618

10 City of Bismarck 544

11 Mid Dakota Clinic 530

Missouri Slope Lutheran Care

12 530
Center

13 University of Mary 503

14 Coventry Health Care 460

15 Basin Electric Power Cooperative 455

Education and libraries

Elementary, middle and high schools

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 10,400 students and employs 1,500 people.

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

There are three colleges and a university in Bismarck. The University of Mary[22] is a four-
year university, operated by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.[23]
Bismarck State College[24] is a two-year public college, the largest degree-granting
institution in the city, and a member of the North Dakota University System. United Tribes
Technical College[25] 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.

Libraries

Bismarck libraries include Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library[26] and North Dakota
State Library.[27]

Culture

The Belle Mehus Auditorium, a 1914 historic building in downtown Bismarck, is a center for
the arts in the area. Performances of Northern Plains Dance and the Bismarck-Mandan
Symphony Orchestra are held there.

Theater companies in Bismarck include the Capitol Shakespeare Society,[28] Sleepy Hollow
Summer Theatre,[29] the Shade Tree Players children's theater group,[30] Dakota Stage
Ltd,[31] University of Mary, Bismarck State College, and various high school groups. The
Gannon and Elsa Forde Art Galleries are at Bismarck State College. The Missouri Valley
Chamber Orchestra, founded in 2000, is the community's newest orchestra and performs a
variety of musical genres.

Recreation

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.[32]

The Parks and Recreation District operates roughly 2,300 acres (930 ha) of public
parkland.[33] 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 9-
hole course (Pebble Creek Golf Course).

One of the main tourism attractions of the Bismarck

area is Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, 7 miles
(11 km) south of neighboring Mandan, North Dakota.
It contains the partial reconstruction of Fort Abraham
Lincoln, the headquarters of the 7th Cavalry and last
command of General George Armstrong Custer
before the Battle of the Little Bighorn (also known as
the Battle of the Greasy Grass). The park includes
Partially rebuilt Mandan Village On-a-
On-a-Slant Village, a partially rebuilt earth lodge
Slant, in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
village once occupied by people of the historic outside Bismarck
Mandan tribe. Guided tours of both sites are offered
in the summertime. There are also a museum on park history, nature trails, and a
campground.[34]

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.

Near Bismarck are several dammed lakes, including McDowell Dam Lake, 6 miles (9.7 km)
east of the city; Harmon Lake, 8 miles (13 km) north of neighboring Mandan on the west
side of the river; and two lakes several miles west of the city.

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.[35]

Health care

Bismarck is a regional center for health care. The city has two hospitals: St. Alexius Medical
Center (285-bed) and Sanford Health (238-bed). When it was 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 of North Dakota. St. Alexius and Medcenter One have joined forces to
form the Bismarck Cancer Center.[36] Medcenter One was founded in 1908 as Bismarck
Evangelical Hospital. In 1955 it was renamed as Bismarck Hospital, renamed again in 1984
to MedCenter One, and in 2012 became part of the Sanford Health system.[37]

Media

Main article: Media in Bismarck-Mandan

Print

Bismarck is served by the Bismarck Tribune, the city's daily newspaper. Established in
1873, the paper is the oldest continuously operating business in the city. The Tribune is the
official newspaper of the city of Bismarck, Burleigh County, and the state of North
Dakota.[38] The daily newspapers of other major cities in North Dakota are also available at
area newsstands.

Television

Six television stations are based in Bismarck, and all of them have rebroadcasters in Minot,
Williston, and Dickinson. The stations are:

KBME (ATSC RF channel 22) – virtual channels 3.1 PBS, 3.2 World, 3.3 Minnesota
Channel, 3.4 Lifelong Learning

KFYR (ATSC RF channel 31) – virtual channels 5.1 NBC, 5.2 Me-TV

KXMB (ATSC RF channel 12) – virtual channels 12.1 CBS, 12.3 Weather

KBMY (ATSC RF channel 17) – virtual channels 17.1 ABC

KNDB (ATSC RF channel 26) – virtual channels 26.1 Fox

K46DY analog NTSC channel 46 (TBN)

Bismarck also carries KWMK, an affiliate of The CW, on cable channel 14; as well as Public-
access television channels, on cable TV channels 2 and 12.

