Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth Counties, Iowa, United States. The population was 85,797 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 86,875 in 2024, making it the fourth-most populous city in Iowa. The county seat of Woodbury County, Sioux City is the primary city of the five-county Sioux City metropolitan area, which had 144,334 residents on the 2020 census. Sioux City and the surrounding areas of northwestern Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota are sometimes referred to collectively as Siouxland.
Sioux City is located at the navigational head of the Missouri River. The city is home to several cultural points of interest including the Sioux City Public Museum, Sioux City Art Center and Sergeant Floyd Monument, which is a National Historic Landmark. The city is also home to Chris Larsen Park, commonly referred to as "the Riverfront", which includes the Anderson Dance Pavilion, Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
History
is in the tallgrass prairie of the North American Great Plains, historically inhabited by speakers of Siouan languages.The area of Sioux City was inhabited by Yankton Sioux when it was first reached by Spanish and French furtrappers in the 18th century. The first documented US citizens to record their travels through this area were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during the summer of 1804. Sergeant Charles Floyd, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, died here on August 20, 1804, the only death during the two and a half-year expedition.
Sioux City was laid out in the winter of 1854–1855. It became a major transportation hub to the western Plains, including Mormons heading to Salt Lake City and speculators heading to Wyoming goldfields.
In 1891, the Sioux City Elevated Railway was opened and became the third steam-powered elevated rapid transit system in the world, and later the first electric-powered elevated railway in the world after conversion in 1892. However, the system fell into bankruptcy and closed within a decade.
The city gained the nickname "Little Chicago" during the Prohibition era due to its reputation for being a purveyor of alcoholic beverages.
On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 crash-landed at Sioux Gateway Airport. 112 people on board the aircraft were killed, but 184 survived the crash and ensuing fire due to outstandingly quick performances by fire and emergency local teams.
According to a 2015 University of Iowa study for the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, blight and disinvestment are serious problems in the downtown core as investment has shifted to suburbs.
Geography
Sioux City borders two states, South Dakota to the west-northwest and Nebraska to the west.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
City neighborhoods
Climate
As is typical of Iowa, Sioux City has a humid continental climate, with very warm, humid summers, cold, dry winters, and wide temperature extremes; it is part of USDA Hardiness zone 5a. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July. On average, there are 25 days that reach or higher, 52 days that do not climb above freezing, and 17 days with a low of or below annually. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 1 through April 26, allowing a growing season of 157 days. Extreme temperatures officially range from on January 12, 1912 up to on July 4, 1936 and July 17, 1936, as well as July 11, 1939; the record cold daily maximum is on February 8, 1899, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is on August 18, 1936.Precipitation is greatest in May and June and averages annually but has ranged from in 1976 to in 1903. Snowfall averages per season, and has historically ranged from in 1895–1896 to in 1961–1962; the average window for measurable snowfall is November 8 through April 7, although snow in October occurs several times per decade. On 14 May 2013, the high temperature reached, setting a new all-time May record high, along with a rise from the morning of the 12th.
Demographics
According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of October 31, 2025, in Sioux City is $193,736.As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 32,711 estimated households in Sioux City with an average of 2.59 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $74,972. Approximately 15.7% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Sioux City has an estimated 65.6% employment rate, with 25.8% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 85.5% holding a high school diploma. There were 34,965 housing units at an average density of.
The median age in the city was 33.8 years.
| Race / ethnicity | Pop. 1990 | Pop. 2000 | Pop. 2010 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 73,425 | 68,521 | 60,748 | 53,964 | 91.21% | 80.60% | 73.47% | 62.90% |
| Black or African American alone | 1,807 | 1,966 | 2,302 | 4,931 | 2.24% | 2.31% | 2.78% | 5.75% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 1,412 | 1,450 | 1,685 | 1,771 | 1.75% | 1.71% | 2.04% | 2.06% |
| Asian alone | 1,166 | 2,385 | 2,231 | 2,755 | 1.45% | 2.81% | 2.70% | 3.21% |
| Pacific Islander alone | — | 20 | 98 | 631 | — | 0.02% | 0.12% | 0.74% |
| Other race alone | 71 | 72 | 58 | 333 | 0.09% | 0.08% | 0.07% | 0.39% |
| Mixed race or multiracial | — | 1,342 | 1,964 | 3,451 | — | 1.58% | 2.38% | 4.02% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,624 | 9,257 | 13,598 | 17,961 | 3.26% | 10.89% | 16.45% | 20.93% |
| Total | 80,505 | 85,013 | 82,684 | 85,797 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 85,797 people, 32,170 households, and 20,217 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 34,331 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 67.97% White, 5.88% African American, 2.78% Native American, 3.27% Asian, 0.75% Pacific Islander, 9.21% from some other races and 10.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 20.93% of the population.The city has significant minority populations of West Africans, Somalis, Ethiopians, Vietnamese, Mexicans, and Guatemalans. This has been attributed to the many meat factories and manufacturing jobs in the area.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 82,684 people, 31,571 households, and 20,144 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 33,425 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 80.60% White, 2.87% African American, 2.58% Native American, 2.73% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 7.38% from some other races and 3.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 16.45% of the population.There were 31,571 households, of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.14.
The median age in the city was 33.7 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64, and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 85,013 people, 32,054 households, and 21,091 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 33,816 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 85.23% White, 2.41% African American, 1.95% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.27% from some other races and 2.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.89% of the population.There were 32,054 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.
Age spread: 27.1% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,429, and the median income for a family was $45,751. Males had a median income of $31,385 versus $22,470 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,666. About 7.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.