US Cities Map Quiz at a Glance
The 50 biggest cities in the United States and all 50 state capitals as dots on the map. A city is named and you click its dot: the 25 biggest first, then numbers 26 to 50, then the state capitals. 11 cities are on both lists. Turn on No borders to play with no state lines and no dots. Free, no sign-up.
- Biggest cities
- 50, by the 2025 Census estimate
- State capitals
- 50
- On the map
- 89 dots (11 cities are both)
- Biggest city
- New York, 8,584,629
- Hard mode
- No borders: no state lines, no dots
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
How to Play the quiz
- Click any dot before you start to see the city and its state.
- Pick a round: the 25 biggest cities, cities 26 to 50, or the 50 state capitals. A city is named with its state and you click its dot.
- In crowded spots (the Northeast, Los Angeles, Dallas and Fort Worth, the Bay Area) a tap on a phone opens a magnifier. A click inside a dot's circle counts.
- No borders takes away the state lines and the dots: click where the city is, 100 points inside its circle and up to 90 for a near miss.
The biggest US cities
By the Census Bureau's estimate for 1 July 2025, New York has 8,584,629 people, more than the next two together: Los Angeles (3,869,089) and Chicago (2,731,585). Then come Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and Fort Worth. Texas has more of the top 50 than any other state except California. These are city limits, not metro areas: Atlanta and Miami have small city limits and huge metros.
State capitals
Some capitals are their state's biggest city, such as Phoenix, Boston, Denver, Atlanta, Indianapolis and Honolulu. Many are not: Sacramento (California), Albany (New York), Tallahassee (Florida), Springfield (Illinois) and Harrisburg (Pennsylvania). The smallest is Montpelier, Vermont, and Juneau, Alaska, cannot be reached by road.
The 50 Biggest Cities in the United States
Rank by the 2025 estimate, with the state; a star marks a state capital.
| # | City | State | People (2025 estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | New York | 8,584,629 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California | 3,869,089 |
| 3 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,731,585 |
| 4 | Houston | Texas | 2,397,315 |
| 5 | Phoenix ★ | Arizona | 1,665,481 |
| 6 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,574,281 |
| 7 | San Antonio | Texas | 1,548,422 |
| 8 | San Diego | California | 1,406,106 |
| 9 | Dallas | Texas | 1,329,491 |
| 10 | Fort Worth | Texas | 1,028,117 |
| 11 | Jacksonville | Florida | 1,017,689 |
| 12 | Austin ★ | Texas | 1,002,632 |
| 13 | San Jose | California | 989,814 |
| 14 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 964,784 |
| 15 | Columbus ★ | Ohio | 938,396 |
| 16 | Indianapolis ★ | Indiana | 901,116 |
| 17 | San Francisco | California | 826,079 |
| 18 | Seattle | Washington | 784,777 |
| 19 | Denver ★ | Colorado | 740,613 |
| 20 | Nashville ★ | Tennessee | 721,074 |
| 21 | Oklahoma City ★ | Oklahoma | 719,849 |
| 22 | Washington, D.C. | DC | 693,645 |
| 23 | El Paso | Texas | 683,012 |
| 24 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 679,817 |
| 25 | Boston ★ | Massachusetts | 672,973 |
| 26 | Detroit | Michigan | 649,095 |
| 27 | Louisville | Kentucky | 641,962 |
| 28 | Portland | Oregon | 635,109 |
| 29 | Memphis | Tennessee | 609,647 |
| 30 | Baltimore | Maryland | 569,997 |
| 31 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 562,407 |
| 32 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 556,588 |
| 33 | Fresno | California | 555,549 |
| 34 | Tucson | Arizona | 548,371 |
| 35 | Sacramento ★ | California | 536,449 |
| 36 | Atlanta ★ | Georgia | 529,110 |
| 37 | Kansas City | Missouri | 521,220 |
| 38 | Mesa | Arizona | 513,656 |
| 39 | Raleigh ★ | North Carolina | 506,306 |
| 40 | Colorado Springs | Colorado | 494,743 |
| 41 | Miami | Florida | 489,812 |
| 42 | Omaha | Nebraska | 488,797 |
| 43 | Virginia Beach | Virginia | 453,737 |
| 44 | Long Beach | California | 450,469 |
| 45 | Oakland | California | 440,838 |
| 46 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 430,324 |
| 47 | Bakersfield | California | 422,165 |
| 48 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 416,209 |
| 49 | Tampa | Florida | 413,554 |
| 50 | Aurora | Colorado | 410,053 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest city in the United States?
New York City, with 8,584,629 people in the 2025 estimate, then Los Angeles and Chicago.
Which state capital is the biggest city?
Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth biggest city in the country. Austin, Columbus, Indianapolis and Denver are also in the top 20.
Which is the smallest state capital?
Montpelier, Vermont, with about 8,000 people.
Why are Dallas and Fort Worth so close on the map?
They are about 50 km apart, the two big cities of one metro area. On a phone a tap there opens a magnifier, and a click inside a dot's circle counts.
Where do the population numbers come from?
The US Census Bureau's estimates for 1 July 2025, as listed on Wikipedia's "List of United States cities by population". They count people inside city limits.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated November 1, 2026.