Ellis is an unincorporated community in south-central Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. Ellis is located approximately one mile west of the Sioux Falls city limits on Ellis Road, or 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of South Dakota Highway 42. The Ellis & Eastern Railroad is based in Ellis, running 14.5 miles (23.3 km) to Brandon to the east. In 1995, the two largest commodities carried by trains were non-metallic minerals and chemicals, mostly for factories near Sioux Falls. The community is considered a part of the Sioux Falls metropolitan area.

History

Ellis was founded on April 27, 1893, and was originally called Scoopville. The present name most likely honors A. B. Ellis, a railroad employee.