South Dakota spending, because of the proximity of many tourist attractions in the Black Hills and Ellsworth Air Force Base. The next eight largest cities in the state, in order of descending 2010 population, are Aberdeen (26,091), Brookings (22,056), Watertown (21,482), Mitchell (15,254), Yankton (14,454), Pierre (13,646), Huron (12,592), and Vermillion (10,571). Pierre is the state capital, and Brookings and Vermillion are the locations of the state's two largest universities (South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota, respectively). With a population of about 14,000, Pierre is the second smallest state capital in the United States. Of the ten largest cities
South Dakota Highway 253 South Dakota Highway 253 South Dakota Highway 253 (SD 253) is an state highway in the north-central part of the U.S. state of South Dakota. It exists entirely within Edmunds County, from U.S. Route 12 (US 12) west of Roscoe to SD 47 north of Bowdle. The route is maintained by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) and is not a part of the National Highway System. SD 253 begins at an intersection with US 12 near Gretna and heads north through flat farmland. It passes a railroad almost immediately and continues north. The route passes by a couple