Crooks, SD

Crooks is a Minnehaha County city on the edge of Sioux Falls, close enough to the metro to feel its pull while still keeping a separate small-town layout. The 2020 census counted 1,362 residents. The place was called New Hope until 1904, when it took the name Crooks in honor of W. A. Crooks. That old name still survives in New Hope Park, which is a nice bit of local continuity. The BNSF railroad tracks run beside the park, so baseball, summer tournaments, and passing trains share the same edge of town.

Tri-Valley Elementary sits in town, and the school, community center, and parks give Crooks a daily rhythm beyond commuter traffic. New Hope Park has baseball fields, a batting cage, basketball, play equipment, and summer leagues, while the city has discussed Heritage Park, a baseball complex, and more north-side park land. Crooks' local scoop is a Sioux Falls-area city that kept its old identity tucked inside its new one.