Pierre, South Dakota Pierre, South Dakota Pierre (; Lakota: "čhúŋkaške", "fort") is the state capital of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Hughes County. The population was 13,646 at the 2010 census, making it the second-least populous state capital in the United States after Montpelier, Vermont, and the eighth-most populous city in South Dakota. Founded in 1880 on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite Fort Pierre, Pierre has been the state capital since South Dakota gained statehood on November 2, 1889. It was challenged by Huron for the capital and won because of its location in
South Dakota Highway 21 South Dakota Highway 21 South Dakota Highway 21 (SD 21) is a state highway in the eastern part of the U.S. state of South Dakota. It connects Lake Norden and Hayti, completely within the south-central part of Hamlin County. SD 21 originally extended from the Nebraska state line to the North Dakota state line, completely concurrent with U.S. Route 81 (US 81). By the mid-1930s, only the current part of the highway remained. SD 21 begins at an intersection with SD 28 just northwest of the main part of Lake Norden. It travels to the north. Almost immediately, it crosses