kids encyclopedia robot

Fort Pierre, South Dakota facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Main and Deadwood streets in Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Main and Deadwood streets in Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Motto(s): 
"Where The West Begins"
Location in Stanley County and the state of South Dakota
Location in Stanley County and the state of South Dakota
Country United States
State South Dakota
County Stanley
Founded 1867
Incorporated 1890
Area
 • Total 3.17 sq mi (8.20 km2)
 • Land 3.12 sq mi (8.08 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Elevation
1,434 ft (437 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 2,078
 • Estimate 
(2019)
2,217
 • Density 710.80/sq mi (274.47/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code
57532
Area code(s) 605
FIPS code 46-22260
GNIS feature ID 1255113
Website http://www.fortpierre.com/

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 2,078 at the 2010 census.

The settlement of Fort Pierre developed around an 1832 trading post and fort situated on the west bank of the Missouri River, near the confluence with its tributary Bad River. An earlier American-owned trading post had been operating nearby since 1817, and in 2017 the city celebrated its bicentennial of continuous permanent settlement.

History

On March 30, 1743, Francois and Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye reached the area of present-day Fort Pierre during their expedition west from Quebec. They left a metal plate buried in a hill to mark their journey and claim the land for France. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition met with the Teton Sioux on the south side of the mouth of the Bad River on 24–28 September 1804. Fort Pierre Chouteau was established in 1832 as a trading post and fort by St Louis industrial fur trader Pierre Chouteau, Jr. on the north side of the river's mouth to replace Fort Tecumseh, established 1822 and a mile to the north.

Geography

Fort Pierre is located at 44°21′32″N 100°22′33″W / 44.35889°N 100.37583°W / 44.35889; -100.37583 (44.358941, -100.375742).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.16 square miles (8.18 km2), of which, 3.11 square miles (8.05 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.

Fort Pierre has been assigned the ZIP code 57532 and the FIPS place code 22260.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 287
1890 360 25.4%
1900 395 9.7%
1910 792 100.5%
1920 805 1.6%
1930 683 −15.2%
1940 764 11.9%
1950 951 24.5%
1960 2,649 178.5%
1970 1,448 −45.3%
1980 1,789 23.5%
1990 1,854 3.6%
2000 1,991 7.4%
2010 2,078 4.4%
2019 (est.) 2,217 6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
2019 Estimate
Karl Bodmer Travels in America (43)
Fort Pierre and the adjacent prairie circa 1833. Fort Pierre on the Missouri: aquatint by Karl Bodmer from the book Maximilian, Prince of Wied’s Travels in the Interior of North America, during the years 1832–1834

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,078 people, 893 households, and 586 families living in the city. The population density was 668.2 inhabitants per square mile (258.0/km2). There were 959 housing units at an average density of 308.4 per square mile (119.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.4% White, 0.3% African American, 6.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 893 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the city was 41.8 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 16% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Climate

Climate data for Fort Pierre, SD
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 75
(24)
76
(24)
88
(31)
99
(37)
105
(41)
111
(44)
120
(49)
111
(44)
110
(43)
101
(38)
87
(31)
75
(24)
120
(49)
Average high °F (°C) 33.5
(0.8)
38.6
(3.7)
49.9
(9.9)
62.5
(16.9)
72.8
(22.7)
82.5
(28.1)
90.3
(32.4)
90.1
(32.3)
80.6
(27.0)
64.4
(18.0)
47.7
(8.7)
35.0
(1.7)
62.3
(16.8)
Average low °F (°C) 8.2
(−13.2)
12.8
(−10.7)
23.2
(−4.9)
34.1
(1.2)
45.2
(7.3)
55.5
(13.1)
61.5
(16.4)
59.4
(15.2)
48.5
(9.2)
35.0
(1.7)
21.3
(−5.9)
10.7
(−11.8)
34.6
(1.5)
Record low °F (°C) −32
(−36)
−47
(−44)
−26
(−32)
2
(−17)
19
(−7)
32
(0)
43
(6)
37
(3)
18
(−8)
−3
(−19)
−16
(−27)
−40
(−40)
−47
(−44)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.34
(8.6)
0.51
(13)
1.08
(27)
1.99
(51)
2.53
(64)
2.78
(71)
2.19
(56)
1.66
(42)
1.41
(36)
1.33
(34)
0.53
(13)
0.37
(9.4)
16.72
(425)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.2
(13)
6.1
(15)
5.7
(14)
3.2
(8.1)
0.1
(0.25)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.8
(2.0)
3.5
(8.9)
4.8
(12)
29.4
(73.25)
Source: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?sd3076

Notable people

  • Pierre Chouteau Jr. (1789-1865) - French merchant, trader and entrepreneur after whom Pierre and Fort Pierre, South Dakota, are named.
  • John C. Waldron - World War II aviator from Fort Pierre.
  • Walter Dale Miller - Former governor.
  • George Philip Jr. - World War II naval officer, commanding officer of USS Twiggs (DD-591), Navy Cross recipient, and namesake of USS George Philip (FFG-12)
  • Casey Tibbs - American cowboy and actor.
  • Clint Roberts - U.S. Representative

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fort Pierre (Dakota del Sur) para niños

kids search engine
Fort Pierre, South Dakota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.