Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Fort Pierre is a city of 2,410 people in Stanley County, South Dakota.
Why visit Fort Pierre
Townapedia lists 24 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Chicago and North Western Railroad Bridge, Fort Pierre Chouteau and Verendrye Site.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 9°F, and about 37 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Fort Pierre
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fort Pierre
Fort Pierre is a city in Stanley County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Pierre, South Dakota micropolitan area and the county seat of Stanley County. The population was 2,115 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Fort Pierre, South Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Chicago and North Western Railroad Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks24
Fort Pierre Chouteau
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Archaeological site in South Dakota, United States of America
Verendrye Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Archaeological site in Fort Pierre, United States of America
Brink-Wegner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Central Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Building in Pierre, South Dakota, United States
Crawford–Pettyjohn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Dr. William and Elizabeth Blackburn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Pierre, South Dakota, listed on the NRHP in South Dakota
Farr House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Horner–Hyde House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Hughes County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
County courthouse in South Dakota, United States of America
I. W. Goodner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
Jefferson Davis Carr House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
House in Fort Pierre, South Dakota
John E. and Ruth Hipple House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic house in South Dakota, United States
12 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes16
Mad Mary's Steakhouse & Saloon
Restaurant · 1.4 mi
110 East Dakota Avenue, Pierre
4 more on the map.
History
On March 30, 1743, Francois and Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye reached the area of present-day Fort Pierre during an expedition west from Quebec, a French colony in present-day Canada. They left a lead plate buried in a hill in what is now the city to claim the land for the King of France. In the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the United States acquired this area and the remainder of France's vast territory west of the Mississippi River.
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition in 1804 to explore the territory, especially by traveling west to the Upper Missouri and Platte rivers, in the hope of finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean. They met with the Teton Sioux on the south side of the mouth of the Bad River on September 24–28, 1804.
In 1817 fur trader Joseph La Framboise, Jr., an agent for the American Fur Company, established Fort Tecumseh a mile to the north, on what is now La Framboise Island in the Missouri River. The fur trade was highly lucrative and attracted competitors. In 1832, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., a major fur trader from St Louis, replaced that early facility with Fort Pierre Chouteau, a trading post and fort on the west side of the Missouri and north side of the Bad River's mouth in what is now the city.
From the History section of Fort Pierre, South Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
AmericInn by Wyndham Fort Pierre Conference Center
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
312 Island Drive, Fort Pierre
Holiday Inn Express Pierre/Fort Pierre
Motel and hotel
110 East Stanley Road, Fort Pierre
Churches and places of worship5
Fort Pierre Congregational Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.4 mi
803 Sibert Place, Pierre
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Map of Fort Pierre
80 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 9°F | 0.5 in | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 13°F | 0.7 in | 8.0 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 23°F | 1.0 in | 5.0 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 33°F | 1.9 in | 5.3 in |
| May | 70°F | 45°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 56°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 62°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 59°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 50°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 36°F | 1.7 in | 1.3 in |
| Nov | 45°F | 23°F | 0.8 in | 6.3 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 13°F | 0.6 in | 6.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Pierre Rgnl Ap Hcn 72656 (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Stanley County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-02-27: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-02-01: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
- 2015-07-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Pierre 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Oahe Acres 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Onida 28 mi northeast, about 45 min by car
- Presho 36 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Murdo 37 mi southwest, about 59 min by car
- West Brule 42 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Lower Brule 44 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Highmore 48 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gettysburg 49 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fort Thompson 54 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- United Church of Christ Congregational Fort Pierre South Dakota, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson Davis Carr House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John E and Ruth Hipple House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karcher-Sahr House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IW Goodner House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Central Block, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SD Capitol, Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Methodist Episcopal Church Pierre South Dakota, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chicago and North Western Railroad Bridge, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Horner-Hyde House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Charles Hotel, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hughes County Courthouse, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peter Hansen House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crawford-Pettyjohn House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Farr House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PierreSD BlackburnHouse, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PierreSD BrinkWegnerHouse, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hilger Block, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karcher Block, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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