Topography of eastern SD (Sioux Falls, Rapid City: to live, move, friendly)

[War Beagle]

Is it dead flat or is the terrain more along the lines of gently rolling hills?

[ElkHunter]

Well, in Hand County, if you stand in your driveway and push up a pile of gravel with your foot, you now have the biggest hill in 3 counties.

Actually, it is pretty flat, but there are areas of gently rolling hills. You also have slight hilly areas around creeks.

[jmgg]

The eastern 1/3 of the state (not including up around Aberdeen) is all gently rolling hills. Anything of a more abrupt rise can be found fairly close to along where the Big Sioux River and the James River flows or where the Missouri River enters the eastern part. When you get more towards the midde of the state (such as Hand County) this is where it gets a little more flat.

There aren't any "peaks" outside of the badlands and the black hills where you'll get too winded climbing up.

[SD4020]

The Jim river area is flatter then my ex wife's chest. Other areas have rolling hills.

[War Beagle]

Thanks for the responses. That's one part of the country I haven't visited yet and Google Streetview is only so helpful. Seems like a good area with nice, friendly people.

[DannyBanany]

It depends really. The closer you get to Sioux Falls and Minnesota, the hillier it gets, but nothing significant. It's so flat on I-90 between Mitchell and Kimball that you feel like you're driving on an ocean.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

It depends really. The closer you get to Sioux Falls and Minnesota, the hillier it gets, but nothing significant. It's so flat on I-90 between Mitchell and Kimball that you feel like you're driving on an ocean.

It can't possibly be any flatter than the gulf coast area of Texas. At least you all have some nice weather variations too.

[sholomar]

there's a somewhat hilly, raised part known as the 'coteau des prairies' ... it generally starts around Dell Rapids and goes up through Sisseton. This is the coldest area of the state, as air cools as it rises and there's lower elevation on all sides. It's not extremely hilly by any means, but it's worth mentioning. It also contains a number of Lakes. The rolling hills become more prominent up in the Waubay to Sisseton area, and along the eastern 'buffalo ridge' area around Hendricks, MN and Lake Benton, MN.

The elevation change is clearly seen on google maps just west of Sisseton, SD.

The area west of this raised part, around Mitchell to Huron is flat, but also warmer. Glaciers scrapped this area flat during the most recent ice age and probably during every ice age, which explains the flatness. It's also fairly flat south of Sioux Falls, and of course in western MN where glaciers also scrapped everything flat... areas such as Marshall, to Worthington, Windom, etc.

Originally Posted by War Beagle

It can't possibly be any flatter than the gulf coast area of Texas. At least you all have some nice weather variations too.

I'd consider Rapid City, Mitchell, and Yankton to have passable climates, even pleasant in the case of Rapid City. Sioux Falls is OK, whereas Brookings and Watertown's climates, are, in my opinion, too cold for my blood. I personally would love to live on the Gulf Coast if I could take my job and move it there.