South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who compose a large portion of the population and historically dominated the territory. South Dakota is the seventeenth largest by area, but the fifth smallest by population and the 5th least densely populated of the 50 United States. As the southern part of the former Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with North Dakota. Pierre is the state capital and Sioux Falls, with a population
South Dakota Highway 79 South Dakota Highway 79 South Dakota Highway 79 (SD 79) is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Dakota. It runs from Maverick Junction near the Black Hills National Forest to the North Dakota state line. SD 79's southern terminus is at Maverick Junction near Hot Springs, where it meets US 18 and US 385. SD 79 runs east of the Black Hills to Rapid City, where it is Main Street downtown. The road continues north and runs concurrently with US 14 toward Sturgis. Leaving Sturgis, SD 79 leads to Bear Butte State Park and briefly runs concurrently