List of capitals in the United States
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This is a list of current and former national and subnational capital cities in the United States, which includes the legislature or seat of government of all states, territories, colonies, or kingdoms that are or were located in the United States, organized by current U.S. state location.
The city chosen to be capital for a given region may change from time to time, typically during rapid population growth or time of governmental instability caused by local war. When territories were divided up into smaller states, especially during the 19th century, new capitals within the new boundaries needed to be chosen.
[edit] Current capitals
[edit] National capital
Washington, D.C. has been the national capital of the United States since 1800.
[edit] State capitals
- For the former capitals of U.S. states, see Former state capitals, below.
- For additional information on the states, see U.S. state.
The current roster of state capitals of the United States has not changed since 1910, when Oklahoma City replaced Guthrie as the capital of the State of Oklahoma. Four states were granted statehood after 1910 (Arizona and New Mexico in 1912 and Alaska and Hawaii in 1959), but the capital of each of these four states had been the capital of the preceding territory since before 1910. It is unlikely that any of the current state capitals will change in the near future, due to the considerable cost of moving government operations.
In 33 of the 50 U.S. states, the state capital is currently not the state's most populous city.
The dates listed in the following table indicate the year since which the current capital has continuously served as the sole capital. In nine states, as noted below, the current capital had served as capital previously, but one or more other cities were capital in the interim.
Also, the states that are italicized denote that the capital city is not in a metropolitan area.
| State | Date of statehood | Capital | Capital since | Most populous city? | Municipal population | Metropolitan population | Notes on current capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1819 | Montgomery | 1846 | No | 200,127 | 469,268 | |
| Alaska | 1959 | Juneau | 1906 | No | 30,987 | ||
| Arizona | 1912 | Phoenix | 1889 | Yes | 1,475,834 | 4,039,182 | Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital. |
| Arkansas | 1836 | Little Rock | 1836 | Yes | 204,370 | 652,834 | |
| California | 1850 | Sacramento | 1854 | No | 467,343 | 2,103,956 | The Supreme Court of California sits in San Francisco. |
| Colorado | 1876 | Denver | 1867 | Yes | 566,974 | 2,408,750 | Denver City served as the capital of the Colorado Territory 1861-1862 and 1867-1876. |
| Connecticut | 1788 | Hartford | 1875 | No | 124,397 | 1,188,241 | Hartford also served as the capital 1639-1686 and 1689-1700, and as the co-capital with New Haven 1701-1875. |
| Delaware | 1787 | Dover | 1777 | No | 32,135 | ||
| Florida | 1845 | Tallahassee | 1824 | No | 156,612 | 336,501 | |
| Georgia | 1788 | Atlanta | 1868 | Yes | 483,108 | 5,138,223 | |
| Hawaii | 1959 | Honolulu | 1845 | Yes | 371,657 | 909,863 | |
| Idaho | 1890 | Boise | 1865 | Yes | 201,287 | 635,450 | |
| Illinois | 1818 | Springfield | 1839 | No | 111,454 | 188,951 | |
| Indiana | 1816 | Indianapolis | 1825 | Yes | 791,926 | 1,984,664 | |
| Iowa | 1846 | Des Moines | 1857 | Yes | 194,163 | 534,230 | Burlington served as the territorial capital from 1838-1846. Iowa City served as the capital from 1846-1857. |
| Kansas | 1861 | Topeka | 1856 | No | 122,327 | 228,894 | |
| Kentucky | 1792 | Frankfort | 1792 | No | 27,741 | ||
| Louisiana | 1812 | Baton Rouge | 1880 | No | 224,097 | 751,965 | Baton Rouge also served as the capital 1849-1862. |
| Maine | 1820 | Augusta | 1832 | No | 18,560 | Augusta was officially capital from 1827 but the legislature did not sit there until 1832. | |
| Maryland | 1788 | Annapolis | 1694 | No | 36,217 | Annapolis is the third longest serving capital in the United States after Santa Fe and Boston. Its capitol building is the oldest still in use. | |
