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List of capitals in the United States

(Redirected from Historical U.S. colonial capitals)

For a list of capitol buildings, see List of state and territorial capitols in the United States.

This is a list of capital cities of the United States, including places that serve or have served as federal, state, insular area, territorial, colonial and Native American capitals.

States (highlighted in purple) whose capital city is also their most populous
States (highlighted in blue) that have changed their capital city at least once

Washington, D.C. has been the federal capital of the United States since 1800. Each U.S. state has its own capital city, as do many of its insular areas. Most states have not changed their capital city since becoming a state, but the capital cities of their respective preceding colonies, territories, kingdoms, and republics typically changed multiple times. There have also been other governments within the current borders of the United States with their own capitals, such as the Republic of Texas, Native American nations, and other unrecognized governments.

National capitals

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See also: § Colonies of British America
 
The Second Continental Congress and the Congress of the Confederation met at Independence Hall at various times between 1775 and 1782, and the U.S. Congress met at the adjacent Congress Hall in the 1790s.
 
Federal Hall memorial in New York City: in an earlier building on this site, the United States Congress convened for the first time under the United States Constitution in 1789 and George Washington was sworn in as the first president
 
The west front of the current United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The buildings in cities identified in the chart below served either as official capitals of the United States under the United States Constitution, or, prior to its ratification, sites where the Second Continental Congress or Congress of the Confederation met. The United States did not have a permanent capital under the Articles of Confederation.

The U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787, and gave the Congress the power to exercise "exclusive legislation" over a district that "may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States."[1] The 1st Congress met at Federal Hall in New York.[2] In 1790, it passed the Residence Act, which established the national capital at a site along the Potomac River that would become Washington, D.C.[3] For the next ten years, Philadelphia served as the temporary capital.[4] There, Congress met at Congress Hall.[5] On November 17, 1800, the 6th United States Congress formally convened in Washington, D.C.[4] Congress has met outside of Washington only twice since: on July 16, 1987, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of ratification of the Constitution;[6] and at Federal Hall National Memorial in New York on September 6, 2002, to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks.[7] Both meetings were ceremonial.

City Building Start date End date Duration Ref
Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Independence Hall July 4, 1776[a] December 12, 1776 5 months and 8 days [8]
Baltimore, Maryland Henry Fite House December 20, 1776 February 27, 1777 2 months and 7 days [9]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Independence Hall March 5, 1777 September 18, 1777 6 months and 13 days [10]
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Court House September 27, 1777 September 27, 1777 1 day [10]
Yorktown, Pennsylvania Court House September 30, 1777 June 27, 1778 8 months and 28 days [10]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania College Hall[b] July 2, 1778 July 13, 1778 11 days [11][12][13]
Independence Hall July 14, 1778 March 1, 1781 2 years, 7 months and 15 days [14]
Congress of the Confederation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Independence Hall March 2, 1781 June 21, 1783 2 years, 3 months and 19 days [15]
Princeton, New Jersey[c] Nassau Hall June 30, 1783 November 4, 1783 4 months and 5 days [15]
Annapolis, Maryland Maryland State House November 26, 1783 August 19, 1784 8 months and 24 days [15]
Trenton, New Jersey French Arms Tavern November 1, 1784 December 24, 1784 1 month and 23 days [15]
New York, New York Federal Hall January 11, 1785 October 6, 1788 3 years, 11 months and 5 days [15]
Walter Livingston House October 6, 1788 March 3, 1789 4 months and 25 days [15]
United States Congress
New York, New York Federal Hall March 4, 1789 December 5, 1790 1 year, 9 months and 1 day [15]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Congress Hall December 6, 1790 May 14, 1800 9 years, 5 months and 8 days[d] [15]
Washington, D.C. United States Capitol November 17, 1800[e] August 24, 1814[f] 13 years, 9 months and 7 days [15]
Blodgett's Hotel September 19, 1814 December 7, 1815 1 year, 2 months and 18 days [18]
Old Brick Capitol December 4, 1815 March 3, 1819 3 years, 2 months and 27 days [19]
United States Capitol March 4, 1819 Present 205 years, 8 months and 24 days [20]

State capitals

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Each state has a capital that serves as the seat of its government. Ten of the thirteen original states and 15 other states have changed their capital city at least once; the last state to move its capital city was Oklahoma in 1910.

In the following table, the "Since" column shows the year that the city began serving as the state's capital (or the capital of the entities that preceded it). The MSA/μSA and CSA columns display the population of the metro area the city is a part of, and should not be construed to mean the population of the city's sphere of influence or that the city is an anchor for the metro area. Fields colored light yellow denote that the population is a micropolitan statistical area.

