Transportation in South Dakota facts for kids

This article describes how people and goods move around in the state of South Dakota.

Trains and Railroads

Trains have been a big part of how people and things get around in South Dakota since the late 1800s. Back then, two of the largest train companies were the Milwaukee Road and the Chicago & North Western. The Milwaukee Road even had a long track that went all the way across the northern part of the state.

A long time ago, about 4,420 miles (7,110 km) of train tracks were built in South Dakota. Today, only about 1,839 miles (2,960 km) are still used. The BNSF Railway is now the biggest train company in South Dakota. They mostly use the old Milwaukee Road tracks. Another important company is the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad, which uses many of the old Chicago & North Western tracks.

Today, trains in South Dakota only carry cargo, like goods and materials. There are no passenger trains, like Amtrak, in South Dakota. It is one of the few states without this service.

In the past, passenger trains were available, but most people preferred cars and buses. During World War II, more people used trains because gasoline was hard to find. However, all passenger train service in South Dakota stopped by 1970.

Air Travel

South Dakota has two main airports for people flying in and out of the state. These are the Sioux Falls Regional Airport and Rapid City Regional Airport. Many well-known airlines, like Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Allegiant Airlines, fly to these airports. Smaller airlines that work with bigger companies also offer flights.

Some other cities in South Dakota also have commercial flights. For some of these smaller airports, the government helps pay for the flights through a program called Essential Air Service. This helps make sure people in these areas can still fly.

Images for kids

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  A map showing the main highways and interstates in South Dakota.