Radio

Bismarck supports some twenty-seven radio stations. Most of the commercial stations are
owned by either Clear Channel Communications or Cumulus Media. Many of the lower
frequency stations are broadcasters of national Christian radio networks. The local stations
are:

FM frequencies
KBMK 88.3 FM (Contemporary Christian music) K-Love network affiliate

K204FG 88.7 FM (Christian) BBN translator

KLBF 89.1 FM (Contemporary Christian music) K-Love affiliate for nearby Lincoln

KNRI 89.7 FM (Christian rock) Air 1 affiliate

KCND 90.5 FM (Public Radio) Prairie Public Radio

KXRP 91.3 FM (Christian) Family Radio affiliate

KPHA 91.7 FM (Catholic) Real Presence Radio

KYYY 92.9 FM (Top 40/CHR) "Y93"

KBEP-LP 93.7 FM (Christian) 3ABN affiliate

KQDY 94.5 FM (Country) "KQ 94.5"

K237FQ 95.3 FM translator simulcasting KJIT-LP

KBYZ 96.5 FM (Classic rock) "The Fox"

KKCT 97.5 FM (Top 40/CHR) "Hot 97-5"

KACL 98.7 FM (Classic hits) "Cool 98.7"

K259AF 99.7 FM translator simulcasting KFYR-AM

KLBE-LP 100.7 FM (Christian rock) "Club Radio"

KSSS 101.5 FM (Active Rock) "Rock 101"

KUSB 103.3 FM (Country) "US 103.3"

KNDR 104.7 FM (Contemporary Christian music)

KKBO 105.9 FM (Country) "Big Rig 105.9"

KJIT-LP 106.7 FM (Contemporary Christian music) Radio 74 affiliate

KXRV 107.5 FM (Classic Hits) "Mojo 107.5"

AM frequencies
KFYR 550 AM (News/Talk/Sports/Oldies/Classic Hits/Top 40/CHR) "K-Fire"

KXMR 710 AM (Sports) "ESPN 710"

KBMR 1130 AM (Classic country) "Bismarck's original country station"

KLXX 1270 AM (Talk)

KDKT 1410 AM (Sports) "Fox Sports Radio 1410"

WQDL503 1610 AM (Traveler's Information Station), North Dakota Department of

Transportation

NOAA Weather Radio station WXL78 broadcasts from Bismarck on 162.475 MHz.

Transportation

The Capital Area Transit System (CAT) began

operations in May 2004.[39] This public bus system is
operated by the Bis-Man Transit Board and has
eleven routes throughout Bismarck and Mandan,
Monday-Saturday. Bis-Man Transit also operates a
para-transit service for senior citizens and people
with disabilities.[40]

Bismarck Municipal Airport is south of the city. It has The historic Northern Pacific Railway
the largest passenger volume in western North Depot, built in 1901 using the Mission
Revival style. As of July 2017, the building
Dakota and the second highest within the state. The is vacant.
airport is served by United Express, Allegiant Air,
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. A new $15 million terminal opened
in May 2005. The previous terminal was built in the mid-1960s and expanded in the mid-
1970s. After a windstorm collapsed part of the roof connecting the expanded terminal to
the original building, officials decided to demolish the entire complex and build the new
terminal.

The BNSF Railway runs east–west through the city. The railway was originally integral to the
growth of Bismarck and Mandan. Today it is used for freight. Due to restructuring in the
railroad industry, there has not been passenger train service in Bismarck since Amtrak's
North Coast Hiawatha service ended in 1979. The closest Amtrak station is in Minot, north
of Bismarck, which is served by the Empire Builder.

Two federal highways pass through Bismarck. Interstate 94 runs east–west through the
city. The north–south U.S. Route 83 merges in north Bismarck with Interstate 94 and runs
east for roughly 25 miles (40 km) before turning south.

Sports

Amateur

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. The teams at the University of
Mary are The Marauders and compete 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. The University of Mary added the sport in
1988. Most University of Mary football games are played in the Community Bowl. Other
popular sports during the winter months include ice hockey, wrestling and basketball.

In spring, baseball is one of the top amateur sports in the city with each high school,
Bismarck State College, and The University of Mary providing teams. The University of
Mary also has 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 all over the United States and Canada compete.

The Bismarck Bobcats hockey team of the North American Hockey League is made up of
junior players (age twenty and younger, sometimes age twenty-one if waived). The Bobcats
won back-to-back Borne Cup championships as members of the America West Hockey
League before merging into the NAHL in 2003. The Bobcats have made several trips to the
NAHL's national tournament, claiming their first-ever Robertson Cup title in 2010.

Starting in 2017, the Bismarck Larks, a Northwoods League expansion baseball team, will
play their home games at the Bismarck Municipal Ballpark.[41]

Professional

The Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League was formerly based in Bismarck. The
Wizards' first season took place in 1995 in the International Basketball Association. The
Wizards 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.