State Capital Since Area Population (2020 US Census) City rank in state
City MSA/μSA CSA
Alabama Montgomery 1846 159.8 sq mi (414 km2) 200,603 386,047 476,207 3
Alaska Juneau 1906 2,716.7 sq mi (7,036 km2) 32,255 32,255 3
Arizona Phoenix 1889 517.6 sq mi (1,341 km2) 1,608,139 4,845,832 4,899,104 1
Arkansas Little Rock 1821 116.2 sq mi (301 km2) 202,591 748,031 912,604 1
California Sacramento 1854 97.9 sq mi (254 km2) 524,943 2,397,382 2,680,831 6
Colorado Denver 1867 153.3 sq mi (397 km2) 715,522 2,963,821 3,623,560 1
Connecticut Hartford 1875 17.3 sq mi (45 km2) 121,054 1,213,531 1,482,086 4
Delaware Dover 1777 22.4 sq mi (58 km2) 39,403 181,851 7,379,700 2
Florida Tallahassee 1824 95.7 sq mi (248 km2) 196,169 384,298 8
Georgia Atlanta 1868 133.5 sq mi (346 km2) 498,715 6,089,815 6,930,423 1
Hawaii Honolulu 1845 68.4 sq mi (177 km2) 350,964 1,016,508 1
Idaho Boise 1865 63.8 sq mi (165 km2) 235,684 764,718 850,341 1
Illinois Springfield 1837 54.0 sq mi (140 km2) 114,394 208,640 308,523 7
Indiana Indianapolis 1825 361.5 sq mi (936 km2) 887,642 2,111,040 2,492,514 1
Iowa Des Moines 1857 75.8 sq mi (196 km2) 214,133 709,466 890,322 1
Kansas Topeka 1856 56.0 sq mi (145 km2) 126,587 233,152 5
Kentucky Frankfort 1792 14.7 sq mi (38 km2) 28,602 75,393 746,045 15
Louisiana Baton Rouge 1880 76.8 sq mi (199 km2) 227,470 870,569 2
Maine Augusta 1832 55.4 sq mi (143 km2) 18,899 123,642 10
Maryland Annapolis 1694 6.73 sq mi (17 km2) 40,812 2,844,510 9,973,383 7
Massachusetts Boston 1630 89.6 sq mi (232 km2) 675,647 4,941,632 8,466,186 1
Michigan Lansing 1847 35.0 sq mi (91 km2) 112,644 541,297 5
Minnesota Saint Paul 1849 52.8 sq mi (137 km2) 311,527 3,690,261 4,078,788 2
Mississippi Jackson 1821 104.9 sq mi (272 km2) 153,701 591,978 671,607 1
Missouri Jefferson City 1826 27.3 sq mi (71 km2) 43,228 150,309 15
Montana Helena 1875 14.0 sq mi (36 km2) 32,091 83,058 6
Nebraska Lincoln 1867 74.6 sq mi (193 km2) 291,082 340,217 361,921 2
Nevada Carson City 1861 143.4 sq mi (371 km2) 58,639 58,639 657,958 6
New Hampshire Concord 1808 64.3 sq mi (167 km2) 43,976 153,808 8,466,186 3
New Jersey Trenton 1784 7.66 sq mi (20 km2) 90,871 387,340 23,582,649 10
New Mexico Santa Fe 1610 37.3 sq mi (97 km2) 87,505 154,823 1,162,523 4
New York Albany 1797 21.4 sq mi (55 km2) 99,224 899,262 1,190,727 6
North Carolina Raleigh 1792 114.6 sq mi (297 km2) 467,665 1,413,982 2,106,463 2
North Dakota Bismarck 1883 26.9 sq mi (70 km2) 73,622 133,626 2
Ohio Columbus 1816 210.3 sq mi (545 km2) 905,748 2,138,926 2,544,048 1
Oklahoma Oklahoma City 1910 620.3 sq mi (1,607 km2) 681,054 1,425,695 1,498,149 1
Oregon Salem 1855 45.7 sq mi (118 km2) 175,535 433,353 3,280,736 3
Pennsylvania Harrisburg 1812 8.11 sq mi (21 km2) 50,099 591,712 1,295,259 9
Rhode Island Providence 1900 18.5 sq mi (48 km2) 190,934 1,676,579 8,466,186 1
South Carolina Columbia 1786 125.2 sq mi (324 km2) 136,632 829,470 951,412 2
South Dakota Pierre 1889 13.0 sq mi (34 km2) 14,091 20,745 9
Tennessee Nashville 1826 525.9 sq mi (1,362 km2) 689,447 1,989,519 2,118,233 1
Texas Austin 1839 305.1 sq mi (790 km2) 961,855 2,283,371 4
Utah Salt Lake City 1858 109.1 sq mi (283 km2) 199,723 1,257,936 2,701,129 1
Vermont Montpelier 1805 10.2 sq mi (26 km2) 8,074 59,807 285,369 6
Virginia Richmond 1780 60.1 sq mi (156 km2) 226,610 1,314,434 4
Washington Olympia 1853 16.7 sq mi (43 km2) 55,605 294,793 4,953,421 23
West Virginia Charleston 1885 31.6 sq mi (82 km2) 48,864 258,859 779,969 1
Wisconsin Madison 1838 68.7 sq mi (178 km2) 269,840 680,796 910,246 2
Wyoming Cheyenne 1869 21.1 sq mi (55 km2) 65,132 100,512 1
[21][22][23]

Insular area capitals

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An insular area is a United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nation's federal district. Those insular areas with territorial capitals are listed below.

Capitals of United States Insular Areas
Insular area Capital Since Pop. (2010) Notes
American Samoa Pago Pago 1899 3,656 Pago Pago refers to both a village and a group of villages, one of which is Fagatogo, the official seat of government stated in the territory's constitution.
Guam Hagåtña 1898 1,051 Dededo is the area's largest village.
Northern Mariana Islands Saipan 1947 48,220 Since the entire island, of 46 sq mi (120 km2), is organized as a single municipality, most publications designate the whole of Saipan as the Commonwealth's capital. Most government functions are based in the Capitol Hill village, except for the judicial branch which is located in Susupe.
Puerto Rico San Juan 1898 395,326 The oldest continuously inhabited U.S. state or territorial capital, San Juan was originally called Puerto Rico while the island was called San Juan Bautista.
U.S. Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie 1917 18,481 Like the rest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie (located on the island of Saint Thomas) has no local government and is directly administered by the territorial government. However, it has boundaries defined by the Virgin Islands Code and is recognized as a town by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Former national capitals

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Two of the 50 U.S. states, Hawaii and Texas, were once de jure sovereign states with diplomatic recognition from the international community.

Hawaii

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During its history as a sovereign nation (Kingdom of Hawaii, 1795–1893; Republic of Hawaii, 1894–1898), five sites served as the capital of Hawaii:

 
Honolulu twice served as the national capital of Hawaii and is now the state capital.

Annexed by the United States in 1898, Honolulu remained the capital, first of the Territory of Hawaii (1900–1959), and then of the state (since 1959).

Texas

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During its history as a sovereign nation (Republic of Texas, 1836–1845), seven sites served as the capital of Texas:

Annexed by the United States in 1845, Austin remains the capital of the state of Texas.

Native American capitals

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The Navajo Nation Council Chamber in Window Rock, Arizona is the center of government for the Navajo Nation

Some Native American tribes, in particular the Five Civilized Tribes, organized their states with constitutions and capitals in Western style. Others, like the Iroquois, had long-standing, pre-Columbian traditions of a 'capitol' longhouse where wampum and council fires were maintained with special status. Since they did business with the U.S. Federal Government, these capitals can be seen as officially recognized in some sense.

Cherokee Nation

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New Echota, now near Calhoun, Georgia, was founded in 1825, realizing the dream and plans of Cherokee Chief Major Ridge. Major Ridge chose the site because of its centrality in the historic Cherokee Nation which spanned parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, and because it was near the confluence of the Conasauga and Coosawattee rivers. The town's layout was partly inspired by Ridge's many visits to Washington D.C. and to Baltimore, but also invoked traditional themes of the Southeastern ceremonial complex. Complete with the Council House, Supreme Court, Cherokee syllabary printing press, and the houses of several of the Nation's constitutional officers, New Echota served as the capital until 1832 when the state of Georgia outlawed Native American assembly in an attempt to undermine the Nation. Thousands of Cherokee would gather in New Echota for the annual National Councils, camping along the nearby rivers and holding long stomp dances in the park-like woods that were typical of many Southeastern Native American settlements.[24]

 
The New Echota Council House (since reconstructed)

The Cherokee National council grounds were moved to Red Clay, Tennessee, on the Georgia state line, in order to evade the Georgia state militia. The log cabins, limestone springs, and park-like woods of Red Clay served as the capital until the Cherokee Nation was removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears.[24]

Tahlequah, in present-day Oklahoma, served as the capital of the original Cherokee Nation after Removal. After the Civil War, a turbulent period for the Nation which was involved in its own civil war resulting from pervasive anger and disagreements over removal from Georgia, the Cherokee Nation built a new National Capitol in Tahlequah out of brick. The building served as the capitol until 1907, when the Dawes Act finally dissolved the Cherokee Nation and Tahlequah became the county seat of Cherokee County, Oklahoma. The Cherokee National government was re-established in 1938 and Tahlequah remains the capital of the modern Cherokee Nation; it is also the capital of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.

