Unlocking the perfect Slogan for South Dakota requires more than just listing landmarks. We’re going straight to the core of the Mount Rushmore State’s identity: its rugged landscapes, monumental history, and the vast, open spirit of the plains. Get ready to discover the powerful phrases that define this unique corner of America and invite the world to explore its beauty.
Short Slogan for South Dakota

- Faces of Freedom
- Where Great Plains Begin
- Land of the Titans
- Wilderness Unscripted
- The Real American West
- Rushmore’s Backyard
- Gold Rush to Grand View
- Open Roads Open Hearts
- Badlands and Beyond
- Legends Carved in Stone
- Adventure Runs Deep
- Explore Your Monument
- Nature’s Epic Scale
- The Summit of History
- Live Free See Big
- Plains, Peaks, and Patriotism
- Discover Hidden Wonders
- Spirit of the Frontier
- Your Great American Drive
- Where the Sky Never Ends
Catchy Slogan for South Dakota
- Monuments and Memories
- Where the West is Still Wild
- Rushmore Awaits You
- See the Stone Hear the Stories
- Badlands Beauty Untamed
- The Unexpected Great State
- Home of Giants and Grasslands
- Your Next Big View
- Find Your Freedom Here
- More Than a Monument
- The Prairie’s True Heart
- Black Hills Bliss
- Get Out Get South Dakota
- Wide Open Wonder
- History You Can Hike
- The Great Faces The Great Places
- Freedom’s Foundation
- Sunsets and Silence
- Unfold Your Adventure Map
- A Land Worth Fighting For
Best Slogan for South Dakota
- America’s Sculpture Garden
- The Backbone of the Plains
- Legacy is Built Here
- Peaks of the Past
- Freedom’s True North
- Where Horizons are Sacred
- Beyond the Pavement
- Heritage You Can Touch
- The 40th State’s Greatness
- Rock Solid Destinations
- The Heart of the Heartland
- From Monumental to Mystical
- The Open Sky Beckons
- History Stamped in Stone
- Prairie Majesty Defined
- Your Epic Western Stagecoach
- Sculpted by Nature and Nation
- Adventure on a Grand Scale
- Go West Go South Dakota
- See The Legends Live The Life
South Dakota Nickname
- The Rushmore State
- Land of the Titans
- The Prairie Gem
- Gold Rush Country
- Black Hills Territory
- America’s Front Porch
- The 40th State
- Bison’s Domain
- Badlands Beacon
- West River Country
- The Great Plains Heart
- Freedom’s Canvas
- The Sculpture Garden
- Pioneer’s Playground
- Open Sky Land
- The Lewis and Clark Stop
- Custer’s Calling
- The Real Deadwood
- Monumental Territory
- The Dakota Divide
- Wind Cave Home
- Gateway to the West
- Corn Palace Corner
- Spearfish Valley
- The Missouri River State
South Dakota Flag

South Dakota Sayings
- You Betcha (Midwestern affirmation)
- Knee high by the Fourth of July (Corn growing benchmark)
- It’s a Pecker Pole (Referring to a small tree or sapling)
- Out West River (West of the Missouri River)
- Over East River (East of the Missouri River)
- We’re having Hot Dish (A casserole, common Midwest comfort food)
- Let’s grab some Pop (Asking for a carbonated soft drink)
- Headin’ to the Hills (Going to the Black Hills region)
- Goin’ to Supper (Referring to the evening meal)
- See ya for Dinner (Referring to the noon meal)
- It’s pert near there (It’s pretty near or close by)
- Looks like we’re in for a Northeaster (Talking about a major winter storm)
- Crick (Pronunciation of creek)
- Hit the Drug Store (Referring to the iconic Wall Drug)
- Just got back from the Roundup (Referring to the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup)
- Don’t mind the Traffic (Usually referring to bison or cattle on the road)
- It’s Corn Hole time (Referring to the bean bag tossing game, also called bags)
- Gotta get a Truck Topper (A covering for the bed of a pickup truck)
- Better bundle up it’s a cold one (A common winter statement)
- Let’s get some Chislic (The state’s signature cubed meat dish)
- The Badlands will test you (Referring to the rugged terrain and climate)
- That’s a Cattywampus deal (Something is crooked, diagonal, or amiss)
- Wrasslin’ (Local pronunciation of wrestling)
- Time for a Scotcheroo (A specific kind of peanut butter rice krispie treat)
- He’s got that Nice politeness (Referring to the common, genuine friendliness)
- Got our first snow shorts day (Wearing shorts on a 40°F day in early spring)
- Meet me by the Tavern (Referring to a Sloppy Joe-style sandwich without tomato)
- All are related (Translation of the Lakota phrase, Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ)
- It’s a small world here (Referring to the low population and strong community ties)
- Pierre (Pronounced Peer when referring to the state capital)
South Dakota Quotes
- George McGovern I always thought of myself as a good old South Dakota boy who grew up here on the prairie.
