Box Elder, South Dakota
Box Elder is a city of 12,902 people in Meade County, South Dakota, founded in 1907.
Why visit Box Elder
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 8 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include National American University and South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 13°F, and about 49 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Box Elder
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Box Elder
Box Elder (Lakota: čhaŋšúška; "box elder maple") is a city in Pennington and Meade Counties, South Dakota, United States. The population was 11,746 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 13,887 in 2024, making it the ninth-most populous city in South Dakota. Ellsworth Air Force Base lies on the northwest side of the city, and it is a suburb of Rapid City.
From the Wikipedia article Box Elder, South Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
National American University
School · 2.7 mi
American university based in Rapid City since 1941
Museums and landmarks5
B-25 Mitchell III
Monument and historic site · 1.6 mi
Personal plane of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in World War II
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes8
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 1.4 mi
219 Main Gate Road, Box Elder
Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su 10:30-24:00
Dairy Queen
Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger · 1.6 mi
504 North Ellsworth Road, Box Elder
Where to stay7
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare1
Map of Box Elder
40 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 13°F | 0.3 in | 5.3 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 14°F | 0.5 in | 7.7 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 23°F | 0.9 in | 8.4 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 31°F | 2.1 in | 10.1 in |
| May | 66°F | 42°F | 3.5 in | 1.5 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 52°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 58°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 56°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 46°F | 1.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 34°F | 1.4 in | 3.0 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 22°F | 0.5 in | 5.7 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 14°F | 0.3 in | 6.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rapid City Rgnl Ap 72662 (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Meade County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-10-07: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2019-09-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2017-02-01: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
- 2013-11-08: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Ashland Heights 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Rapid Valley 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Green Valley 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Rapid City 7 mi west, about 12 min by car
- New Underwood 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Blackhawk 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Colonial Pine Hills 13 mi southwest, about 22 min by car
- Summerset 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Wonderland Homes 15 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Piedmont 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Box Elder, South Dakota, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.