Approximately four to eight hundred Cherokees escaped removal because they lived on a separated tract, purchased later with the help of Confederate Colonel William Holland Thomas, along the Oconaluftee River deep in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Some Cherokees fleeing the Federal Army, sent for the "round up", fled to the remote settlements separated from the rest of the Cherokee Territory in Georgia and North Carolina, in order to remain in their homeland.[25] In the 20th century, their descendants organized as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; its capital is at Cherokee, North Carolina, in the tribally-controlled Qualla Boundary.

Muscogee Creek Nation

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After Removal from their Alabama-Georgia homeland, the Creek national government met near Hot Springs which was then part of their new territory as prescribed in the Treaty of Cusseta. Because some Creeks fought with the Confederacy in the American Civil War, the Union forced the Creeks to cede over 3,000,000-acre (1,200,000 ha) - half of their land in what is now Arkansas.[26]

Served as the National capital after the American Civil War. It was probably named after Ocmulgee, on the Ocmulgee river in Macon, a principle Coosa and later Creek town built with mounds and functioning as part of the Southeastern ceremonial complex. However, there were other traditional Creek "mother-towns" before removal. The Ocmulgee mounds were ceded illegally in 1821 with the Treaty of Indian Springs.

Iroquois Confederacy

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  • Onondaga (Onondaga privilege c. 1450–present)

The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee, which means "People of the Longhouse", was an alliance between the Five and later Six-Nations of Iroquoian language and culture of upstate New York.[27] These include the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and, after 1722, the Tuscarora Nations. Since the Confederacy's formation around 1450, the Onondaga Nation has held privilege of hosting the Iroquois Grand Council and the status of Keepers of the Fire and the Wampum —which they still do at the official Longhouse on the Onondaga Reservation.[28] Now spread over reservations in New York and Ontario, the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee preserve this arrangement to this day in what they claim to be the "world's oldest representative democracy."[29]

Seneca Nation of Indians

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The Seneca Nation republic was founded in 1848 and has two capitals that rotate responsibilities every two years. Jimerson Town was founded in the 1960s following the formation of the Allegheny Reservoir. The Senecas also have an administrative longhouse in Steamburg but do not consider that location to be a capital.

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Window Rock (Navajo: Tségháhoodzání), Arizona, is a small city that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation (1936–present), the largest territory of a sovereign Native American nation in North America. It lies within the boundaries of the St. Michaels Chapter, adjacent to the Arizona and New Mexico state line. Window Rock hosts the Navajo Nation governmental campus which contains the Navajo Nation Council, Navajo Nation Supreme Court, the offices of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, and many Navajo government buildings.

Unrecognized national capitals

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There have been a handful of self-declared or undeclared nations within the current borders of the United States which were never officially recognized as legally independent sovereign entities; however, these nations did have de facto control over their respective regions during their existence.

Colonies of British America

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Stadt Huys, the original city hall of Albany, New York and meeting place of the Albany Congress in 1754.

Prior to the independence of the United States from Great Britain, declared July 4, 1776 in the Declaration of Independence and ultimately secured in the American Revolutionary War, several congresses were convened on behalf of some of the colonies of British America. However, these bodies did not address the question of independence from England, and therefore did not designate a national capital. The Second Continental Congress encompassed the period during which the United States declared independence, but had not yet established a permanent national capital.

City Building Start date End date Duration Ref
Albany Congress
Albany, New York Stadt Huys June 19, 1754 July 11, 1754 22 days [30]
Stamp Act Congress
New York, New York City Hall October 7, 1765 October 25, 1765 23 days [31]
First Continental Congress
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Carpenters' Hall September 5, 1774 October 26, 1774 1 month and 21 days [32]
Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Independence Hall May 10, 1775 July 4, 1776 (continuing after independence until December 12, 1776) 1 year, 1 month and 24 days [8]

Vermont Republic

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Before joining the United States as the fourteenth state, Vermont was an independent republic known as the Vermont Republic (1777–1791). Three cities served as the capital of the Republic:

The current capital of the State of Vermont is Montpelier.

State of Franklin

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The State of Franklin was an autonomous, secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution from territory that later was ceded by North Carolina to the federal government. Franklin's territory later became part of the state of Tennessee. Franklin was never officially admitted into the Union of the United States and existed for only four years.

State of Muskogee

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The State of Muskogee was a Native American state in Spanish Florida created by the Englishman William Augustus Bowles, who was its "Director General", author of its Constitution, and designer of its flag.[33] It consisted of several tribes of Creeks and Seminoles. It existed from 1799 to 1803. It had one capital:

Republic of West Florida

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The Republic of West Florida was a short-lived nation that broke away from the territory of Spanish West Florida in 1810. It comprised the Florida Parishes of the modern state of Louisiana and the Mobile District of the modern states of Mississippi and Alabama. (The Republic of West Florida did not include any part of the modern state of Florida.) Ownership of the area had been in dispute between Spain and the United States, which claimed that it had been included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Within two months of the settlers' rebellion and the declaration of an independent nation, President James Madison sent American forces to peaceably occupy the new republic. It was formally annexed by the United States in 1812 over the objections of Spain and the land was divided between the Territory of Orleans and Territory of Mississippi. During its brief existence, the capital of the Republic of West Florida was:

Republic of Indian Stream

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The Republic of Indian Stream was an unrecognized independent nation within the present state of New Hampshire.

California Republic

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Before being annexed by the United States in 1848 (following the Mexican–American War), a small portion of north-central California declared itself the California Republic, in an act of independence from Mexico, in 1846 (see Bear Flag Revolt). The republic only existed a month before it disbanded itself to join the advancing American army; its claimed territory later became part of the United States as a result of the Mexican Cession.

 
The original of Todd's Bear Flag, photographed in 1890
 
Modern flag of the State of California

The very short-lived California Republic was never recognized by the United States, Mexico or any other nation. The flag, featuring a silhouette of a California grizzly bear, a star, and the words "California Republic", became known as the Bear Flag and was later the basis for the official state flag of California.

There was one de facto capital of the California Republic:

Confederate States

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Richmond served as the second capital of the Confederate States of America. The city has been Virginia's capital since 1780.

The Confederate States of America (C.S.A.) had two capitals during its existence. The first capital was established February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, and remained there until it was moved to Richmond, Virginia, on May 29, 1861, after Virginia seceded on May 23.

