The City of Pierre (IPA: /ˈpɪər/) is
the capital of the State of South Dakota of the
United States. The city population is 14,095 (July 2006 est.), making it the second least
populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont.
Pierre is also the county seat of Hughes
County. Founded in 1880 on the Missouri River
opposite Fort Pierre, Pierre has been South Dakota's capital since it gained
statehood on November 11, 1889. It is also a major statewide transportation hub and is famous for its memorial hall. The Capital Journal is the local newspaper.
Geography
Pierre is located at 44°22′5″N, 100°20′11″W (44.367966,
−100.336378) 1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 33.7 km² (13.0 mi²). 33.7 km² (13.0 mi²) of it
is land, and 0.08% is water.
Pierre lies on rough river bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. Many of these bluffs are strewn with large boulders.
The climate in Pierre consists of cold, sometimes harsh, winters and very warm to hot summers. The average highs and lows are
28°F/3°F for January and 89°F/62°F in July. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Pierre was 117°F (47.2°C), set on
July 15, 2006. The coldest recorded temperature was −35°F
(−37.2°C) on February 9, 1994.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 13,876 people, 5,567 households, and 3,574 families residing
in the city. The population density was 411.5/km² (1,065.8/mi²). There were 5,949
housing units at an average density of 176.4/km² (457.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.91% White, 0.20% African American, 8.56% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 5,567 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were
non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.35, and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6%
from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,962, and the median income for a family was $52,144. Males had a median
income of $32,969 versus $22,865 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$20,462. About 5.5% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
State Capitol in Pierre (SD) June 2004
In front of the Capitol(Pierre SD) June 2004
Inside Capitol (Pierre SD) White Marble ,June 2004
The Dome (Capitol Pierre SD) June 2004
Transportation
Airlines serving Pierre Regional Airport provide non-stop flights to
Denver, Colorado, Watertown, South
Dakota, and Brookings, South Dakota, with continuing service to
Minneapolis-St. Paul from Watertown.
The nearest interstate highway is Interstate 90, which is about 34 miles south of
Pierre via U.S. Highway 83.
Notable Natives
Trivia
- Pierre is the only state capital city that does not share at least one letter with its state.
- Pierre is one of only five state capitals not served by an interstate highway. Dover,
Delaware; Jefferson City, Missouri; Carson City, Nevada; and Juneau, Alaska, are the other four
state capitals with this distinction.
- Pierre is the second-smallest state capital, behind Montpelier, Vermont.
- Pierre is the only state capital to lie on a timezone demarcation line.
- Legend states that 66 blue tiles are laid on the floor of the state capitol building for the 66 Italian artists involved in
laying the Terrazzo floor. Only 55 of these tiles have been found.[1]
- Pierre is a few miles away from Lake Oahe, one of the largest manmade lakes in the world
and a very popular fishing destination.
- Pierre is the subject of a joke in the song "Capital," performed by the popular a
cappella group Rockapella and composed by Sean
Altman. The song lists every U.S. state capital except for Pierre; during the song's final fade-out, a voice can be heard
exclaiming, "Pierre! Pierre! We forgot Pierre!"[2] A
subsequent track on the album features the then-mayor of Pierre, Gary Drewes, chastising Rockapella for the omission (and their
mispronunciation of the town's name).
- In the 1990s, Pierre was known as Suicide City/Town for having a large cluster of suicides during that time.[citation needed]
- Commonly mispronounced as "pee-air" instead of "pier".
References
External links
Coordinates:
44.367966° N 100.336378°
W
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