Games / US State Capitals
US State Capitals Quiz
All 50 US states and their capital cities in one place — from Albany to Cheyenne — followed by a free, timed quiz. Learn the states and capitals, then test how many you can name under pressure.
Last updated July 2026
Why State Capitals Trip Everyone Up
Learning the 50 US state capitals is harder than it sounds, and the reason is simple: in most states the capital is not the biggest or best-known city. Only 17 state capitals are the largest city in their own state. The other 33 are smaller government towns that rarely make the news, which is exactly why they slip out of memory.
People confidently guess New York City for New York, Los Angeles for California, or Chicago for Illinois — and get all three wrong. The real answers are Albany, Sacramento, and Springfield. Once you accept that the capital is usually the quieter city, half the battle is won.
The Capitals That Are Not the Largest City
These are the traps that cost the most points in any state-capitals quiz — the capital is a smaller city than the famous one people expect:
New York — the capital is Albany, not New York City.
California — Sacramento, not Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Illinois — Springfield, not Chicago.
Texas — Austin, not Houston or Dallas.
Florida — Tallahassee, not Miami or Orlando.
Pennsylvania — Harrisburg, not Philadelphia.
Nevada — Carson City, not Las Vegas.
Missouri — Jefferson City, not Kansas City or St. Louis.
Learn these eight first and you have removed the most common mistakes before you even reach the smaller states.
Learn State Capitals by Region
The fastest way to memorise all 50 is to tackle them in the four US Census regions rather than alphabetically:
Northeast (9 states) — from Augusta (Maine) down to Harrisburg (Pennsylvania). This group is dense with small capitals like Montpelier, Concord, and Providence.
Midwest (12 states) — Columbus, Indianapolis, Springfield, Madison, and the Great Plains capitals such as Bismarck, Pierre, and Topeka. Several honour people: Lincoln (Nebraska), Madison (Wisconsin), Jefferson City (Missouri).
South (16 states) — Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, and Raleigh anchor this region, alongside Montgomery, Baton Rouge, and Little Rock.
West (13 states) — Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and the Pacific capitals of Sacramento, Salem, and Olympia. Santa Fe (New Mexico) is the oldest state capital in the country, founded in 1610.
Memory Tricks for the Trickiest Capitals
A few capitals reliably cause blanks. Here is how to lock them in:
Montpelier (Vermont) — the smallest state capital by population, and the only one without a McDonald's. Picture a tiny, quiet town.
Pierre (South Dakota) — pronounced "peer," not the French "pee-air." Pair it with its Dakota twin, Bismarck (North Dakota).
Frankfort (Kentucky) — not Louisville or Lexington. Think "frank" + "fort."
Annapolis (Maryland) — home of the US Naval Academy, not Baltimore.
Remember the spelling rule too: the capital is the city; the capitol (with an "o") is the domed building where the legislature meets.
There are 50 US state capitals, but only 17 of them are the largest city in their state. The most common quiz traps are Albany (New York), Sacramento (California), Springfield (Illinois), and Austin (Texas). Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest capital, Phoenix the largest, and Santa Fe — founded in 1610 — the oldest.▶ Start the US State Capitals quiz
Quiz tip: Learn the eight "not the biggest city" traps first — Albany, Sacramento, Springfield, Austin, Tallahassee, Harrisburg, Carson City, and Jefferson City — and you will avoid the most common mistakes.
States & capitals
50
Capital = largest city
Only 17 of 50
Largest capital
Phoenix, AZ (1.6M+)
Smallest capital
Montpelier, VT (~8K)
Oldest capital
Santa Fe, NM (1610)
All 50 US States and Their Capitals
| State | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | South |
| Alaska | Juneau | West |
| Arizona | Phoenix | West |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | South |
| California | Sacramento | West |
| Colorado | Denver | West |
| Connecticut | Hartford | Northeast |
| Delaware | Dover | South |
| Florida | Tallahassee | South |
| Georgia | Atlanta | South |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | West |
| Idaho | Boise | West |
| Illinois | Springfield | Midwest |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | Midwest |
| Iowa | Des Moines | Midwest |
| Kansas | Topeka | Midwest |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | South |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | South |
| Maine | Augusta | Northeast |
| Maryland | Annapolis | South |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Northeast |
| Michigan | Lansing | Midwest |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | Midwest |
| Mississippi | Jackson | South |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | Midwest |
| Montana | Helena | West |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | Midwest |
| Nevada | Carson City | West |
| New Hampshire | Concord | Northeast |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Northeast |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | West |
| New York | Albany | Northeast |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | South |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | Midwest |
| Ohio | Columbus | Midwest |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | South |
| Oregon | Salem | West |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Northeast |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Northeast |
| South Carolina | Columbia | South |
| South Dakota | Pierre | Midwest |
| Tennessee | Nashville | South |
| Texas | Austin | South |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | West |
| Vermont | Montpelier | Northeast |
| Virginia | Richmond | South |
| Washington | Olympia | West |
| West Virginia | Charleston | South |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Midwest |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | West |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 50 US state capitals?
Each of the 50 US states has one capital city, listed in full in the table below. They range from large cities like Phoenix, Boston, and Atlanta to small towns like Montpelier, Pierre, and Augusta. Only 17 of the 50 capitals are the largest city in their state.
Which state capitals are not the largest city in the state?
Most of them — only 17 state capitals are their state's largest city. The best-known exceptions are Albany (New York), Sacramento (California), Springfield (Illinois), Austin (Texas), Tallahassee (Florida), Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), Carson City (Nevada), and Jefferson City (Missouri), where the famous big city is not the capital.
What is the easiest way to learn all 50 state capitals?
Learn them by region rather than alphabetically, tackle the "not the biggest city" traps first, and use active recall — testing yourself instead of re-reading a list. Our free timed quiz does exactly that: you see a state and pick its capital from four options under a timer, which is far more effective than memorising a chart.
What is the smallest and largest US state capital?
Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest state capital by population, with only about 8,000 residents. Phoenix, Arizona is the largest, with over 1.6 million people — it is also the most populous state capital and the only one with more than a million residents.
What is the oldest state capital in the US?
Santa Fe, New Mexico is the oldest state capital in the United States, founded by Spanish colonists in 1610 — more than 165 years before American independence. It is also the highest state capital by elevation, at about 7,200 feet.
Is the state capitals quiz free?
Yes — it runs free in your browser with no download or signup. Sign in with Google to save your score.