 This study uses time series of lands at land surface temperature products and annual land change, information to assess spatio-temporal variations of urban heat island, UHI, intensity and distribution in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, finding that the mean UHI intensity was 2.2 degrees Celsius during 1986 to 2017, with an increasing trend of 0.02 degrees Celsius per year within a 5 km non-urban extent. The study also evaluates the impact of different non-urban reference extents on UHI variation and suggests that overall temporal trends of UHI intensity are similar when using a 5 km or 10 km non-urban buffer surrounding the urban core. The prototype approach provides a framework to consistently quantify and monitor UHI change to a large geographic extent. This article was authored by George Sian, Huisha, Roger Orch and others.