The city of Sturgis, SD, was founded in 1878 by merchants establishing businesses just beyond the gates of Fort Meade—a military outpost established to protect Black Hills mining settlements, particularly the area around Deadwood, SD. Originally named "Scooptown" (a reference to the ease with which businesses "scooped" money from soldiers eager to spend their pay), the settlement was renamed to honor Fort Meade's first commander, General Samuel D. Sturgis and his son James Garland Sturgis, who died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, alongside Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer, June 25, 1876. Sturgis became the county seat of Meade County in 1889. More recently, the city has become internationally famous for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally…

Photo courtesy of Minot Air Force Base.

The annual rally in Sturgis got its start in 1938 when local Indian Motorcycle dealership owner Clarence "Pappy" Hoel and eight other motorcyclists raced one another in front of a small group of spectators on August 14. Except for a brief hiatus during World War II, it attracted a growing number of motorcycle enthusiasts as the rally added races, hill climbs, and concerts. Today, the South Dakota Department of Transportation estimates that 500,000 or more people attend the seven-day event in Sturgis, making it one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world.

Key Stats

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File; 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File; 2020 county and Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) gazetteer files; Office of Management and Budget, March 2020, Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area delineations.

Tableau Public Interactive Data Visualization, Profile of South Dakota

Note: The table above highlights Meade County – location of Sturgis, SD – and is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full interactive table.

More Stats

From QuickFacts, statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.

Sturgis city, South Dakota; Meade County, South Dakota; South Dakota; United States

Note: The QuickFacts dashboard above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image above for the full dashboard for Sturgis, SD.

Source: 2021 County Business Patterns.

Table CB2100CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2021, showing these 2 Codes:

NAICS 336991, Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 441228, Motorcycle, ATV, and All Other Motor Vehicle Dealers

From Business and Economy > International Trade Data:

USA Trade Online, the Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, select options for “State Export Data (Origin of Movement)” or “State Import Data (State of Destination)” by “HS” or “NAICS.” Select “State” and “Measures,” “Commodity,” (search Motorcycles) “Country” or “Time” for data. More information can be found in the Quick Start Guide.

Source: 2018-2021 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM).