More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #33 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it
Most of North Sioux City was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: maps from 1963 on and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1923.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives North Sioux City’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Sioux City is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #33 of 35 in South Dakota. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of North Sioux City’s overall grade.
South Dakota towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Dakota town has 37.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so North Sioux City’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (15% of South Dakota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points). Two sources give 1951.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about North Sioux City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The southern tip of this land between the Missouri River from the west and south and the Big Sioux River from the north and east was a meeting place for Native American Indians traveling the two rivers. Area tribes current to the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition were the Omaha, Yankton Dakota and Ponca, all Siouan language speakers.
French-Canadian farmer Joseph La Plant, born ca. 1823 in Indiana, settled at Sioux Point in 1849 and is listed with other early settlers in the 1860 census as living "Between Big Sioux and Big Stone Lake" in the "Unorganized" area of Minnesota, with the closest post office located immediately down and across the rivers in Sioux City, Iowa.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of North Sioux City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1963Sioux City North sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of North Sioux City.
People over time
North Sioux City, census by census
Grew from 736 people in 1960 to 3,042 in 2020, 4 times over.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on North Sioux City’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and old corners
North Sioux City’s post office has been open since 1952. Another post office, Stevens, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Stevens
1923–1952
North Sioux City
1952–today
19201970today
Hamlets and corners on the map
McCook Lake
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1951, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. North Sioux City’s post office opened in 1923, and the census of 1960 counted 736 people here.
How does North Sioux City rank for history?
North Sioux City is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #33 of 35 in South Dakota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in North Sioux City?
5% of North Sioux City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 10% for a South Dakota town; the median home was built in 1997.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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