| Massachusetts | 1788 | Boston | 1630 | Yes | 596,368 | 4,455,217 | Boston is the longest continuously serving capital in the United States. The Boston-Worcester-Manchester Combined Statistical Area encompasses the state capitals of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New Hampshire, and the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. |
| Michigan | 1837 | Lansing | 1847 | No | 119,128 | 454,044 | Lansing is the only state capital that is not also the county seat of the county in which it is situated. |
| Minnesota | 1858 | Saint Paul | 1849 | No | 287,151 | 3,502,891 | |
| Mississippi | 1817 | Jackson | 1821 | Yes | 184,256 | 529,456 | |
| Missouri | 1821 | Jefferson City | 1826 | No | 39,636 | ||
| Montana | 1889 | Helena | 1889 | No | 25,780 | 67,636 | |
| Nebraska | 1867 | Lincoln | 1867 | No | 225,581 | 283,970 | |
| Nevada | 1864 | Carson City | 1861 | No | 57,701 | 57,701 | |
| New Hampshire | 1788 | Concord | 1808 | No | 42,221 | The Boston-Worcester-Manchester Combined Statistical Area encompasses the state capitals of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New Hampshire, and the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. | |
| New Jersey | 1787 | Trenton | 1784 | No | 84,639 | 367,605 | |
| New Mexico | 1912 | Santa Fe | 1610 | No | 70,631 | 142,407 | Santa Fe is the longest serving capital in the United States. El Paso del Norte served as the capital of the Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico colony-in-exile during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680-1692. |
| New York | 1788 | Albany | 1797 | No | 95,993 | 1,147,850 | |
| North Carolina | 1789 | Raleigh | 1794 | No | 359,332 | 994,551 | |
| North Dakota | 1889 | Bismarck | 1883 | No | 55,532 | 101,138 | |
| Ohio | 1803 | Columbus | 1816 | Yes | 730,657 | 1,725,570 | |
| Oklahoma | 1907 | Oklahoma City | 1910 | Yes | 541,500 | 1,266,445 | Oklahoma City is the shortest serving current state capital in the United States. |
| Oregon | 1859 | Salem | 1855 | No | 149,305 | 539,203 | Salem first served as the capital in 1851, but Corvallis was briefly the capital in 1855. |
| Pennsylvania | 1787 | Harrisburg | 1812 | No | 48,950 | 384,600 | |
| Rhode Island | 1790 | Providence | 1900 | Yes | 176,862 | 1,612,989 | Providence also served as the capital 1636-1686 and 1689-1776. It was one of five co-capitals 1776-1853, and one of two co-capitals 1853-1900. The Boston-Worcester-Manchester Combined Statistical Area encompasses the state capitals of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New Hampshire, and the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. |
| South Carolina | 1788 | Columbia | 1786 | Yes | 122,819 | 703,771 | |
| South Dakota | 1889 | Pierre | 1889 | No | 13,876 | ||
| Tennessee | 1796 | Nashville | 1826 | No | 607,413 | 1,455,097 | Nashville also served as the capital 1812-1818. |
| Texas | 1845 | Austin | 1839 | No | 709,893 | 1,513,565 | |
| Utah | 1896 | Salt Lake City | 1858 | Yes | 181,743 | 1,067,722 | Fillmore served as capital of the Utah Territory 1851-1858 |
| Vermont | 1791 | Montpelier | 1805 | No | 8,035 | Montpelier is the least populous U.S. state capital. | |
| Virginia | 1788 | Richmond | 1780 | No | 195,251 | 1,194,008 | |
| Washington | 1889 | Olympia | 1853 | No | 42,514 | 234,670 | |
| West Virginia | 1863 | Charleston | 1885 | Yes | 52,700 | 305,526 | Charleston also served as the capital 1870-1875. |
| Wisconsin | 1848 | Madison | 1838 | No | 221,551 | 543,022 | |
| Wyoming | 1890 | Cheyenne | 1869 | Yes | 55,362 | 85,384 |
[edit] Insular area capitals
An insular area is a United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nation's federal district. Only five of the fourteen insular areas are populated; these are listed here. There are three additional freely associated states (Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau) and five additional disputed areas claimed by the United States and other nations; see Insular area for details.