The individual state capitals remained the same in the Confederacy as they had been in the Union (U.S.A.), although as the advancing Union Army used those cities for military districts, some of the Confederate governments were relocated or moved out of state, traveling along with secessionist armies.

Free State of Jones

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In 1863 and 1864, Jones County, Mississippi revolted against Confederate rule and became practically independent under the name Free State of Jones. The Free State fought a number of skirmishes with Confederate troops. By the spring of 1864 the Jones County rebels had taken effective control of the county from the Confederate government, raised an American flag over the courthouse in Ellisville, and sent a letter to Union General William T. Sherman declaring Jones County's independence from the Confederacy.[35]

Scholars have disputed whether the county truly seceded, with some concluding it did not fully secede. Lack of documentation makes the situation difficult to assess. The rebellion in Jones County has been variously characterized as consisting of local skirmishes to being a full-fledged war of independence.[35]

Historical state, colonial, and territorial capitals

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Most of the original Thirteen Colonies had their capitals occupied or attacked by the British during the American Revolutionary War. State governments operated where and as they could. The City of New York was occupied by British troops from 1776 to 1783. A similar situation occurred during the War of 1812, during the American Civil War in many Confederate states, and during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680–1692 in New Mexico.

 
St. Augustine served as Florida's capital from 1565 until the 1820s.[36]

Twenty-two state capitals have been a capital longer than their state has been a state, since they served as the capital of a predecessor territory, colony, or republic. Boston, Massachusetts, has been a capital city since 1630; it is the oldest continuously running capital in the United States. Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the oldest capital city, having become capital in 1610 and interrupted only by the aforementioned Pueblo Revolt. An even older Spanish city, St. Augustine, Florida, served as a colonial capital from 1565 until about 1820, more than 250 years.

The table below includes the following information:

  1. The state, the year in which statehood was granted, and the state's capital are shown in bold type. NOTE: For the first thirteen states, formerly the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain on the Atlantic seaboard, the year of statehood is shown as 1776 (United States Declaration of Independence) rather than the subsequent year each state ratified the 1787 United States Constitution. (See List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union.)
  2. The year listed for each capital is the starting date; the ending date is the starting date for the successor unless otherwise indicated.
  3. In many cases, capital cities of historical jurisdictions were outside of a state's present borders. (Those cities are generally indicated with the two-letter abbreviation for the U.S. state in which the former administrative capital is now located.)
Historical capitals in the United States of America
State Capital Date Notes
Alabama[37]
Statehood in 1819 		San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish colony of La Florida.[g]
Savannah (GA) 1733 Capital of the British proprietary Colony of Georgia.
1755 Capital of the British Province of Georgia.
1776 Capitals of the State of Georgia.
Augusta (GA) 1778
Heard's Fort (GA) 1780
Augusta (GA) 1781
Savannah (GA) 1782
Ebenezer (GA) 1782
Savannah (GA) 1784
Augusta (GA) 1786
Louisville (GA) 1796
Natchez (MS) 1798 Capitals of the Mississippi Territory.
Washington (MS) 1802
St. Stephens 1817 Capital of the Alabama Territory.
Huntsville 1819 Capitals of the State of Alabama.
Cahawba 1820
Tuscaloosa 1826
Montgomery 1846 Capital of the State of Alabama.
(Capital of the Confederate States of America in 1861.)
Alaska[38]
Statehood in 1959 		Novo-Arkhangelsk
Sitka		 1808 Capital of the Russian colony of Alaska.
1867 Capital of the Department of Alaska.
1900 Capitals of the District of Alaska.
Juneau 1906
1912 Capital of the Territory of Alaska.
1959 Capital of the State of Alaska.
Arizona[39]
Statehood in 1912 		Santa Fe (NM) 1848 Capital of the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico 1848–1850.
1850 Capital of the U.S. Territory of New Mexico 1850–1912.
Mesilla (NM) 1862 Capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona (southern New Mexico and Arizona 1862).
San Antonio (TX) 1862 Capital of the government-in-exile of the Confederate Territory of Arizona 1862–1865.
Fort Whipple 1864 Capitals of the U.S. Territory of Arizona.
Prescott 1864
Tucson 1867
Prescott 1877
Phoenix 1889
1912 Capital of the State of Arizona.
Arkansas[40]
Statehood in 1836 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of La Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Louisiana Territory.
1812 Capital of the Missouri Territory.
Arkansas Post 1819 Capitals of the Arkansaw Territory.[h]
Little Rock 1821
1836 Capital of the State of Arkansas.[h]
(Washington was the Confederate state capital 1863–1865.)
California[41]
Statehood in 1850 		Loreto (BCS) 1770 Capitals of the Spanish Virreinato de la Nueva España colonies of las Californias.
Presidio Reál de San Carlos de Monterey


