The United States is a federation of 50 states, each with its own capital where the state government is based.
Washington, DC has been the federal capital of the United States since 1800. While the federal government governs the entire country, each state operates its own government from its designated capital.
It is a common misconception that New York City is the capital of New York or that Philadelphia is the state capital of Pennsylvania.
In reality, US state capitals are not always the largest or most well-known cities in their state. They may be relatively small cities that host the state legislature, government agencies, and the state capitol building.
Montpelier, Vermont, for example, has a population of under 10,000 residents, making it the smallest state capital in the United States.
List of US state capitals
The table below lists all 50 US state capitals along with the year they were officially designated as state capitals.
Some cities may have previously served as territorial capitals before statehood, but the years provided reflect when they officially became state capitals.
Download: Printable 50 states and capitals list.
Map of US state capitals
This map shows the locations of all 50 US state capitals across the United States.
Download: Printable US state capitals map.
How US state capitals were chosen
US state capitals were chosen based on a variety of factors.
Location, accessibility, and historical events such as the gold rush influenced why certain cities were chosen as state capitals. Some states have even had to change their capital more than once.
However, changing a state capital is an arduous process. They must gain legislative approval and a public vote to finalize the decision.
In addition, moving the capital means securing funding to relocate government buildings, employees, and resources. This would affect businesses and workers in the area, which is why many would oppose such a move.
Related resources:
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.