A complete list of US states and their capitals

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There are a few concepts that you need to know when you want to become a trivia whiz. Whether you plan to win big on Jeopardy or just want to get the top prize at your local pub, some subjects are just essential. For those in the United States, the names of all the states and their capitals are invaluable.

Most of us only know a handful of state capitals, based on where we have lived or traveled. The longer it's been since you were in school, the more likely it is that you've forgotten a few. Here, we include all 50 state capitals and some important trivia questions and answers about them.

Note: Washington, DC is the nation's capital, so it is not counted among the state capitals.

Every State Capital

Montgomery, Alabama

Juneau, Alaska

Phoenix, Arizona

Little Rock, Arkansas

Sacramento, California

Denver, Colorado

Hartford, Connecticut

Dover, Delaware

Tallahassee, Florida

Atlanta, Georgia

Honolulu, Hawaii

Boise, Idaho

Springfield, Illinois

Indianapolis, Indiana

Des Moines, Iowa

Topeka, Kansas

Frankfort, Kentucky

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Augusta, Maine

Annapolis, Maryland

Boston, Massachusetts

Lansing, Michigan

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Jackson, Mississippi

Jefferson City, Missouri

Helena, Montana

Lincoln, Nebraska

Carson City, Nevada

Concord, New Hampshire

Trenton, New Jersey

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Albany, New York

Raleigh, North Carolina

Bismarck, North Dakota

Columbus, Ohio

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Salem, Oregon

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Providence, Rhode Island

Columbia, South Carolina

Pierre, South Dakota

Nashville, Tennessee

Austin, Texas

Salt Lake City, Utah

Montpelier, Vermont

Richmond, Virginia

Olympia, Washington

Charleston, West Virginia

Madison, Wisconsin

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Top trivia questions about state capitals

Which state capital was founded first?

Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Santa Fe was founded in 1610 by Don Pedro de Peralta. However, it wouldn't become an official state capital until 1912.

Which state capital has the highest population?

Phoenix, Arizona (1,608,139, per the 2020 census).

However, Atlanta, Georgia has the highest population if you include the metro area (6,089,815).

What state capital has the lowest population?

Montpelier, Vermont (8,074, per the 2020 census).

Pierre, South Dakota has the lowest population including its metro area (20,745).

Which state capital has the highest land area?

Juneau, Alaska (2,716.7 square miles).

The next-highest is Phoenix, Arizona, which has 517.6 square miles—more five times smaller than Juneau!

What state capital has the lowest land area?

Annapolis, Maryland (6.73 square miles).

Trenton, New Jersey comes in a close second with 7.66 square miles.

What is the hottest state capital?

Phoenix, Arizona.

Phoenix has both the highest record (122° F) and average (87.2° F) temperatures, based on 2023 records. They also have the lowest amount of precipitation.

What is the coldest state capital?

Bismarck, North Dakota.

Bismarck has both the highest record (-46° F) and average temperatures (31.3° F), based on 2023 records.

What is the northern-most state capital?

Juneau, Alaska (58°22'N)

Of those within the contiguous United States, Olympia, Washington is the farthest north, with a latitude of 46°58'N.

What is the southern-most state capital?

Honolulu, Hawaii (20°91'N).

Of those within the contiguous United States, Austin, Texas is the farthest south, with a latitude of 30°18'N. This is closely followed by Tallahassee, Florida (30°23'N).

What state capital has the highest elevation?

Santa Fe, New Mexico (7,199 ft).

While Santa Fe is not the city with the highest elevation in the US, it is the highest capital. In second place is Cheyenne, Wyoming (6,063 ft), followed by the "mile-high city" Denver (5,280 ft).

What state capital has the lowest elevation?

Providence, Rhode Island (10 ft).

The second-lowest state capital is Honolulu, Hawaii, which is only 16.4 feet above sea level.


Keep reading Ask Everest to learn more about trivia, history, and the Internet's most-asked questions.

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