Bismarck is the capital of the State of North Dakota, the county seat of Burleigh County, and the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. Its population is 58,333 (July 2006 est.). Bismarck was founded in 1872.
Bismarck sits on the Missouri Plateau directly across the Missouri River from Mandan, North Dakota. The two cities make up the core urban area of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the state, towers over the central part of Bismarck. The state government employs many people within the city. As a hub of manufacturing, retail trade, and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of a large portion of south-central North Dakota.
