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Wall, South Dakota

Makȟóšiča Aglágla Otȟuŋwahe
Wall, SD.jpg
Location in Pennington County and the state of South Dakota
Location in Pennington County and the state of South Dakota
Country United States
State South Dakota
County Pennington
Incorporated 1908
Area
 • Total 2.71 sq mi (7.02 km2)
 • Land 2.63 sq mi (6.81 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation
2,815 ft (858 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 699
 • Density 265.78/sq mi (102.62/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code
57790
Area code(s) 605
FIPS code 46-68380
GNIS feature ID 1267622
Website Wall, SD

Wall is a town in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. Its name in the Lakota language is Makȟóšiča Aglágla Otȟuŋwahe, which means "Town alongside the Badlands". In 2020, about 699 people lived there.

History of Wall, South Dakota

Wall was first planned in 1907. This was when the Chicago and North Western Railroad tracks reached this spot. The town officially became a town in 1908. It was named Wall because of the "natural wall" of rock formations. These formations are found near the Badlands National Park.

Famous Wall Drug Store

Early Launch Control Facility Wall SD
A former missile control center near Wall, South Dakota.

The town is most famous for the Wall Drug Store. It started as a small pharmacy in 1931. This was during the Great Depression, a time when many people had little money. Over time, it grew into a very large and popular place for tourists. People traveling through the area often stop there.

National Grasslands Visitor Center

The National Grasslands Visitor Center is also in Wall. This center helps visitors learn about the nearby Buffalo Gap National Grassland. It teaches about the plants, animals, and history of the area.

Geography of Wall

Wall is located in Pennington County. It is on the eastern side of the county. The town is also located across the Cheyenne River. This makes it the biggest town in that part of the county.

The town covers about 2.22 square miles (5.75 square kilometers) of land and water. Most of this area is land.

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 167
1920 224 34.1%
1930 326 45.5%
1940 500 53.4%
1950 556 11.2%
1960 629 13.1%
1970 786 25.0%
1980 770 −2.0%
1990 834 8.3%
2000 818 −1.9%
2010 766 −6.4%
2020 699 −8.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 766 people living in Wall. There were 359 homes and 212 families. About 88.9% of the people were White. About 7.0% were Native American. The rest were from other racial backgrounds.

The average age of people in Wall was about 47 years old. About 21.4% of the residents were under 18 years old. About 19.6% were 65 years or older.

Getting Around Wall

Wall has its own small airport called the Wall Municipal Airport. It is used for general aviation, which means it's for private planes. It is less than a mile northwest of the town. The city of Wall owns this airport.

You can also get to Wall by bus. Jefferson Lines provides bus service to the town.

Education in Wall

Students in Wall attend schools that are part of the Wall School District 51-5.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Wall (Dakota del Sur) para niños

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