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 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