Current Date And Time In Rapid City, United States
Monday, 03 August 2026
16:05:26 PDT
State: South Dakota
Currency: United States Dollar (USD)
Timezone: UTC -08:00 (PDT)
Population: 73,569
District: Pennington County
Find cities, states and countries closest to Rapid City in South Dakota, United States with precise aerial distance in miles, kilometers and nautical miles, plus exact 16-point compass bearing and heading direction. This location intelligence data is used by logistics professionals, supply chain analysts, market researchers and field teams planning routes and coverage areas around Rapid City.
To assist regional market researchers, location intelligence professionals and logistics managers in strategic decision-making, we have compiled the key geographic and demographic attributes for Rapid City from our regional database:
| State / Region | South Dakota |
| District | Pennington County |
| Total Population | 73,569 |
| Land Area | 141.83 km² |
| Population Density | 518.71 / km² |
| Center Latitude | 44.0805° N |
| Center Longitude | -103.231° E |
| Elevation | 988 m (3,242 ft) |
| UTC Time Zone | -10:00 to -05:00 |
| Population Rank in South Dakota | #2 of 152 |
| Flag | City | Distance | Direction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles (mi) | Kilometers (km) | Nautical Miles (nm) | Heading | Symbol | ||
| Ashland Heights | 6 | 10 | 5 | East-northeast (ENE) | ↑ |
|
| Blackhawk | 6 | 10 | 5 | Northwest (NW) | ↑ |
|
| Box Elder | 8 | 13 | 7 | East-northeast (ENE) | ↑ |
|
| Colonial Pine Hills | 7 | 11 | 6 | Southwest (SW) | ↑ |
|
| Custer | 28 | 46 | 25 | Southwest (SW) | ↑ |
|
| Ellsworth Air Force Base | 9 | 14 | 8 | East-northeast (ENE) | ↑ |
|
| Green Valley | 7 | 11 | 6 | East-southeast (ESE) | ↑ |
|
| Hill City | 20 | 32 | 17 | West-southwest (WSW) | ↑ |
|
| Johnson Siding | 10 | 17 | 9 | West (W) | ↑ |
|
| New Underwood | 20 | 32 | 17 | East (E) | ↑ |
|
| Piedmont | 13 | 21 | 11 | Northwest (NW) | ↑ |
|
| Rapid Valley | 4 | 7 | 4 | East-southeast (ESE) | ↑ |
|
| Sturgis | 27 | 43 | 23 | North-northwest (NNW) | ↑ |
|
| Summerset | 9 | 15 | 8 | Northwest (NW) | ↑ |
States and regions closest to South Dakota (home state of Rapid City), with aerial distance and compass direction — useful for cross-state logistics routing, regional market-expansion research and strategic site selection.
| Flag | State/Region | Distance | Direction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles (mi) | Kilometers (km) | Nautical Miles (nm) | Heading | Symbol | ||
|
| Arkansas | 742 | 1,194 | 644 | Southeast (SE) | ↑ |
|
| Colorado | 430 | 692 | 373 | Southwest (SW) | ↑ |
|
| Iowa | 373 | 601 | 324 | East-southeast (ESE) | ↑ |
|
| Kansas | 350 | 564 | 304 | South-southeast (SSE) | ↑ |
| Manitoba | 678 | 1,092 | 589 | North (N) | ↑ |
|
| Minnesota | 317 | 510 | 275 | Northeast (NE) | ↑ |
|
| Missouri | 591 | 950 | 513 | Southeast (SE) | ↑ |
|
| Nebraska | 171 | 275 | 149 | South (S) | ↑ |
|
| New Mexico | 679 | 1,092 | 589 | South-southwest (SSW) | ↑ |
|
| North Dakota | 253 | 407 | 220 | North-northwest (NNW) | ↑ |
Countries bordering or closest to United States, with aerial distance and compass direction from Rapid City's home country — a quick reference for cross-border trade, travel planning and regional supply chain routing.
| Flag | Country | Distance | Direction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles (mi) | Kilometers (km) | Nautical Miles (nm) | Heading | Symbol | ||
| Bahamas | 1,363 | 2,193 | 1,183 | East-southeast (ESE) | ↑ |
|
| Canada | 1,405 | 2,261 | 1,220 | North-northwest (NNW) | ↑ |
| Cayman Islands | 1,507 | 2,425 | 1,309 | Southeast (SE) | ↑ |
| Cuba | 1,519 | 2,445 | 1,319 | Southeast (SE) | ↑ |
| Jamaica | 1,723 | 2,772 | 1,496 | Southeast (SE) | ↑ |
| Mexico | 1,014 | 1,632 | 881 | South-southwest (SSW) | ↑ |
Compare population and aerial distance of cities geographically closest to Rapid City. This regional snapshot supports market sizing, site selection, logistics zone planning and cross-city business analysis in South Dakota, United States.
