Cities of South Dakota
South Dakota sits in the northern heart of the United States, on the great plains between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains. The Missouri River cuts the state in two: the east is rolling farmland, while the west turns rugged with the famous Black Hills and the summit of Black Elk Peak. The capital is Pierre, a strikingly small capital city right on the Missouri.
On this map you fly past real places like Sioux Falls — by far the largest city — and Rapid City, the gateway to the Black Hills. In between lie towns such as Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, Mitchell, Yankton and Huron, surrounded by rivers like the James and the Big Sioux and lakes such as Lake Thompson and Lake Poinsett.
Hop in the helicopter and find every place in South Dakota at your own pace — a fun, free way for kids and grown-ups to master the map of this prairie state.
▶︎ Play nowFrequently asked questions
What is the capital of South Dakota?
Pierre is the capital of South Dakota. It is one of the smallest state capitals in the entire United States and sits in the middle of the state, right on the Missouri River. The largest city of South Dakota is not Pierre but Sioux Falls, in the southeast.
What is the largest city in South Dakota?
Sioux Falls is the largest city in South Dakota, located in the southeast on the Big Sioux River and named after the waterfalls along it. Rapid City, in the west near the Black Hills, is the second-largest city in the state.
What is a well-known geographic feature of South Dakota?
South Dakota is famous for the Black Hills in the west, a forested mountain region that includes Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. The Missouri River divides the state into a flat eastern half and a rugged, hilly west.
What is the most fun way to learn the cities of South Dakota?
The most fun way to learn the cities of South Dakota is by playing, using the free Toponauts helicopter. You fly over the map and place towns like Pierre, Sioux Falls and Rapid City yourself, so the locations stick in your memory naturally.