Fort Yates is located in southern North Dakota in Sioux County (of which it is the county seat) about 60 miles south of Bismarck on the banks of the Missouri River/Lake Oahe within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. The Sitting Bull burial Site is nearby.
For those seeking a post-secondary educational experience, the town is host to Sitting Bull College, a 2-year granting Associates degrees. The college was established in 1973 as Standing Rock Community College but tribal elders thought the name change in 1996 was appropriate to honor their great Chief.