- Hubert H Humphrey I learned more about the economy from one South Dakota dust storm than I did in all my years of college.
- Gutzon Borglum Mount Rushmore is eternal It will stand until the end of time.
- Dana Perino I love to drive in the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota with Mount Rushmore as the central stop.
- Standing Bear My first years were spent living just as my forefathers had lived roaming the green rolling hills of what are now the states of South Dakota and Nebraska.
- Laura Ingraham South Dakota is a great state because of its values not because of dependence on government.
- Tom Brokaw I happened to be born to the right parents and the lives we led—working class migratory—suited my personality We lived on an Army base then in South Dakota it was a dynamic environment.
- John Thune Ethanol reduces our dependence on foreign sources of oil and is an important weapon in the War on Terror By investing in South Dakota’s ethanol producers we will strengthen our energy security.
- Chloe Zhao Coming from a country that’s rapidly changing I love the idea of a place like South Dakota where nothing has really changed.
- George McGovern I met my wife in South Dakota.
- Black Elk (as recorded by John Neihardt) I was standing on the highest mountain of them all and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world.
- Mike Rounds One thing that stands out throughout the entire year was that in South Dakota we are much more united than we are divided.
- Tom Daschle You’ve got two people that are well known in South Dakota respected We’ll see how it all shakes out.
- Gutzon Borglum Ten thousand years from now our civilization will have passed without leaving a trace A new race of people will inhabit the earth They will come to Mount Rushmore and read the record we have1 made.
- Stephanie Herseth Sandlin I represent nine sovereign Sioux tribes In South Dakota some of the tribes are in the most remote rural areas of the country.
- Bill Janklow The upward mobility that South Dakota’s kids have gotten from the opportunity to intern and to work and to be employed and to have upward mobility in that company it’s been phenomenal.
- Kevin Brady South Dakota like a lot of rural states small states there are small cities with a very big work ethic very common sense approach That has certainly shaped me.
- Chuck Mateer Everybody’s got a lot of sunshine but we’re the only ones who’ve got Mount Rushmore.
- Mary Edelen (Opponent of the nickname change) Dropping The Sunshine State would cause people to think the state was in a frozen tundra.
- Thomas Jefferson (His quote on Rushmore) History in general only informs us what bad government is.
- Theodore Roosevelt (His quote on Rushmore) Patriotism means to stand by the country It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.
- Abraham Lincoln (His quote on Rushmore) Elections belong to the people It’s their decision.
- George Washington (His quote on Rushmore) Every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart.
- Tom Daschle I think the next President will have to go to South Dakota to find a running mate.
- Tomi Lahren I grew up in the Midwest I grew up in South Dakota.
- Nick Estes We carved up this mountain the dwelling place of your spirits and put our four gleaming white faces here We are the conquerors.
- Dennis Daugaard We are fortunate for the opportunities in South Dakota to see and do almost anything without crossing a state border.
- James Scotty Philip (The man who saved the buffalo and namesake of Philip South Dakota)
- Pierre Chouteau Jr (19th-century fur trader for whom Pierre the capital is named)
- Ron Carlson My parents were farmers’ kids from South Dakota My dad was an engineer I wanted to be responsible and major in something pragmatic.
South Dakota Symbols

- Nickname: The Mount Rushmore State
- Motto: Under God the People Rule
- Slogan: Great Faces. Great Places.
- Flag: Features the State Seal surrounded by a golden blazing sun on a field of sky blue.
- Seal: Depicts scenes of agriculture, mining, industry, and transportation.
