The City of Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota, county seat of Burleigh County, and the state’s second most populous city with an estimated population of 72,417 (as of 2016). Bismarck, along with neighboring Mandan and Lincoln, make up the core cities of the Bismarck-Mandan metropolitan area, which officially comprises of four counties and is home to over 131,000 citizens. Bismarck-Mandan (often referred to as “BisMan”) serves as the regional hub of commerce, health, education, and government for central and western North Dakota.
Bismarck was founded in 1872 (as Edwinton) as the point where the Northern Pacific railroad would span the Missouri River. The city was renamed the following year to attract German settlement and investment. Bismarck was named capital of Dakota Territory in 1883, and assumed the title for North Dakota upon entering statehood in 1889.
Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who camped the winter of 1804-1805 at a site roughly 40 miles to the north, along with their Lemhi Shoshone guide, Sakakawea, are locally celebrated icons. Former President Theodore Roosevelt, who also spent significant time in the region, is also a cherished local figure.
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