Monterey

 1777
1804 Capital of the Spanish Virreinato de la Nueva España province of Alta California.
1821 Capital of the Mexican province of Alta California.
1846 Capital of the U.S. military government of California.
1849 Capital of the Provisional Government of California.
Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe 1850 Capitals of the State of California.
Vallejo 1852
Benicia 1853
Sacramento[i] 1854
Colorado[42]
Statehood in 1876 		Denver City[j] 1859 Capitals of the extralegal Territory of Jefferson.
Golden City 1860
Denver City 1861 Capitals of the Territory of Colorado.
Colorado City 1862
Golden City 1862
Denver[k] 1867
1876 Capital of the State of Colorado.
Connecticut
Statehood in 1776 		Fort Amsterdam (NY) 1625 Capital of the Dutch colony of Nieuw-Nederland.
Hartford 1639 Capital of the English Colony of Connecticut 1639–1686.
New-Haven 1640 Capital of the English Colony of New-Haven until its merger into the Connecticut Colony in 1662.
Boston (MA) 1686 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America.
Hartford 1689 Capital of the English Colony of Connecticut.
joint capitals 1701 Hartford and New-Haven served as the "co-capitals" of the English Colony of Connecticut, with the Assembly holding its May session in Hartford and its October session in New-Haven.
1707 Hartford and New-Haven joint capitals of the British Colony of Connecticut.
1776 Hartford and New Haven joint capitals of the State of Connecticut.
Hartford 1875 Capital of the State of Connecticut.
Delaware
Statehood in 1776 		Fort Christina 1638 Capital of the Swedish colony of Nya Sverige.
Fort Amsterdam
Nieuw-Amsterdam
New-York
Nieuw-Oranje
New-York (NY)		 1655 Capital of the Dutch province of Nieuw-Nederland.
1664 Capital of the English Colony of New-York.
1673 Capital of the Dutch military government of Nieuw-Nederland.
1674 Capital of the English Colony of New-York.
Philadelphia (PA) 1682 Capital of the English Colony of Pennsylvania.
New Castle 1704 Capital of the English Lower Counties on the Delaware.
1707 Capital of the British Lower Counties on the Delaware.
1776 Capitals of the State of Delaware.
Dover 1777
Florida[43]
Statehood in 1845 		Fort de la Caroline 1564 Capital of the French colony of La Caroline 1564–1565.
San Agustín
St. Augustine		 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida 1565–1763.[g]
1763 Capital of the British province of East Florida 1763–1783.
1783 Capital of the Spanish province of Florida Oriental 1783–1821.
Santa María de Ochuse
Pensacola		 1763 Capital of the British province of British West Florida 1763–1783.
1783 Capital of the Spanish province of Florida Occidental 1783–1821.
Tallahassee 1824 Capital of the Florida Territory.
1845 Capital of the State of Florida.
Georgia[44]
Statehood in 1776 		Fort de la Caroline 1564 Capital of the French colony of La Caroline 1564–1565.
San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida.[g]
Savannah 1733 Capital of the British proprietary Colony of Georgia.
1755 Capital of the British Province of Georgia.
1776 Capitals of the State of Georgia.
Augusta 1778
Heard's Fort 1780
Augusta 1781
Savannah 1782
Ebenezer 1782
Savannah 1784
Augusta 1786
Louisville 1796
Milledgeville 1807
Macon 1864
Milledgeville 1865
Atlanta 1868
Hawaii
Statehood in 1959 		Lahaina 1820 Capitals of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Honolulu 1845
1894 Capital of the Republic of Hawaii.
1898 Capital of the Territory of Hawaii.
1959 Capital of the State of Hawaiʻi.
Idaho[45]
Statehood in 1890 		Oregon City (OR) 1843 Capital of the Provisional Government of Oregon in the Oregon Country.[46]
1848 Capitals of the Territory of Oregon (all of Idaho 1848–1853, southern Idaho 1853–1859).
Salem (OR) 1851
Olympia (WA) 1853 Capital of the Territory of Washington (northern Idaho 1853–1859, all of Idaho 1859–1863).
Lewiston 1863 Capitals of the Territory of Idaho.
Boise 1865
1890 Capital of the State of Idaho.
Illinois[47]
Statehood in 1818 		Marietta (OH) 1788 Capital of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio.
Vincennes (IN) 1800 Capital of the Territory of Indiana.
Kaskaskia 1809 Capital of the Territory of Illinois.
1818 Capitals of the State of Illinois.
Vandalia 1820
Springfield 1839
Indiana
Statehood in 1816 		Marietta (OH) 1788 Capital of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio.
Vincennes 1800 Capitals of the Territory of Indiana.
Corydon 1813
1816 Capitals of the State of Indiana.
Indianapolis 1825
Iowa[48]
Statehood in 1846 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of La Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Louisiana Territory.
1812 Capital of the Missouri Territory (1812–1821).
Detroit (MI) 1834 Capital of the Territory of Michigan.
Belmont (WI) 1836 Capitals of the Territory of Wisconsin.
Burlington 1837
1838 Capitals of the Territory of Iowa.
Iowa City 1841
1846 Capitals of the State of Iowa.
Des Moines 1857
Kansas[49]
Statehood in 1861 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of La Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Louisiana Territory.
1812 Capital of the Missouri Territory (1812–1821).
Pawnee 1855 Capital of the Kansas Territory (July 2 – 6).
Shawnee Mission 1855 Capital of the Kansas Territory.
Lecompton 1856 Capital de jure (pro-slavery) of the Territory of Kansas.
Topeka Capital de facto (anti-slavery) of the Territory of Kansas.
Minneola 1858 Declared capital by territorial legislature, although this action was later declared void.[50]
Topeka 1861 Capital of the State of Kansas.
Kentucky[51]
Statehood in 1792 		Williamsburg (VA) 1699 Capital of the English Colony of Virginia.
1707 Capital of the British Colony of Virginia.
1776 Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Richmond (VA) 1780
Frankfort 1792 Capital of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
(The government initially met at Lexington but Frankfort was quickly named the capital. Bowling Green was the rival Confederate state capital 1861–62).
Louisiana[l]
Statehood in 1812 		San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida.[g]
La Mobile (AL) 1702 Capitals of the French colony of La Louisiane.
Bilocci (MS) 1720
La Nouvelle-Orléans
Nueva Orleans
New Orleans		 1722
1763 Capital of the Spanish district of Baja Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of La Basse-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the Territory of Orleans.
1812 Capitals of the State of Louisiana.
(After the Union captured New Orleans in 1862, the Confederate seat of government relocated to Opelousas in 1862 and then to Shreveport in 1863.)
Donaldsonville 1830
New Orleans 1831
Baton Rouge 1849
New Orleans 1864
Baton Rouge 1882
Maine[52]
Statehood in 1820 		Île Sainte-Croix 1604 Capitals of the French colony of l'Acadie.
Port-Royal (NS) 1605
Boston (MA) 1630 Capital of the English Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
1686 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America.
1689 Capital of the dissident Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
1691 Capital of the English Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1707 Capital of the British Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1774 Capital of the dissident Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1776 Capital of the State of Massachusetts Bay.
1780 Capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Portland 1820 Capital of the State of Maine.
1827 Capital de facto of the State of Maine.
Augusta Capital de jure of the State of Maine.
1832 Capital of the State of Maine.
Maryland[53]
Statehood in 1776 		St. Mary's City 1634 Capital of the English proprietary Colony of Maryland.
Anne Arundel's Towne
Annapolis

