Harrisburg is one of the area’s fastest-growing bedroom communities
Harrisburg is a city in Lincoln County, about 10 miles south of Sioux Falls. "It's one of the fastest-growing communities connected to Sioux Falls. They are building new schools and a lot of new homes. It's a bedroom community with convenience," says Chere Rosa de Sharon, a broker and the owner of Hi-Tech Realty, who is assisting in expanding HomeSmart Adventure Realty. According to U.S. Census estimates, Harrisburg's population is about 8,000, a significant increase from its 2000 population of less than 1,000.
Mostly post-2000 homes, including a lot of new construction
Though there are some older bungalows and ranch-style homes, most are contemporaries dating to the 2000s or later, townhomes included. "There's a wide array of single-family homes, including starter homes and a plethora of new homes from different builders," Rosa de Sharon says. She also has seen an increase in villas, a type of home with slab-on-grade foundations rather than basements. "They are often purchased by retired people who don't want stairs, but perhaps still would like a three-car garage." Home prices typically range from about $200,000 to $850,000, with age and size as major factors.
Students may enroll in the Harrisburg School District
Students may attend public schools in the Harrisburg School District. Most younger students will go to either Liberty Elementary, which gets a B from Niche, or Freedom Elementary, which gets a C-plus. South Middle School receives a B-plus and serves most students in the area. Harrisburg High School, also rated B-plus, has two locations: one for the Freshman Academy and the other for an upper school for 10th through 12th grades. The high school had more than 50 AP Scholars and over 700 college dual credit enrollments in the 2024-2025 school year.
Community parks in town and larger recreational areas nearby
Community parks are spread across the city. Harrisburg Central Park has fields and a disc golf course. Grand Gardens offers community plots, Rover Range Park is for the dogs and the park at Lake Ole has a trail and an ADA-accessible pier where people can fish. Youth sports include the Harrisburg Baseball Association, Tiger Softball Club, Harrisburg Flag Football and the Dakota Alliance Soccer Club.
The Lake Alvin Recreation Area, about 5 miles east, has a beach and is popular for boating, fishing and hiking. "The most popular lately is windsurfing or paddleboarding, depending if there's wind or it's calm," Rosa de Sharon says. Good Earth State Park, about 10 miles northeast and adjacent to the Big Sioux River, is over 600 acres, with forested ravines and over a dozen trails. Within 7 miles of Harrisburg, Bakker Crossing and Spring Creek Country Club offer 18-hole golf courses that are open to the public.
Places to shop and eat along Willow Street and Cliff Avenue
Though Harrisburg isn't known for having a lot of businesses, it does have some retail and dining along Willow Street and Cliff Avenue. Fareway Meat and Grocery and Dollar Fresh are options for grocery shopping. There's a hardware store, a pharmacy and specialty shops like Sugar Place by Emily, offering custom cakes and in-store sweet treats. Ice cream and picnic-basket specials are available at B&G Milkyway, a Sioux Falls chain established in 1954. Fresh Horses Saloon is a cowboy-inspired spot for burgers and beer, with a patio area and trivia nights.
Union Social has a full menu with classic comfort foods and offers bowling, axe throwing and an arcade. Sharing the building is Air Madness, a trampoline park. Proximity to Sioux Falls is an advantage, as it has more shopping, dining and entertainment options.
Some sidewalks, access to highways and a transportation plan
Most subdivisions have sidewalks, but some other sections of Harrisburg do not. Plans to construct sidewalks and other pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure have been proposed but not yet enacted.
Harrisburg is fairly car dependent, and there's access to several major thoroughfares: state Route 11 is to the east and state Route 115 and Interstate 29 are to the west. It's about a 14-mile drive to Sioux Falls Regional Airport, which offers nationwide service to over a dozen destinations. Sioux Falls has several hospitals: Avera Specialty Hospital is one of the closest to Harrisburg, and Sanford USD Medical Center is the largest in the state. The Iowa and Minnesota state lines are about 10 and 20 miles away, respectively.
Area events, and attractions like a corn maze and an unusual museum
Events like Harrisburg Days, held the second weekend in June, bring the community together. Harrisburg Days festivities include a carnival, a trivia challenge, hot-air balloons and a parade. Miss and Mr. Harrisburg are chosen during the annual pageant.
The 11-acre Heartland Country Corn Maze is a late summer and fall attraction. The Abby Normal's Museum of the Strange, just off Interstate 29, has a peculiar assortment of displays, from two-headed animals to body parts in jars and over a dozen live alligators.
Snow alerts and removal procedures, and a risk of tornadoes
Citywide snow alerts restrict on-street parking during plowing, and there's a 48-hour limit to remove snow and ice from residential lots and adjacent sidewalks and fire hydrants.
Since the 1950s, several tornadoes of magnitude 2 and one magnitude 3 tornado have been reported within 10 miles of Harrisburg. In 2019, three destructive tornadoes impacted Sioux Falls.
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Written By
Robin Silberman
