Midwest States and Capitals Quiz

The 12 Midwest states and their capitals: Springfield not Chicago, Lansing not Detroit, Pierre, Bismarck and Jefferson City.

Springfield, not Chicago. Lansing, not Detroit. Pierre, not Sioux Falls. Nine of the 12 Midwest capitals are not the biggest city in their state, which is what makes this region tricky. Quiz yourself on the Midwest states and capitals, then study the table below.

How the Midwest states and capitals quiz works

Questions come in four kinds: the capital of a state, the state a capital belongs to, whether the capital is also the largest city, and an odd-one-out round where one of four capitals is not in the Midwest. From Medium up, the wrong answers include each state's biggest city, so Chicago sits next to Springfield and Kansas City next to Jefferson City. Every state is asked once before any state comes back.

The Midwest has the same 12 states in the five-region school map and in the Census Bureau's regions. To find them on a map, play the Midwest States Quiz.

The 12 Midwest states and their capitals

State	Abbreviation	Capital	Largest city	Capital is the largest?
Ohio	OH	Columbus	Columbus	Yes
Indiana	IN	Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Yes
Illinois	IL	Springfield	Chicago	No
Michigan	MI	Lansing	Detroit	No
Wisconsin	WI	Madison	Milwaukee	No
Minnesota	MN	Saint Paul	Minneapolis	No
Iowa	IA	Des Moines	Des Moines	Yes
Missouri	MO	Jefferson City	Kansas City	No
North Dakota	ND	Bismarck	Fargo	No
South Dakota	SD	Pierre	Sioux Falls	No
Nebraska	NE	Lincoln	Omaha	No
Kansas	KS	Topeka	Wichita	No

Memory tricks

Only three capitals are the biggest city: Columbus, Indianapolis and Des Moines.
Named after people: Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln), Jefferson City (Thomas Jefferson), Madison (James Madison) and Bismarck (Otto von Bismarck, the German chancellor).
Pierre is said peer. It is the second-smallest state capital after Montpelier, with under 14,000 people.
Twin Cities: Saint Paul is the capital of Minnesota; Minneapolis, across the Mississippi, is bigger.
Springfield is the capital of Illinois. Missouri and Massachusetts also have big cities called Springfield, but neither is a capital.

Sources

Capitals: each state's official government website, as listed in src/data/usStates.ts. City populations: US Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates (July 1, 2025).

Keep going

East of here: Northeast States and Capitals Quiz
West of here: Western States and Capitals Quiz
All 50 at once: US States and Capitals Quiz

Frequently asked questions

What are the 12 Midwest states and capitals?

Ohio (Columbus), Indiana (Indianapolis), Illinois (Springfield), Michigan (Lansing), Wisconsin (Madison), Minnesota (Saint Paul), Iowa (Des Moines), Missouri (Jefferson City), North Dakota (Bismarck), South Dakota (Pierre), Nebraska (Lincoln) and Kansas (Topeka).

Is Chicago the capital of Illinois?

No. Springfield is the capital of Illinois. Chicago is the largest city, with about 2.7 million people.

Which Midwest capitals are the largest city in their state?

Columbus (Ohio), Indianapolis (Indiana) and Des Moines (Iowa).

How do you pronounce Pierre, South Dakota?

Like the word peer. Pierre has under 14,000 people, which makes it the second-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont.

Is the quiz free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, and your best score for each difficulty is saved in this browser.