Kristi Noem’s height is not officially documented in the government and institutional biographies reviewed for this profile. Public listings generally place her at about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 7½ inches tall, or roughly 170–171 cm. IMDb lists 5 feet 7½ inches, while some biography sites give 5 feet 7 inches, so neither figure should be treated as a confirmed measurement.
Noem is an American Republican politician from South Dakota who has served at the state, congressional and federal executive levels. Born Kristi Lynn Arnold on November 30, 1971, in Watertown, South Dakota, she represented the state in the U.S. House of Representatives, became South Dakota’s first female governor and later served as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
As of August 19, 2026, she is no longer Homeland Security secretary. The U.S. House Historian lists her as United States Special Envoy for Shield of the Americas, Western Hemisphere, a role beginning in 2026. She has also joined NRED Intelligent Mining, formerly NovaRed Mining, as a strategic adviser.
How Tall Is Kristi Noem?
The most careful answer is that Kristi Noem is reported to be around 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 7½ inches tall, or approximately 170–171 cm, but her exact height has not been verified by an authoritative source.
IMDb gives her height as 5 feet 7½ inches, or 1.71 meters. Other lower-authority biography sites have circulated a figure of about 5 feet 7 inches, or 170 cm.
Neither the official U.S. House historical biography nor the Department of Homeland Security biography reviewed for this profile states her height. That makes it inappropriate to present either commonly cited measurement as official or exact. Photographs are also not reliable evidence because footwear, posture, camera angle and perspective can change how tall a person appears.
Early Life and Family Background
Kristi Lynn Arnold was born on November 30, 1971, in Watertown, South Dakota. She grew up in a farming and ranching family, an experience that later became closely connected with her political work on agricultural issues.
Her father died in a farm accident in 1994. After his death, Noem postponed her education and took on a larger role in managing the family’s farming and ranching operations.
That period preceded her formal political career by more than a decade, but agriculture remained a recurring part of her public work after she entered elected office.
Education
Noem attended Mount Marty College and Northern State University before completing a bachelor’s degree in political science at South Dakota State University.
There is a minor date distinction in the public record that can make her graduation year appear inconsistent. The U.S. House Historian records the degree in 2011, while South Dakota State University records her participation in its May 2012 undergraduate commencement.
Contemporary reporting clarifies the sequence: Noem completed the degree in December 2011 and participated in the university’s commencement ceremony in May 2012. She also spoke on behalf of the graduating class at that ceremony.
In 2025, Dakota State University awarded Noem an honorary Doctor of Public Service. It was an honorary distinction rather than an earned doctoral degree.
Entry Into South Dakota Politics
Noem was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2006 and served in the state legislature from 2007 through 2010. After winning reelection, she became an assistant majority leader.
Her state-level service gave her a platform in agricultural and economic issues before she sought federal office.
In 2010, Noem won South Dakota’s at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She entered Congress in January 2011 and ultimately served four terms, remaining in the House until January 2019.
Congressional Career and Major Legislative Work
Agriculture was one of the clearest through-lines of Noem’s congressional career. She obtained a seat on the House Agriculture Committee and became involved in negotiations over federal farm policy.
She participated in the conference process that led to the Agricultural Act of 2014, commonly known as the 2014 farm bill. The law included a “sodsaver” provision associated with Noem and fellow South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune. The measure was designed to discourage conversion of native prairie and environmentally sensitive land by limiting certain federal crop-insurance benefits on newly broken ground.
Noem later served on the House Armed Services Committee. The House Historian credits her with work on provisions involving military sexual assault and maternity leave that were incorporated into defense authorization legislation.
She subsequently joined the House Ways and Means Committee, which handles major areas of tax and economic policy. In that role, she worked on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the large tax overhaul enacted during President Donald Trump’s first administration.
These committee assignments placed Noem in policy areas that reflected both her South Dakota constituency and the priorities of the national Republican Party.
Becoming South Dakota’s First Female Governor
Noem ran for governor of South Dakota in 2018 and won the election. When she took office in January 2019, she became the first woman to serve as governor of South Dakota.