| Insular area | Date | Capital | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 1899 | Pago Pago | 1899 | Capital de facto of the Territory of American Samoa. |
| Fagatogo | 1967 | Capital de jure of the Territory of American Samoa. | ||
| Guam | 1898 | Hagåtña | 1668 | Capital of the Territory of Guam. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1947 | Saipan | 1668 | Capital of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. |
| Puerto Rico | 1898 | San Juan | 1521 | Capital of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 1917 | Charlotte Amalie | 1871 | Capital of the United States Virgin Islands. |
[edit] Former national capitals
[edit] United States of America Image:Flag of the United States.svg
From 1765 to 1800, Congress met in numerous locations; therefore, the following cities can be said to have once been the United States capital[1]:
- Stamp Act Congress
- First Continental Congress
- Second Continental Congress
- Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: May 10 1775 to December 12 1776
- Henry Fite House - Baltimore, Maryland: December 20 1776 to February 27 1777
- Pennsylvania State House - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: March 4 1777 to September 18 1777
- Court House - Lancaster, Pennsylvania: September 27 1777 (one day)
- Court House - York, Pennsylvania: September 30 1777 to June 27 1778
- Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: July 2 1778 to March 1 1781
- Articles of Confederation
- Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: March 1 1781 to June 21 1783
- Nassau Hall - Princeton, New Jersey: June 30 1783 to November 4 1783
- Maryland State House - Annapolis, Maryland: November 26 1783 to August 19 1784
- French Arms Tavern - Trenton, New Jersey: November 1 1784 to December 24 1784
- City Hall (Federal Hall) - New York, New York: January 11 1785 to Autumn 1788
- Constitution
- New York City, New York: March 4 1789 to December 5 1790
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: December 6 1790 to May 14 1800
- New York City, New York: May 15 1800 to November 16 1800
- Washington, D.C.: November 17 1800 to present
- Leesburg, Virginia: September 1814 - When Washington was sacked by the British during the War of 1812 the government with its records and documents, including the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, fled to Virginia and took refuge in the vicinity of Leesburg
[edit] Vermont Republic Image:Flag of Vermont Republic.svg
Before joining the United States as the fourteenth state, Vermont was an independent republic known as the Vermont Republic. Two cities served as the capital of the Republic:
- Westminster, 1777
- Windsor, 1777-1791
[edit] Kingdom and Republic of Hawaii Image:Flag of Hawaii.svg
Prior to becoming a territory of the United States in 1898, Hawaii was an independent nation. Two cities served as its capital:
- Lāhainā. Served as the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, 1820–1845.
- Honolulu
- Served as the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, 1845–January 17 1893.
- Served as the seat of the Provisional Government of Hawaii after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, January 17 1893–July 4, 1894.
- Served as the capital of the Republic of Hawaii when it was established on July 4 1894 until the Republic was annexed by the United States on July 7 1898 under the Newlands Resolution to become the Territory of Hawaii.
[edit] Republic of Texas Image:Flag of Texas.svg
Before joining the United States under the Texas Annexation in 1845, Texas was an independent nation known as the Republic of Texas. Seven cities served as its capital:
- Washington (now Washington-on-the-Brazos), 1836
- Harrisburg, 1836
- Galveston, 1836
- Velasco, 1836
- West Columbia, 1836
- Houston, 1837–1839
- Austin, 1839–1845
[edit] Confederate States of America Image:Confederate National Flag since Mar 4 1865.svg
The Confederate States of America had three capitals during its existence.
The Confederate constitutional convention was held in Montgomery, Alabama in December of 1860 because it was the largest and most influential city in the geographic center of the original seven Confederate states (South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas) that planned to secede from the Union.
