Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the smallest state capital city?

No.

The state capital of South Dakota – Pierre – has the second-smallest population of any capital in the United States.

The smallest capital in the country is Montpelier, Vermont, with a population of about 8,000. Pierre’s population is about 14,000, a few thousand people fewer than Augusta, Maine, at about 19,000.

Of all the state capitals, Juneau, Alaska, is the most remote. There are no roads connecting the city to the rest of the state, so visitors must travel by boat or plane. Juneau is also 560 miles away from the state’s largest city, Anchorage.

The South Dakota Capitol in Pierre was completed in 1910 after the city won three elections to be the temporary and later permanent capital.

Yankton was Dakota Territory’s first capital in 1862. After statehood, several cities including Huron, Sioux Falls, Watertown and Mitchell vied for capital status, but Pierre eventually won out.

This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.

The story was corrected on Feb. 19, 2026, to clarify the perspective to Augusta, Maine.

Sources

World Atlas, The 10 smallest state capitols in the United States

Distance.to, Anchorage to Juneau

Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, No Road to Road

HistoricPierreFortPierre.com, South Dakota State Capitol

History.sd.gov, A Capital Fight

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