She was reelected in 2022 and began her second term in January 2023.
Her governorship significantly raised her national profile. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she became especially well known among conservatives for resisting some of the broader restrictions adopted elsewhere in the United States. The Associated Press has described that approach as an important factor in the growth of her national political visibility.
Noem remained governor until January 25, 2025. She resigned after the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden succeeded her as governor.
Secretary of Homeland Security
On January 25, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security by a 59–34 vote.
The department oversees a wide range of federal responsibilities, including border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, emergency management and the Transportation Security Administration. Noem became a prominent public figure in the administration’s immigration and border-enforcement agenda.
Her tenure also attracted scrutiny. Associated Press reporting described bipartisan congressional criticism of department leadership and controversy surrounding a roughly $220 million advertising campaign.
Her time at DHS ended in March 2026. The Associated Press reported that President Trump removed her from the position on March 5, 2026, and selected Sen. Markwayne Mullin to succeed her.
Mullin was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security on March 24, 2026, so descriptions of Noem as the current DHS secretary are now outdated.
Shield of the Americas Role
After leaving the Department of Homeland Security, Noem moved into a different government role connected with the Western Hemisphere.
The U.S. House Historian records her as United States Special Envoy for Shield of the Americas, Western Hemisphere, beginning in 2026. The State Department also publicly identified her as the president’s special envoy for the initiative.
In May 2026, a State Department release again referred to Noem as Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas in connection with a U.S. presidential delegation to Costa Rica.
The title is important because it distinguishes her current public role from her former Cabinet position. She is a special envoy, not the sitting Secretary of Homeland Security.
Private-Sector Advisory Work
Noem also entered private-sector advisory work in 2026.
On June 16, NovaRed Mining announced that she had joined the company as a strategic adviser. The business, now branded NRED Intelligent Mining, continued to list her in that role as of August 19, 2026.
The position should be understood separately from her government envoy work. Her special-envoy title is a public role, while the NRED position is a private-company advisory appointment.
Public Impact
Noem’s career has moved through several distinct stages: state legislator, member of Congress, governor, Cabinet secretary and special envoy.
Her most clearly documented legislative work in Congress included agricultural policy, defense-related provisions and tax legislation. As governor, she made history as the first woman to hold South Dakota’s highest state office and gained a much larger national political following.
Her move to Homeland Security expanded her responsibilities from state government to one of the federal government’s most visible security agencies. The position also brought greater scrutiny, particularly around immigration policy, department management and spending.
The end of her DHS tenure in 2026 did not mark a complete withdrawal from public affairs. Her subsequent envoy appointment and corporate advisory role indicate that she remained active in both government-related and private-sector work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kristi Noem?
Kristi Noem was born on November 30, 1971. As of August 19, 2026, she is 54 years old.
Where was Kristi Noem born?
She was born in Watertown, South Dakota, and was raised in a farming and ranching family in the state.
What degree does Kristi Noem have?
She completed a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University in December 2011 and participated in the university’s May 2012 commencement.
Was Kristi Noem the first female governor of South Dakota?
Yes. She was elected in 2018 and took office in 2019 as South Dakota’s first female governor.
When did Kristi Noem serve in Congress?
She represented South Dakota’s at-large congressional district in the U.S. House from January 3, 2011, to January 3, 2019.
Is Kristi Noem still Secretary of Homeland Security?
No. Her tenure ended in March 2026. Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security on March 24, 2026.
What is Kristi Noem doing now?
As of August 19, 2026, the U.S. House Historian lists Noem as United States Special Envoy for Shield of the Americas, Western Hemisphere. She is also listed by NRED Intelligent Mining as a strategic adviser.
Conclusion
Kristi Noem’s height is best described as reported at approximately 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 7½ inches, or 170–171 cm, because no authoritative government or institutional source reviewed for this profile confirms an exact measurement.
Her better-documented public record stretches from South Dakota agriculture and state politics to four terms in Congress, two terms as governor, service as Homeland Security secretary and a subsequent role as a U.S. special envoy. As of August 19, 2026, she remains active in public affairs while also holding a private-sector strategic advisory position.