| City | State | Population | Distance (km) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City (You) | South Dakota | 73,569 | — | — |
| Rapid Valley | South Dakota | 8,260 | 7.1 | ESE |
| Blackhawk | South Dakota | 2,892 | 10.0 | NW |
| Ashland Heights | South Dakota | 754 | 10.1 | ENE |
| Colonial Pine Hills | South Dakota | 2,493 | 10.5 | SW |
| Green Valley | South Dakota | 928 | 10.8 | ESE |
| Box Elder | South Dakota | 9,289 | 13.5 | ENE |
| Ellsworth Air Force Base | South Dakota | 8,000 | 14.3 | ENE |
| Summerset | South Dakota | 2,239 | 15.1 | NW |
| Johnson Siding | South Dakota | 659 | 16.5 | W |
| Piedmont | South Dakota | 827 | 21.0 | NW |
How does Rapid City rank within South Dakota? The top 10 cities by population, land area and density are listed below — useful for regional benchmarking, investment prioritization and market-entry decisions. Cities where Rapid City appears are highlighted with ⭐.
| City | Population |
|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 171,544 |
| Rapid City ⭐ | 73,569 |
| Aberdeen | 28,102 |
| Brookings | 23,657 |
| Watertown | 22,073 |
| Mitchell | 15,669 |
| Yankton | 14,557 |
| Pierre | 14,091 |
| Huron | 13,313 |
| Spearfish | 11,283 |
| City | Area (km²) |
|---|---|
| Rapid City ⭐ | 141.83 |
| Watertown | 67.08 |
| Spearfish | 42.64 |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 40.72 |
| Aberdeen | 40.42 |
| Box Elder | 36.35 |
| Brookings | 35.07 |
| Oglala | 34.61 |
| Pierre | 33.85 |
| Rosebud | 33.71 |
| City | Density/km² |
|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 121,662.41 |
| Tea | 1,104.79 |
| Piedmont | 1,102.67 |
| Vermillion | 1,029.53 |
| Alcester | 884.88 |
| Mission | 794.12 |
| Volga | 783.61 |
| Martin | 780.15 |
| Harrisburg | 772.19 |
| Saint Francis | 754.26 |
Rapid City Regional Airport IATA: RAP 14 km (9 mi) from Rapid City |
Rapid City sits inside South Dakota, United States and ranks #2 of 152 cities in South Dakota by population. Every distance on this page is a straight-line Great Circle (haversine) measurement — the shortest path a plane or signal would take between two GPS points, not the longer road-and-turns route a driver would actually cover. View the nearby cities, nearby states or nearby countries tables above.
Scroll down and this page also ranks the states closest to Rapid City and the countries closest to Rapid City by the same straight-line measurement. For the complete national picture, see every country bordering or near United States. Handy for cross-border import/export planning, scouting a new travel corridor or lining up emergency logistics across North America.
Next to every distance sits a compass heading from Rapid City, plotted on the 16-point rose (N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW). The rotating arrow marks the bearing angle (0°–360°, where 0°/360° is due north) — see it in action in the cities, states and countries tables above. It's the same reference pilots, sailors and long-haul truckers use to picture the layout around Rapid City at a glance.
If you're stringing together stops in South Dakota, the neighboring cities table above doubles as a rough day-trip planner from Rapid City — shortest hops first. Pair it with the population and area data to gauge which nearby stop is worth the detour.
See the Cities Near To Rapid City table above, ranked nearest first with distance in miles, kilometers and nautical miles plus a compass bearing for each. Want the bigger picture? The nearest states and nearest countries tables sit further down this page, or compare every city in South Dakota by population and density.
Every figure on this page is a Great Circle (haversine) distance — a straight aerial line between the GPS center of Rapid City and the GPS center of the other place, not a driving distance. It's the same math airlines use to estimate flight paths. View the Rapid City map for the exact coordinates behind these numbers.
It's a straight line — the shortest possible path between two points on Earth's surface, ignoring roads, terrain and detours. Actual driving distance from Rapid City will almost always run longer, sometimes significantly, depending on the road network. Treat the figures here as a quick planning benchmark, not a substitute for a live route from a mapping or navigation app.
It's the bearing from Rapid City to that place, plotted on a 16-point compass rose. The rotating arrow marks the degree bearing (0°–360°), where 0°/360° is due north, 90° east, 180° south and 270° west. See it applied in the cities, states and countries tables above.
Distribution planners use it to pick warehouse or hub sites within easy reach of Rapid City. Sales and field teams use it to sequence visits by drive distance instead of guessing. Market researchers use it to scope out the next-closest town before greenlighting an expansion. See the population & area comparison and South Dakota city rankings above to size up each candidate.
Rapid City ranks #2 of 152 cities in South Dakota by recorded population. See the population & area comparison table above to weigh it directly against each neighboring city on this page.
The nearest airport with scheduled service to Rapid City is Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), about 14 km (9 mi) away. See the Nearest Airport card for more.