Pierre (/ p ɪər /; Lakota: čhúŋkaške, lit. 'fort') is the capital city of South Dakota and the 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, following Montpelier, Vermont.It is the eighth-most populous city in South Dakota.Founded in 1880, it was selected as the state capital when the territory ...