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State capitals are home to the offices and meeting places of state governments. The word capital is derived from the Latin caput, meaning "head." In the United States, the related term "capitol" refers to the building where government business is chiefly conducted.
All current state capitals were established by 1910.[1][2] Most states have moved their capital city at least once.[3]
States selected their capitals for a variety of reasons, including: the presence of a large population; a desire to drive settlement and economic growth to an area; historical significance, such as the first area settled; or perceived safety from historical military threats.[3]
Contents
- 1 List of capitals in the United States
- 2 State and capital populations
- 3 Did you know?
- 4 2024 legislative sessions
- 5 See also
- 6 Footnotes
List of capitals in the United States
The following table lists capitals for all 50 states. Click on the names of capitals to learn more about each capital's government structure, current leadership, recent and upcoming elections, and demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
State and capital populations
Did you know?
As of the 2020 census, 17 capitals were the largest cities in their states by population.
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Denver, Colorado
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Boise, Idaho
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Columbus, Ohio
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
Largest and smallest capitals by population:
- Phoenix, Arizona, was the largest capital by population, with 1.6 million residents as of April 1, 2020.[4]
- Montpelier, Vermont, was the smallest capital by population, with 8,074 residents as of April 1, 2020.[5]
Largest and smallest capitals by land area:
- Juneau, Alaska, is the largest capital by land area, at 3,255 square miles.[6] It was also the fifth smallest by population, with 32,255 residents as of April 1, 2020.[7]
- Annapolis, Maryland, is the smallest capital by land area, encompassing 6.73 square miles.[8] It was also the seventh smallest by population, with 40,812 residents as of April 1, 2020.[9]
2024 legislative sessions
What's happening in your state capital? Click your state on the map below to navigate to relevant legislative information.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ World Atlas, "Capital Cities Of The 50 U.S. States," updated April 25, 2017
- ↑ One World Nations Online, "Capital Cities of the USA," accessed February 4, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 International Business Times, "States Of The Union: The Weird, Bizarre, Fascinating World Of State Capitals," February 13, 2013
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Phoenix city, Arizona," accessed October 18, 2021
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Montpelier city, Vermont," accessed October 18, 2021
- ↑ Travel Juneau, "Fast Facts," accessed February 4, 2019
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Juneau city and borough, Alaska," accessed October 18, 2021
- ↑ World Atlas, "The 10 Least Populated State Capitals," accessed February 4, 2019
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Annapolis city, Maryland," accessed October 18, 2021
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