 1694 Capital of the English Province of Maryland.
1707 Capital of the British Province of Maryland.
1776 Capital of the State of Maryland.
(Capital of the United States of America 1783–1784.)
Massachusetts
Statehood in 1776 		Plimouth 1620 Capital of the English Colony of New-Plimouth 1620–1686.
Boston 1630 Capital of the English Colony of Massachusetts Bay 1630–1686.
1686 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America 1686–1689.
Plimouth 1688 Capital of the dissident Colony of New-Plimouth 1688–1692.
Boston 1689 Capital of the dissident Colony of Massachusetts Bay 1689–1692.
1692 Capital of the English Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1707 Capital of the British Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1774 Capital of the dissident Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1776 Capital of the State of Massachusetts Bay.
1780 Capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Michigan[54]
Statehood in 1837 		Marietta (OH) 1788 Capitals of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio (all of Michigan 1788–1800, eastern Michigan 1800–1803).
Chillicothe (OH) 1800
Vincennes (IN) Capitals of the Territory of Indiana (western Michigan 1800–1803; all of Michigan 1803–1805, a portion of the Upper Peninsula 1805–1816).
Corydon (IN) 1813
Detroit 1805 Capital of the Territory of Michigan (Lower Peninsula 1805–1818, all of Michigan 1818–1837).
(Detroit was occupied by British Armed Forces 1812–1813).
1837 Capitals of the State of Michigan.
Lansing 1847
Minnesota[55]
Statehood in 1858 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana 1765–1800.
1800 Capital of the French district of la Haute-Louisiane (west of Mississippi River 1800–1804).
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (west of Mississippi River under the authority of the Indiana Territory 1804–1805).
1805 Capital of the Territory of Louisiana (west of Mississippi River 1805–1812).
1812 Capital of the Territory of Missouri (west of Mississippi River 1812–1821).
Marietta (OH) 1788 Capital of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio (east of Mississippi River 1788–1800).
Vincennes (IN) 1800 Capital of the Territory of Indiana (east of Mississippi River 1800–1809).
Kaskaskia (IL) 1809 Capital of the Territory of Illinois (east of Mississippi River 1809–1818).
Detroit (MI) 1818 Capital of the Territory of Michigan (east of Mississippi River 1818–1834, all of Minnesota 1834–1836).
Belmont (WI) 1836 Capitals of the Territory of Wisconsin.
Burlington (IA) 1837
1838 Capital of the Territory of Iowa (west of Mississippi River 1838–1841).
Madison (WI) Capital of the Territory of Wisconsin (east of Mississippi River 1838–1848).
Iowa City (IA) 1841 Capital of the Territory of Iowa (west of Mississippi River 1841–1846).
Saint Paul 1849 Capital of the Territory of Minnesota.
1858 Capital of the State of Minnesota.
Mississippi[56]
Statehood in 1817 		San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida.[g]
Savannah (GA) 1733 Capital of the British proprietary Colony of Georgia.
1755 Capital of the British Province of Georgia.
1776 Capitals of the State of Georgia.
Augusta (GA) 1778
Heard's Fort (GA) 1780
Augusta (GA) 1781
Savannah (GA) 1782
Ebenezer (GA) 1782
Savannah (GA) 1784
Augusta (GA) 1786
Louisville (GA) 1796
Natchez 1798 Capitals of the Territory of Mississippi.
Washington 1802
Natchez 1817 Capitals of the State of Mississippi.
Jackson 1821
Missouri
Statehood in 1821 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of La Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Louisiana Territory.
1812 Capital of the Missouri Territory.
Saint Charles 1821 Capitals of the State of Missouri.
(A Confederate state government in exile operated from Neosho 1861–1863, and from Marshall, Texas, 1863–1865).
Jefferson City 1826
Montana[57]
Statehood in 1889 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana (east of Continental Divide 1763–1800.)
1800 Capital of the French district of la Haute-Louisiane (east of Continental Divide 1800–1804).
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (east of Continental Divide under the authority of the Indiana Territory 1804–1805).
1805 Capital of the Territory of Louisiana (east of Continental Divide 1805–1812).
1812 Capital of the Territory of Missouri (east of Continental Divide 1812–1821).
Fort Vancouver (WA) 1825 Capital de facto of the Oregon Country (west of Continental Divide 1818–1843).
Oregon City (OR) 1843 Capital of the Provisional Government of Oregon (west of Continental Divide 1843–1848).
1848 Capitals of the Territory of Oregon (west of Continental Divide 1848–1853).
Salem (OR) 1851
Olympia (WA) 1853 Capital of the Territory of Washington (west of Continental Divide 1853–1863).
Omaha (NE) 1854 Capital of the Territory of Nebraska (east of Continental Divide 1854–1861).
Yankton (SD) 1861 Capital of the Territory of Dakota (east of Continental Divide 1861–1863).
Lewiston (ID) 1863 Capital of the Territory of Idaho.
Bannack 1864 Capitals of the Territory of Montana.
Virginia City 1865
Helena 1875
1889 Capital of the State of Montana.
Nebraska
Statehood in 1867 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of la Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Territory of Louisiana.
1812 Capital of the Territory of Missouri (1812–1821).
Omaha 1854 Capitals of the Territory of Nebraska.
Lancaster
Lincoln		 1867
1867 Capital of the State of Nebraska.
Nevada[58]
Statehood in 1864 		Fillmore (UT) 1850 Capitals of the Territory of Utah.
Salt Lake City (UT) 1858
Genoa 1861 Capital of the Territory of Nevada.
Carson City 1861 Capital of the Territory of Nevada.
1864 Capital of the State of Nevada.
New Hampshire[59]
Statehood in 1776 		Boston (MA) 1630 Capital of the English Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
Portsmouth 1680 Capital of the English Province of New Hampshire.
Boston (MA) 1686 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America.
Portsmouth 1689 Capital of the dissident Province of New Hampshire.
1691 Capital of the English Province of New Hampshire.
1698 Capital of the English Province of New Hampshire under jurisdiction of the Royal Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1707 Capital of the British Province of New Hampshire under jurisdiction of the Royal Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
1741 Capital of the British Province of New Hampshire.
Exeter 1775 Capital of the Revolutionary War government of New Hampshire.
1776 Capitals of the State of New Hampshire.
Concord 1808
New Jersey
Statehood in 1776 		Fort Amsterdam (NY)

New-York (NY)		 1625 Capital of the Dutch colony of Nieuw-Nederland.
1652 Capital of the Dutch province of Nieuw-Nederland.
1664 Capital of the English Province of New York.
Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth) 1665 Capital of the English Province of New Jersey.
Perth Amboy 1673 Capital of the English Province of East Jersey 1673–1688.
Burlington Capital of the English Province of West Jersey 1673–1688.
Boston (MA) 1688 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America 1688–1689.
Perth Amboy 1689 Capital of the English Province of East Jersey 1689–1702.
Burlington Capital of the English Province of West Jersey 1689–1702.
joint capitals 1702 East Jersey and West Jersey were re-united as the English Province of New Jersey in 1702. Perth Amboy and Burlington served jointly as the capital until 1784.
1707 Joint capitals of the British Province of New Jersey.
1776 Joint capitals of the State of New Jersey.
Trenton 1784 Capital of the State of New Jersey.
(Capital of the United States of America in 1784).
New Mexico
Statehood in 1912 		San Juan de los Caballeros 1598 Capitals of the Spanish Virreinato de la Nueva España province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís 1610
El Paso del Norte (now Ciudad Juárez CHH) 1680 Capital of the Spanish Virreinato de la Nueva España province-in-exile of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (Pueblo Revolt 1680–1692).
La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís

