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04-15-2009, 05:34 PM
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Senior Member
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Black Hills/Rapid City - Mountain West or Upper Midwest?
On one hand, this area is in Mountain Time and has a very Western landscape and economy, but on the other hand it's nearly halfway across the country.
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04-15-2009, 08:18 PM
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Moderator
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HMMMM, both?  Actually, I believe it's always been considered to be upper Midwest. The Hills area does have a lot in common with Wyo. and the west, too but I'll still vote for upper Midwest.
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04-15-2009, 08:46 PM
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Twin Cities, Minnesota
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Hmm... I'd say both. If you look at a map Rapid City is directly north of Denver which is considered the Gateway to the Rockies. When I think of Upper Midwest I think of Fargo, Bismarck, Sioux Falls, and Western MN. When I think of Mountain West I think of Rapid City and everything west to the Sierras and Cascades.
Another good question I've been asked- Is Kansas City considered Great Plains or Midwest??? I'd say both too.
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04-15-2009, 10:44 PM
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Senior Member
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Rapid City is a tough one. It is in South Dakota, which most of South Dakota (in culture and landscape-especially the eastern third) is in the Midwest. Although Rapid City and areas in the western third of SD have characteristics that would allign with the Mountain West. I would consider Rapid City to be a transition between the Midwest and Mountain West. Rapid City would allign itself well to Denver and Sioux Falls to the Twin Cities and Omaha. Rapid City reminds me greatly of the Front Range cities of Colorado and would be similar to Fort Collins in some respects but on a smaller scale.
Kansas City, to me is Midwest. The area is rolling hills and resembles more of areas in Iowa, most of northern Missouri, and southern Indiana (most of Illinois is flat). Kansas City is a hilly city in many places. The Great Plains would be areas west of US 81 and west in my opinion with the exception for Kansas, which the Flint Hills (east of US 81 and west of Topeka/Emporia/Coffeyville) would qualify as an eastern extension of the Great Plains. Great Plains is more arid and sparsly populated than the stereotypical Midwest that is more humid and consisting of fertile corn and soybean fields with towns that are six to ten miles apart and several farms/acreages on one square mile/section. The Midwest has a more consistent concentration of population and towns above 2,000 people.
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04-16-2009, 11:45 PM
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I consider midwest to be Wyoming over to Indiana. It spans a large distance.
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04-17-2009, 02:52 AM
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Senior Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ashnat
I consider midwest to be Wyoming over to Indiana. It spans a large distance.
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Most people in Ohio would disagree with you, lol. |
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04-17-2009, 03:39 AM
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English Teacher in Japan
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I think everyone in the Midwest would disagree with him.
Black Hills/Rapid City is a completely different culture/history, pretty much everything.
It's kinda like someone saying New Mexico is part of the South.
Anyways, 'Mountain West' describes it MUCH better...plus I'd think places like Jackson Hole, WY, Gardiner, MT, and an entire area would be right at home with Rapid City, SD on most every level.
But Rapid City, SD with Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee....I just don't see it.
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04-17-2009, 08:53 AM
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Twin Cities, Minnesota
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Yeah, I guess Rapid City's more of a Mountain West city than a Midwest city. Chris said it best when he said Rapid City's similar to Front Range cities in Colorado. Rapid City, Fort Collins, and Boulder are all very similar in setting and size. Even Montana cities like Billings, Butte, and Bozeman are a lot like Rapid City.
Rapid City is the furthest east Mountain West city. If that makes sense...
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04-17-2009, 09:31 AM
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Moderator
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyBanany
Yeah, I guess Rapid City's more of a Mountain West city than a Midwest city. Chris said it best when he said Rapid City's similar to Front Range cities in Colorado. Rapid City, Fort Collins, and Boulder are all very similar in setting and size. Even Montana cities like Billings, Butte, and Bozeman are a lot like Rapid City.
Rapid City is the furthest east Mountain West city. If that makes sense...
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Actually, that does make sense and it's a good description. Kind of like the border of the Midwest and the Mountain West. 
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The Rushmore State, Oklahoma, and Weather
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04-18-2009, 05:43 PM
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Real Estate Agent
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Or is it the furthest west Mid-west City? What about the farthest west towns in ND. lol
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