Facts About Yankton

Yankton is a city in the southeast corner of South Dakota, located on the banks of the Missouri River. Here are a few facts about the city:

1. Yankton was founded in 1859 and was named after the Yankton Sioux tribe.

2. Yankton is the county seat of Yankton County and is home to several government buildings and offices, including the Yankton County Courthouse.

3. Yankton is home to several historical sites and monuments, including the Dakota Territorial Capitol, which served as the capital of the Dakota Territory from 1861 to 1889.

4. As the first capital of the Dakota Territory, it was named after the Yankton tribe of Western Dakota people; Yankton is derived from the Dakota word I-hank-ton-wan (“the end village”).

5. Yankton is commonly referred to as the “River City”, due to its proximity to the Missouri River and the importance the river played in the city’s settlement and development.

6. Yankton earned the nickname “Mother City of the Dakotas”, due to the early important role it played in the creation and development of the Dakota Territory, which later became the 39th and 40th U.S. states of North and South Dakota.

7. Yankton has a total area of 8.45 square miles, of which, 8.21 square miles is land and 0.24 square miles is water.

8. Yankton is home to the University of South Dakota, Yankton campus, which offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.

9. The estimated population of Yankton is 15,453, as of 2021.

10. Yankton is home to several annual events and festivals, including the Yankton Riverboat Days and the Yankton Area Arts Festival.