Editing Bismarck, North Dakota (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Bismarck North Dakota.jpg|thumb|Bismarck from [[International Space Station]], 2007]]
Bismarck is located at {{coord|46|48|51.39|N|100|46|9.86|W|type:city}} (46.8142737, -100.7694052).<ref name=gnis/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|35.182|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|34.685|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.497|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>

===Cityscape===
[[File:2009-0521-CDNtrip049-ND-Bismarck-McKenziePatterson.jpg|right|thumb|Downtown Bismarck: [[Patterson Hotel|Patterson Place]] (built in 1911 as the McKenzie Hotel) was the tallest building in the state until construction of the capitol building. Originally operated as a luxury hotel, it has been adapted for senior housing and a retail restaurant.]]{{More citations needed section|date=July 2024}}
The city has developed around downtown Bismarck, the center of historic development. It is distinctive because the city's major shopping center, [[Kirkwood Mall]], is in the city center rather than in the suburbs. Several other major retail stores are near Kirkwood Mall, which was developed near the [[Bismarck Civic Center|Bismarck Event Center]]. The two Bismarck hospitals, [[CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck|CHI St. Alexius Medical Center]] and [[Sanford Health]] (previously [[Medcenter One Health Systems]]), are downtown. The streets are lined with small stores and restaurants.

Much recent commercial and residential growth has occurred in the city's northern section, largely because of expanding retail centers. Among the shopping centers in northern Bismarck are [[Gateway Mall (Bismarck)|Gateway Fashion Mall]], Northbrook Mall, Arrowhead Plaza, and the Pinehurst Square "[[Power center (retail)|power center]]" mall.

The [[North Dakota State Capitol]] complex is just north of downtown Bismarck. The 19-story [[Art Deco]] capitol is the tallest building in the state, at a height of {{convert|241.75|ft|m}}. Completed during the [[Great Depression]] in 1934, it replaced the original capitol building that burned to the ground in 1930. The capitol grounds encompass the [[North Dakota Heritage Center]], the [[North Dakota State Library]], the [[North Dakota Governor's Residence]], the State Office Building, and the [[Liberty Memorial Building]]. The [[North Dakota State Penitentiary]] is in eastern Bismarck.

The Cathedral District, named after the Art Deco [[Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (Bismarck, North Dakota)|Cathedral of the Holy Spirit]], is a historic neighborhood near downtown Bismarck. Some homes in this neighborhood date to the 1880s, although many were built in the first decades of the 20th century. At times, the city has proposed widening the streets in the neighborhood to improve traffic flow. Many residents object because such a project would require the removal of many of the towering [[American elm]]s which line the streets. These have escaped the elm disease that destroyed street canopies of trees in eastern cities.

After the completion of the [[Garrison Dam]] in 1953 by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]], which improved flood control, the [[floodplain]] of the [[Missouri River]] became a more practical place for development. Significant residential and commercial building has occurred in this area on the city's south side. The Upper Missouri River is still subject to seasonal flooding.

===Climate===
{{Main|Climate of Bismarck, North Dakota}}
Situated in the middle of the [[Great Plains]], between the geographic centers of the United States and Canada, Bismarck displays a highly variable four-season [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa/Dfb'', [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]] ''Dcac/Dcbc'') bordering on a [[Cold semi-arid climate|cold semi arid climate]]. Bismarck's climate is characterized by cold, somewhat dry, snowy, and windy winters and warm, humid summers. [[Thunderstorm]]s occur in spring and summer, but much of the rest of the year is dry.

The warmest month in Bismarck is July, with a daily mean of {{convert|71.3|°F|1}},<ref name=NCDC-B/> with typically wide variations between day and night. The coldest month is January, with a 24-hour average of {{convert|12.8|°F|1}}.<ref name=NCDC-B/> Precipitation peaks from May to September and is rather sparse in the winter. Winter snowfall is typically light to moderate, occurring with the passage of frontal systems; major storms are rare.
{{Bismarck, North Dakota weatherbox}}