Best Web Design in Bismarck, ND (2026)

Web Design for Bismarck, North Dakota

North Dakota's capital rises on the east bank of the Missouri River, where a 19-story Art Deco Capitol nicknamed the Skyscraper on the Prairie towers over an otherwise low-slung skyline. Born as a Northern Pacific Railroad crossing and once branded the Wickedest City in the West, Bismarck today anchors the BisMan metro alongside Mandan on the opposite riverbank.

AppWT works with Bismarck, ND businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Bismarck

Also known as. BisMan (the Bismarck-Mandan metro shorthand). The Capital City. Edwinton (its original 1872 name). The Wickedest City in the West (a 19th-century reputation).

History. Founded by European-Americans in 1872 at the point where the Northern Pacific Railroad would cross the Missouri River, and originally named Edwinton after railroad engineer Edwin L. Johnson. Renamed Bismarck in 1873 to honor German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, a bid to attract German investment in the railroad. The Dakota Territory capital was moved from Yankton to Bismarck in 1883, and Bismarck became the state capital when North Dakota entered the Union in 1889. With Mandan across the Missouri River, it forms the Bismarck-Mandan metropolitan area (Burleigh, Morton and Oliver counties), colloquially called BisMan.

Local economy. State of North Dakota government is the largest employer (roughly 4,456 workers), reflecting Bismarck's role as the seat of state government. Sanford Health (about 4,024 employees) and CHI St. Alexius Medical Center make health care a dominant sector. Bismarck Public Schools employs around 3,385 people. Bobcat Company (Doosan) has a significant presence, tied to the region's manufacturing and energy economy. Unemployment ran about 2.6% as of mid-2025, below the national average.

Culture and community. United Tribes International Powwow, held each September at United Tribes Technical College, draws dancers and singers from more than 70 tribes and is billed as the Home of the Champions. The Sam McQuade Sr. softball tournament is described as the world's largest charity softball tournament, with 400-plus teams. Belle Mehus Auditorium (1914) hosts the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra and Northern Plains Dance. Sports include the Bismarck Larks (Northwoods League summer-collegiate baseball, since 2017) and the Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL junior hockey, 2010 Robertson Cup champions). Theater companies include the Capitol Shakespeare Society and Sleepy Hollow Summer Theatre.

What makes Bismarck distinct. Bismarck is the only U.S. state capital named after a foreign statesman. The city was renamed for Otto von Bismarck specifically to lure German railroad investment. In February 2007, residents set a world record by making 8,962 snow angels simultaneously on the Capitol grounds. The North Dakota Capitol is one of only a handful of skyscraper-style statehouses in the country, having replaced an earlier capitol that burned in 1930.

Bismarck Landmarks and Local Life

• North Dakota State Capitol - a 241.75-foot, 19-story Art Deco tower completed in 1934 and known as the Skyscraper on the Prairie, the tallest building in the state
• Dakota Zoo - set within Sertoma Park
• Sertoma Park - stretching more than three miles along the Missouri River
• Cathedral of the Holy Spirit - an Art Deco Catholic cathedral
• Camp Hancock State Historic Site and the historic Former Governors' Mansion.