- Song: “Hail! South Dakota”
- Flower: American Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla hirsutissima)
- Tree: Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca var. densata)
- Bird: Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
- Animal: Coyote (Canis latrans)
- Fish: Walleye (Sander vitreus)
- Insect: Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Grass: Western Wheat Grass (Pascopyrum smithii)
- Fossil: Triceratops
- Mineral: Rose Quartz
- Gemstone: Fairburn Agate
- Soil: Houdek Loam
- Dessert: Kuchen (Sweet custard coffee cake)
- Nosh (Snack): Chislic (Cubed meat)
- Bread: Fry Bread
- Drink: Milk
- Jewelry: Black Hills Gold
- Sport: Rodeo
- Musical Instrument: Fiddle (and Traditional Flute)
Sioux Falls Slogan
- Flowing with Opportunity
- The Heart of the Heartland
- Where the River Roars
- South Dakota’s Center Stage
- Falls Park Focus
- Big City Feel Small Town Heart
- Midwest Momentum
- See the Power of the Falls
- The Sioux Empire Shines
- Get Caught in the Current
- Art Culture Commerce
- The Next Great Place
- Experience the Falls Effect
- Life’s Vibrant Flow
- From Rapid Growth to Great Living
- Gateway to the Dakotas
- Walk the SculptureWalk
- Downtown and Downstream
- Find Your Spark in Sioux Falls
- The Big Sioux City
Rapid City Slogan
- The Gateway to Greatness
- City of Presidents Home of Heroes
- Black Hills Basecamp
- Where Monuments Begin
- Rushmore Region’s Heart
- Adventure at Full Speed
- Your Western Launchpad
- Minutes from Millions of Years
- Sculpted Landscapes Sculpted Life
- See the Faces Feel the Freedom
- The Real Rush
- Beyond the Ponderosa Pines
- History on Every Corner
- Find Your Gold in the Hills
- The Rock Solid City
- Explore the West Start Here
- Fast Access to Wild Beauty
- Great Place Great Outdoors
- The Mountain City Momentum
- Rapidly Growing Rapidly Amazing
Aberdeen Slogan
- Northeast Dakota’s Best Bet
- The Prairie Prosperity
- Friendly Faces Flat Horizons
- Home of Northern State
- Big Enough Yet Still Small
- Quality Life Quiet Pace
- Lake Life Close By
- The Hub of Innovation
- Your Place to Grow Roots
- Where Agriculture Meets Ambition
- Get to Know the North East
- The Best of Brown County
- More Than Just a Crossing
- Find Your Future Here
- A Welcoming Heartbeat
- Northern Plains Potential
- A Strong Community Foundation
- Your Four Seasons Destination
- Education Excellence Opportunity
- Living at the Center of it All
What is the State Slogan for South Dakota
The official state slogan for South Dakota is “Great Faces. Great Places.” This incredibly concise and memorable phrase serves as the state’s primary marketing tool, brilliantly capturing the essence of what makes South Dakota a unique destination for tourists and residents alike.
The Power of the “Great Faces”
The first half, “Great Faces,” is a direct and undeniable reference to the state’s most famous landmark: Mount Rushmore National Memorial . This monumental sculpture, featuring the 60-foot granite busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, provides an immediate, globally recognized symbol of American democracy and history. The slogan leverages this powerful image, making it the face of the entire state. It evokes feelings of patriotism, awe, and historical significance, inviting visitors to stand beneath these giants of American history.
The Allure of the “Great Places”
The second half, “Great Places,” is a broad yet potent umbrella term designed to encompass the rest of the state’s rich and varied attractions. This phrase pulls focus away from just the monumental carvings, highlighting the diverse natural and cultural wealth South Dakota offers.
This includes:
- The dramatic, stark beauty of the Badlands National Park.
- The verdant forests and historic towns of the Black Hills.
- The legendary, wild-west history of Deadwood.
- The annual spectacle of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
- The sprawling prairies and vibrant communities like Sioux Falls.
By linking the iconic “Great Faces” with the vast array of “Great Places,” the slogan successfully packages the entire state as a must-visit location where monumental history meets rugged natural adventure and genuine Midwestern hospitality. It is a powerful, dual-purpose tagline that has become synonymous with the state’s identity.
Hello there! I’m Jesse Joe, the author and editor behind SolganGenius. I’m thrilled you’ve stopped by, and I can’t wait to share with you the essence of what this platform is all about.
I’m a writer, social media enthusiast, and a firm believer in the power of words. I’ve always been fascinated by how a simple phrase or slogan can capture an emotion, convey a message, and even change perspectives. Learn More