Santa Fe		 1692 Capital of the Spanish Virreinato de la Nueva España province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
1821 Capital of the Mexican province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
1824 Capital of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
1846 Capital of the U.S. military government of New Mexico 1846.
1846 Capital of the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico 1846–1850.
1850 Capital of the U.S. Territory of New Mexico 1850–1912.
Santa Fe 1912 Capital of the State of New Mexico.
New York
Statehood in 1776 		Fort Amsterdam
Nieuw-Amsterdam
New-York
Nieuw-Oranje
New-York		 1625 Capital of the Dutch colony of Nieuw-Nederland (Novum Belgium).
1652 Capital of the Dutch province of Nieuw-Nederland.
1664 Capital of the English Province of New York.
1673 Capital of the Dutch military government of Nieuw-Nederland.
1674 Capital of the English Province of New York.
Boston (MA) 1688 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America.
New-York 1689 Capital of the dissident government of New-York.
1691 Capital of the English Province of New York.
1707 Capital of the British Province of New York.
1776 Capitals of the State of New York.
Kingston 1777
Hurley 1777
Poughkeepsie 1777
New York 1788 Capital of the State of New York.
(Capital of the United States of America 1785–1788 and 1789–1790).
Albany 1797 Capital of the State of New York.
North Carolina
Statehood in 1776 		San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida.[g]
Charlestown (SC)[m] 1670 Capital of the English Province of Carolina.
1707 Capital of the British Province of Carolina.
New Bern 1712 Capital of the British Province of North Carolina.
1776 Capitals of the State of North Carolina.
Fayetteville 1789
Raleigh 1794
North Dakota
Statehood in 1889 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of la Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Territory of Louisiana.
1812 Capital of the Territory of Missouri (1812–1821).
Detroit (MI) 1834 Capital of the Territory of Michigan (east of Missouri River and White Earth River 1834–1836).
Belmont (WI) 1836 Capitals of the Territory of Wisconsin (east of Missouri River and White Earth River 1836–1838).
Burlington (IA) 1837
1838 Capitals of the Territory of Iowa (east of Missouri River and White Earth River 1838–1846).
Iowa City (IA) 1841
Saint Paul (MN) 1849 Capital of the Territory of Minnesota (east of Missouri River and White Earth River 1849–1858).
Omaha (NE) 1854 Capital of the Territory of Nebraska (west of Missouri River or White Earth River 1854–1861).
Yankton (SD) 1861 Capitals of the Territory of Dakota.
Bismarck 1883
1889 Capital of the State of North Dakota.
Ohio
Statehood in 1803 		Marietta 1788 Capitals of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio.
Chillicothe 1800
1803 Capitals of the State of Ohio.
Zanesville 1810
Chillicothe 1812
Columbus 1816
Oklahoma
Statehood in 1907 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of la Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory).
1805 Capital of the Territory of Louisiana.
1812 Capital of the Territory of Missouri.
Arkansas Post (AR) 1819 Capitals of the Territory of Arkansaw[h] (south of the parallel 36°30' north 1819–1824, southeastern Oklahoma 1824–1828).
Little Rock (AR) 1821
Fort Gibson 1824 De facto capital of the Indian Territory.
Tahlequah 1838 Capital of the Cherokee Nation.
Tuskahoma 1838 Capital of the Choctaw Nation.
Tishomingo 1855 Capital of the Chickasaw Nation.
Wewoka 1866 Capital of the Seminole Nation.
Okmulgee 1867 Capital of the Creek Nation.
Pawhuska 1872 Capital of the Osage Nation.
Guthrie 1889 Capital of the Territory of Oklahoma.
1907 Capitals of the State of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma City 1910
Oregon[61]
Statehood in 1859 		Champoeg 1843 Temporary capital of the disputed Oregon Country.
Oregon City 1843 Capital of the Provisional Government of Oregon in the Oregon Country.[46]
1848 Capitals of the Territory of Oregon.
Salem 1851
Corvallis 1855
Salem 1855
1859 Capital of the State of Oregon.
Pennsylvania[62]
Statehood in 1776 		Fort Christina 1638 Capital of the Swedish colony of Nya Sverige.
Philadelphia 1682 Capital of the English proprietary Colony of Pennsylvania.
1707 Capital of the British proprietary Colony of Pennsylvania.
1776 Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(Capital of the United States of America 1776, 1777, 1778–1783, and 1790–1800).
Lancaster 1799 Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(Capital of the United States of America 1777).
Harrisburg 1812 Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island
Statehood in 1776 		Providence 1636 Capital of the English Colony of Providence 1636–1644.
Portsmouth 1639 Capital of the English Colony of Aquidneck Island 1639–1644.
1644 Capital of the English Colony of Rhode Island.
Providence 1644 Capital of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Boston (MA) 1686 Capital of the English Dominion of New-England in America.
Providence 1689 Capital of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
1707 Capital of the British Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
five capitals 1776 From 1776 to 1853, the legislature of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations rotated among the county seats of the state's five counties: Providence, Newport, East Greenwich, South Kingstown, and Bristol.
joint capitals 1854 From 1854 to 1899, the legislature of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations alternated sessions between Providence and Newport.
Providence 1900 Capital of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
2020 Capital of the State of Rhode Island.
South Carolina
Statehood in 1776 		Charlesfort (FL) 1562 Capital of the French colony of Floride françoise.
San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida.[g]
Charlestown[m] 1670 Capital of the English Province of Carolina.
1707 Capital of the British Province of Carolina.
1712 Capital of the British Province of South Carolina.
1776 Capitals of the State of South Carolina.
Columbia 1786
South Dakota
Statehood in 1889 		Saint-Louis
San Luis
St. Louis (MO)		 1765 Capital of the Spanish (though predominantly Francophone) district of Alta Louisiana.
1800 Capital of the French district of la Haute-Louisiane.
1804 Capital of the District of Louisiana (under the authority of the Indiana Territory.)
1805 Capital of the Territory of Louisiana.
1812 Capital of the Territory of Missouri (1812–1821).
Detroit (MI) 1834 Capital of the Territory of Michigan (east of Missouri River 1834–1836).
Belmont (WI) 1836 Capitals of the Territory of Wisconsin (east of Missouri River 1836–1838).
Burlington (IA) 1837
1838 Capitals of the Territory of Iowa (east of Missouri River 1838–1846).
Iowa City (IA) 1841
Saint Paul (MN) 1849 Capital of the Territory of Minnesota (east of Missouri River 1849–1858).
Omaha (NE) 1854 Capital of the Territory of Nebraska (west of Missouri River 1854–1861).
Yankton 1861 Capitals of the Territory of Dakota.
Bismarck (ND) 1883
Pierre 1889 Capital of the State of South Dakota.
Tennessee[63]
Statehood in 1796 		New Bern (NC) 1712 Capital of the British Province of North Carolina.
1776 Capital of the State of North Carolina.
Rocky Mount 1790 Capitals of the Territory South of the River Ohio.
White's Fort
Knoxville		 1791
1796 Capital of the State of Tennessee.
Kingston 1807 Capital of the State of Tennessee for one day in 1807 to fulfill treaty obligations with the Cherokee Nation.
Knoxville 1807 Capitals of the State of Tennessee.
Nashville 1812
Knoxville 1817
Murfreesboro 1818
Nashville 1826
Texas
Statehood in 1845 		Los Adaes (LA) 1729 Capitals of the Spanish province of Tejas.
San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio) 1772
Saltillo (COA) 1824 Capitals of the Mexican province of Coahuila y Tejas.
Monclova (COA) 1833
San Felipe de Austin 1835 Capital of the Provisional Government of Texas.
Washington (now Washington-on-the-Brazos) 1836 Capitals of the Republic of Texas.
Galveston 1836
Harrisburg 1836
Velasco 1836
Columbia 1836
Houston 1837
Austin 1839
1845 Capital of the State of Texas.
Utah
Statehood in 1896 		Salt Lake City 1849 Capital of the extralegal State of Deseret.
Fillmore 1850 Capitals of the Territory of Utah.
Salt Lake City 1858
1896 Capital of the State of Utah.
Vermont[64]
Statehood in 1791 		Westminster 1777 Capitals of the Republic of New Connecticut.
Windsor 1777
1777 Capital of the Vermont Republic.
1791 Capitals of the State of Vermont.
Montpelier 1805
Virginia[65]
Statehood in 1776 		San Agustín (FL) 1565 Capital of the Spanish province of La Florida.[g]
Jamestown 1607 Capitals of the English Colony of Virginia.
Middle Plantation
Williamsburg		 1698
1707 Capital of the British Colony of Virginia.
1776 Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Richmond 1780 Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
(Capital of the Confederate States of America 1861–1865.)
(A rival pro-Union state government operated from Wheeling 1861–1863 and from Alexandria 1863–1865).
Washington[66]
Statehood in 1889 		Champoeg (OR) 1843 Temporary capital of the disputed Oregon Country.
Oregon City (OR) 1843 Capital of the Provisional Government of Oregon in the Oregon Country.[46]
1848 Capitals of the Territory of Oregon.
Salem (OR) 1851
Olympia 1853 Capital of the Territory of Washington.
1889 Capital of the State of Washington.
West Virginia
Statehood in 1863 		Jamestown (VA) 1619 Capitals of the English Colony of Virginia.
Middle Plantation (VA)
Williamsburg (VA)		 1698
1707 Capital of the British Colony of Virginia.
1776 Capitals of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Richmond (VA) 1780
Wheeling 1861 Capital of the rival pro-Union government of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
1863 Capitals of the State of West Virginia.
Charleston 1870
Wheeling 1875
Charleston 1885
Wisconsin[67]
Statehood in 1848 		Marietta (OH) 1788 Capital of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio.
Vincennes (IN) 1800 Capital of the Territory of Indiana.
Kaskaskia (IL) 1809 Capital of the Territory of Illinois.
Detroit (MI) 1818 Capital of the Territory of Michigan.
Belmont 1836 Capitals of the Territory of Wisconsin.
Burlington (IA) 1837
Madison 1838
1848 Capital of the State of Wisconsin.
Wyoming[68]
Statehood in 1890 		Lewiston (ID) 1863 Capital of the Territory of Idaho.
Yankton (SD) 1864 Capital of the Territory of Dakota.
Cheyenne 1869 Capital of the Territory of Wyoming.
1890 Capital of the State of Wyoming.

