US State Capitals: A Reference Guide
All 50 capitals, why they are often not the largest city, and how each state chose its seat of government.
Last reviewed on April 24, 2026
The capital is the city where a state's government meets — typically where the legislature sits, where the governor has an office, and where the supreme court hears cases. It is not always the biggest city, the most famous city, or the city a visitor would fly into. In many US states, the capital is a small inland city that most people outside the state would struggle to name. This page is a reference: the full list, a few notes on how capitals came to be where they are, and a handful of patterns that repeat across the 50 states.
The full list
Capitals are listed alphabetically by state. Each state name links to its full profile, which includes an interactive map and quick facts.
| State | Capital | Largest city in state? | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | No (Huntsville) | South |
| Alaska | Juneau | No (Anchorage) | West |
| Arizona | Phoenix | Yes | West |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | Yes | South |
| California | Sacramento | No (Los Angeles) | West |
| Colorado | Denver | Yes | West |
| Connecticut | Hartford | No (Bridgeport) | Northeast |
| Delaware | Dover | No (Wilmington) | South |
| Florida | Tallahassee | No (Jacksonville) | South |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Yes | South |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | Yes | West |
| Idaho | Boise | Yes | West |
| Illinois | Springfield | No (Chicago) | Midwest |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | Yes | Midwest |
| Iowa | Des Moines | Yes | Midwest |
| Kansas | Topeka | No (Wichita) | Midwest |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | No (Louisville) | South |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | No (New Orleans) | South |
| Maine | Augusta | No (Portland) | Northeast |
| Maryland | Annapolis | No (Baltimore) | South |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Yes | Northeast |
| Michigan | Lansing | No (Detroit) | Midwest |
| Minnesota | St. Paul | No (Minneapolis) | Midwest |
| Mississippi | Jackson | Yes | South |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | No (Kansas City) | Midwest |
| Montana | Helena | No (Billings) | West |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | No (Omaha) | Midwest |
| Nevada | Carson City | No (Las Vegas) | West |
| New Hampshire | Concord | No (Manchester) | Northeast |
| New Jersey | Trenton | No (Newark) | Northeast |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | No (Albuquerque) | West |
| New York | Albany | No (New York City) | Northeast |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | No (Charlotte) | South |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | No (Fargo) | Midwest |
| Ohio | Columbus | Yes | Midwest |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | Yes | South |
| Oregon | Salem | No (Portland) | West |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | No (Philadelphia) | Northeast |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Yes | Northeast |
| South Carolina | Columbia | Yes | South |
| South Dakota | Pierre | No (Sioux Falls) | Midwest |
| Tennessee | Nashville | Yes | South |
| Texas | Austin | No (Houston) | South |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Yes | West |
| Vermont | Montpelier | No (Burlington) | Northeast |
| Virginia | Richmond | No (Virginia Beach) | South |
| Washington | Olympia | No (Seattle) | West |
| West Virginia | Charleston | Yes | South |
| Wisconsin | Madison | No (Milwaukee) | Midwest |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | Yes | West |
"Largest city" here means the most populous incorporated city in the state, by 2020 Census counts. Metropolitan-area rankings can differ — for example, Birmingham's metro area is the largest in Alabama even though its city population is below Huntsville's.
Why most state capitals are not the biggest city
Of the 50 states, only about 17 have their largest city as their capital. The other ~33 put their seat of government somewhere smaller. There are a few recurring reasons why this happened.
1. The capital was chosen before the big city grew up
Many capitals were picked when a state was still largely rural. The legislature wanted a site that was reasonably central and accessible to travelers on horseback or by river. Over the next century, a port city, a railroad junction, or an industrial city often overtook the old capital in population. Albany, Harrisburg, Trenton, Jefferson City, and Jackson all fit this pattern: they were perfectly sensible choices for their era, but commerce grew somewhere else.
2. Picking a central city was deliberate geography
Several capitals were placed near the geographic center of the state by design, to reduce travel distance for legislators and to avoid handing political power to a single dominant city. Indianapolis, Columbus, and Jefferson City are classic examples. In Indiana, the site of Indianapolis was selected specifically because it was near the middle of the state on paper; the city was then built around the new capital.
3. A compromise between competing cities
When two or more cities were rivals, the state sometimes chose a smaller third city as a peace offering. Annapolis, Maryland (vs. Baltimore), Tallahassee, Florida (vs. Pensacola and St. Augustine), and Sacramento, California (between San Francisco and the mining country) reflect that kind of compromise. The same logic appears at the federal level: Washington, DC was located on a new site between Northern and Southern states rather than in an existing major city.
4. Political boundaries moved, but the capital stayed
Some capitals were picked when the territory was much larger or shaped differently than today's state. Boise was named the capital of Idaho Territory when the territory included parts of what are now Montana and Wyoming. The boundaries shrank, but the capital remained where it was.
5. A preference for a small-town capital
A few states simply preferred keeping government out of their largest commercial center. Vermont, with Montpelier (the smallest state capital by population), is the clearest example. The same instinct shows up in Carson City, Nevada and Pierre, South Dakota.
Common questions about state capitals
Which state capital has the smallest population?
Montpelier, Vermont is the least-populous state capital — typically fewer than 10,000 residents within the city limits. Pierre, South Dakota and Augusta, Maine are also in the bottom five.
Which state capital has the largest population?
Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix is both the capital of Arizona and, by a wide margin, the most populous city in the state. Other capitals that top one million residents are less common — most large-city capitals (Indianapolis, Columbus, Austin, Jacksonville-area) are in the hundreds of thousands to low millions.
Which capital is farthest from its state's biggest city?
Juneau, Alaska. The capital is not connected to the rest of the state by road; Anchorage, the biggest city, is hundreds of miles away across mountains and water. Juneau sits in the southeastern panhandle and is reached by air or ferry.
Are state capitals always state-run cities?
Yes, but they operate as normal municipalities under their state's laws. Unlike Washington, DC, which is a federal district and not part of any state, every state capital is an ordinary city subject to state and local government. The capital's special status is that state institutions — the legislature, the governor's office, the state supreme court — are physically located there.
Can a state move its capital?
It has happened many times, especially in the 19th century as states grew and population centers shifted. Changing a capital today requires state legislation and, often, a constitutional amendment. It is rare in practice because moving government buildings, records, and staff is expensive, and because the existing capital's local economy would object.
How to use this page
- As a study sheet: print the page in portrait orientation for a one- or two-page handout. See the printable maps guide for settings.
- As a quiz prep: the geography quiz has a "State Capitals" mode that draws on the same list.
- As a jumping-off point: every state name in the table links to that state's full profile with an interactive map.
- For regional context: see US Regions and Divisions Explained for how the "Region" column is defined.
If you want to go beyond the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the US territories have their own capitals and seats of government — covered on the US territories page.