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By Michael Klinski South Dakota News Watch No. The state capital of South Dakota – Pierre – has the secondsmallest population of any capital in the United States. The smallest capital in the country is Montpellier, 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. Source 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 South Dakota News Watch partners with Gigafact to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to factbrief@sdnewswatch.org. This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Michael Klinski at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.