See also

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^ Convened May 10, 1775, prior to independence.
  2. ^ Extensive damage to Independence Hall during the British Occupation of Philadelphia, necessitated this temporary meeting place.
  3. ^ Congress was forced to move from Philadelphia due to a riot of angry soldiers. See: Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783
  4. ^ Government offices were evacuated to Trenton, New Jersey, from August to November 1799 following an outbreak of yellow fever in Philadelphia.
  5. ^ The District of Columbia was formed February 27, 1801, with the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801. The city of Washington was founded in 1791 and construction of the new capital began while it was still part of Maryland. President John Adams moved to the White House on November 1, 1800 and the 6th United States Congress held its first session in Washington on November 17, 1800.[16]
  6. ^ President James Madison fled to the home of Caleb Bentley in Brookeville, Maryland following the burning of Washington on August 24–25, 1814. As such, the town claims to have been the "U.S. Capital for a Day" despite the fact that Congress never met there.[17]
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h The Spanish name La Florida originally referred to all of the American continent north of Mexico. As other European nations colonized North America, the extent of La Florida shrank to encompass only the Spanish territorial claims in the southeastern portion of the present United States.
  8. ^ a b c The name Arkansas has been pronounced and spelled in a variety of fashions. The region was organized as the Territory of Arkansaw on July 4, 1819, but the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas on June 15, 1836. The name was historically pronounced /ˈɑːrkənsɔː/, /ɑːrˈkænzəs/, and several other variants. In 1881, the Arkansas General Assembly passed the following concurrent resolution (Arkansas Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 4, Section 105):

    Whereas, confusion of practice has arisen in the pronunciation of the name of our state and it is deemed important that the true pronunciation should be determined for use in oral official proceedings.

    And, whereas, the matter has been thoroughly investigated by the State Historical Society and the Eclectic Society of Little Rock, which have agreed upon the correct pronunciation as derived from history, and the early usage of the American immigrants.

    Be it therefore resolved by both houses of the General Assembly, that the only true pronunciation of the name of the state, in the opinion of this body, is that received by the French from the Native Americans and committed to writing in the French word representing the sound. It should be pronounced in three (3) syllables, with the final "s" silent, the "a" in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables. The pronunciation with the accent on the second syllable with the sound of "a" in "man" and the sounding of the terminal "s" is an innovation to be discouraged.

    Citizens of the State of Kansas often pronounce the Arkansas River /ɑːrˈkænzəs/ in a manner similar to the common pronunciation of the name of their state.

  9. ^ Due to flooding in Sacramento, San Francisco served as a temporary capital from January 24, 1862 to May 15, 1862. See "California's State Capitols 1850–present" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  10. ^ From December 3, 1859, to December 3, 1861, Denver City was formally the City of Denver, Auraria, and Highland.
  11. ^ On November 15, 1902, the City of Denver became the City and County of Denver.
  12. ^ Note: The Louisiana Capitals information may be incorrect or incomplete. See "Louisiana History". Archived from the original on June 15, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2006. and elsewhere.
  13. ^ a b The modern spelling of 'Charleston' did not take hold until the 1780s.[60]

References

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  13. ^ see also Ford, Worthington C.; Hunt, Gaillard; Fitzpatrick, John C.; Hill, Roscoe R. (eds.). "Journals of the Continental Congress (JCC) 1774–1789". A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Databases, 1774–1875. 1. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office: 13, 104, 114 – via Library of Congress.
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Further reading

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  • Christian Montes. American Capitals: A Historical Geography (University of Chicago Press; 2014) 394 pages; scholarly study of geographic and other factors that have shaped the designation of capitals in all 50 states
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