Hughes

Formed January 8, 1873 (26^th county)

Hughes County (17,774), Pierre (14,088)

A gray stone Modern and Art Deco courthouse serves Hughes County.  It is on Capitol Avenue between Grand and Euclid avenues.  Euclid Avenue is United States Highway 83 in this part of the town.  It was built in 1934 to replace an 1883 structure in Pierre, the only county seat.  The building designers were Hugill and Blatherwick.  The facility is on a hill with canons in front.  Pierre has many statues of famous Dakotans throughout the city.  The county was formed on January 8, 1873 as the 26^th county.  The county is named for settler, Alexander Hughes.  Pierre is named for trader Pierre Choteau. 

Hughes County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Three Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Hughes, Bennett, Gregory, Haakon, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd, and Tripp counties.  Hughes County is in the center of the state.  The geographical center of South Dakota is 8 miles northeast of Pierre in the county.  Rapid City, South Dakota is southwest and Sioux Falls, South Dakota is southeast of the county.  The Missouri River forms its western border.  The county center is 32.9 miles East of Pierre nearer Blunt.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Sully, Hyde, Lyman, and Stanley counties. 

The area of the county is 741 square miles.  It is 43 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 12 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 24.0 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 66 in the state.  Hughes County has 81.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 14 crosses the county from east to west from Hyde County to Stanley County.  United States Highway 83 enters from Sully County, north, and joins United States Highway 14 into Stanley County, west.  The South Dakota state capitol is located in this county.  The county resembles a hand with the thumb sticking out.  Pierre is located on the northwest border of the county.  Pierre is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 79.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced PEER.  This county is in the Pierre Micropolitan Statistical Area.