Hughes County, South Dakota Hughes County, South Dakota Hughes County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,022, making it the least populous capital county in the nation, and the twelfth-most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Pierre, the state capital. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1880. It was named for Alexander Hughes, a legislator. Hughes County is part of the Pierre, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and
South Dakota Highway 168 maintained by SDDOT. In 2012, the traffic on the highway was measured in average annual daily traffic. The route had an average of 165 vehicles. The designation is not a part of the National Highway System, a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility. The Unofficial South Dakota Highways Page South Dakota Highway 168 South Dakota Highway 168 (SD 168) is a state highway in Butte County in the U.S. state of South Dakota. It runs from U.S. Route 85 (US 85) to SD 79. The highway is maintained by the South Dakota Department of Transportation