The first Confederate capital was established on February 4, 1861 in Montgomery and remained there until it was moved to Richmond after Virginia joined the Confederacy on May 23, 1861.
As the Army of Northern Virginia was pushed farther south and Richmond fell under the Federal guns in early 1865, the Confederate government fled using the only viable railroad line available on April 2, 1865 to Danville, VA.
The C.S.A. state capitals remained the same as when each state seceded from the Union. Some of the capitals were moved temporarily in an effort to stay ahead of the advancing Federals. As Confederate areas were occupied, the US Army established military districts to govern each area. These military districts often shifted as the war progressed and even after the war concluded through the end of Reconstruction.
Following the surrender of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in Appomattox, Virginia, which ended the American Civil War on April 9, 1865, the eleven southern states that seceded from the United States of America to create the C.S.A., gradually had their Senators and Representatives recognized and seated by Congress starting with Tennessee on July 24, 1866, then Arkansas on June 22, 1868, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina on June 25, 1868, then Alabama on July 14, 1868, then Virginia on January 26, 1870, then Mississippi on February 23, 1870, then Texas on March 30, 1870 and finally Georgia on July 15, 1870.
There is some disagreement over whether this recognition by Congress is what determines the status of 'statehood'. The US Supreme Court decision in Texas v. White raises questions on this point where the court ruled that Texas never left the Union, and essentially that once a territory is admitted and recognized as a state, it is in perpetuity a state in the Union.
- Montgomery, Alabama, February 4 1861 - May 29 1861
- Richmond, Virginia, May 6 1861 (declared) – April 3 1865
- Danville, Virginia, April 3 1865 - April 10 1865
[edit] Unrecognized national capitals
[edit] State of Muskogee Image:Flag of the Creek Nation.svg
The State of Muskogee was a short-lived Native American state in Florida. It consisted of several tribes of Creeks and Seminoles. It existed from 1799 to 1803. It had one capital:
[edit] Republic of West Florida Image:Bonnieblue.svg
The Republic of West Florida was a short-lived republic consisting of parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama.
[edit] Republic of Indian Stream
The Republic of Indian Stream was an independent nation within the present state of New Hampshire.
- Pittsburg, New Hampshire, 1832-1835
[edit] Republic of the Rio Grande Image:Flag of the Republic of Rio Grande.svg
The Republic of the Rio Grande was an independent nation including land now in Texas and Mexico.
- Laredo, Texas, January 7, 1840-January 28, 1840
- Guerrero, Tamaulipas, January 28, 1840-March 1840
- Victoria, Texas, March 1840-November 6, 1840
[edit] California Republic Image:1stBearFlag.svg
Before being annexed by the United States in 1846, California was an independent republic known as the California Republic. The California Republic was never recognized by the United States which maintained that the U.S. Military Government of California headquartered at Monterey was the legitimate government of the region. There was one de facto capital of the California Republic:
- Sonoma, 1846
[edit] Former state capitals
Most of the original Thirteen Colonies had their capitals occupied or attacked by the British during the American Revolution. State governments operated where and as they could. The City of New York was occupied by British troops from 1776 to 1783. A similar situation occurred during the War of 1812, during the American Civil War in many Confederate states, and during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680-1692 in New Mexico.
Twenty-two state capitals have been a capital longer than their state has been a state, since they served as the capital of a predecessor territory, colony, or republic. Boston, Massachusetts, has been a capital city continuously since 1630, making it the longest-running U.S. capital. Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been a capital city the longest having become capital in 1610 and interrupted only by the Pueblo Revolt of 1680-1692. Boston, Santa Fe, and Annapolis are the only three U.S. cities that have been capitals for more than 300 years.
- The state and its current capital are shown in bold.
- The year listed for each capital is the starting date; the ending date is the starting date for the successor unless otherwise indicated.
- The year in which statehood was granted is shown in bold.