Rapid City, SD: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Looking for facts about Rapid City? It is an incorporated city in Pennington County, South Dakota, with an estimated 92,664 people according to our dataset. It lies at 44.072°N, 103.220°W in Mountain time. The sections below cover its size, ZIP codes, neighbors and distances.

What are the key facts about Rapid City, SD?

What is the population of Rapid City, SD?

Rapid City has an estimated population of 92,664. That makes it the 2nd largest of 382 places in South Dakota, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in South Dakota has about 287 residents, so Rapid City is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in South Dakota with a similar population include Aberdeen (28,257), Brookings (24,887), Watertown (22,174), Mitchell (15,679), Yankton (14,872). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Rapid City differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Rapid City?

Rapid City has about 1,414 people per square mile (546 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within South Dakota, it is denser than about 90% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Rapid City use?

Rapid City uses 3 ZIP codes: 57702, 57703, 57701. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 5 are assigned to the Upper Midwest and northern Plains (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wisconsin). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Rapid City in?

Rapid City is in the Mountain time zone, which is UTC−7 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Denver). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Pierre, SD, about 145 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Mountain time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Rapid City located in South Dakota?

Rapid City lies in the western part of South Dakota, at 44.072° north latitude and 103.220° west longitude. The state capital, Pierre, is about 145 miles to the east. The closest listed place in another state is Chadron, NE, roughly 87 miles to the south, which shows how near Rapid City is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Fort Collins, CO, 261 miles to the south.

Which cities are near Rapid City, SD?

The closest listed place to Rapid City is Rapid Valley, SD, 4.9 miles to the east. Of the eight nearest places below, 2 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Rapid City in?

Rapid City is in Pennington County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 46103. The county contains 13 places in our data, 3 of which have their own page here and 10 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Box Elder (10,228), Rapid Valley (9,114), Colonial Pine Hills (2,396), Green Valley (1,227), Hill City (1,032). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Rapid City from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Rapid City is closest to Denver, CO at about 310 miles and farthest from New York, NY at about 1,505 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Rapid City?

Yes. Our data lists 1 other place named Rapid City: Rapid City, MI (1,493). When you search for Rapid City, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Rapid City in Pennington County, South Dakota.

Planning a move to Rapid City?

If you are weighing Rapid City, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.