Southeast States and Capitals Quiz

The 12 Southeast states and their capitals, from Richmond to Baton Rouge, with the big-city traps like Charlotte and New Orleans.

Twelve Southeast states, two cities called Charleston and seven capitals that are not the biggest city in their state. Quiz yourself on the Southeast states and capitals from Richmond to Baton Rouge, then study the full table below.

How the Southeast 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 Southeast. From Medium up, the wrong answers include each state's biggest city, so Charlotte appears next to Raleigh and New Orleans next to Baton Rouge. Every state is asked once before any state comes back.

The quiz uses the five-region map taught in most US schools, where the Southeast runs from Virginia and West Virginia down to Florida and west to Louisiana and Arkansas. Texas and Oklahoma are in the Southwest; for the Census Bureau's larger South, play the Southern States Quiz on the map.

The 12 Southeast states and their capitals

State	Abbreviation	Capital	Largest city	Capital is the largest?
Virginia	VA	Richmond	Virginia Beach	No
West Virginia	WV	Charleston	Charleston	Yes
Kentucky	KY	Frankfort	Louisville	No
Tennessee	TN	Nashville	Nashville	Yes
North Carolina	NC	Raleigh	Charlotte	No
South Carolina	SC	Columbia	Charleston	No
Georgia	GA	Atlanta	Atlanta	Yes
Florida	FL	Tallahassee	Jacksonville	No
Alabama	AL	Montgomery	Huntsville	No
Mississippi	MS	Jackson	Jackson	Yes
Louisiana	LA	Baton Rouge	New Orleans	No
Arkansas	AR	Little Rock	Little Rock	Yes

Memory tricks

The two Charlestons: Charleston is the capital of West Virginia. Charleston, South Carolina is that state's largest city, but its capital is Columbia.
Five capitals are the biggest city: Atlanta, Nashville, Jackson, Little Rock and Charleston, West Virginia.
Florida's compromise: Tallahassee became the capital in 1824 because it sat halfway between the two old colonial towns of St. Augustine and Pensacola.
Kentucky's small capital: Frankfort has under 30,000 people, while Louisville and Lexington have hundreds of thousands.

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

The next region north: Northeast States and Capitals Quiz
Heading west: Midwest States and Capitals Quiz
All 50 at once: US States and Capitals Quiz

Frequently asked questions

What are the 12 Southeast states and capitals?

Virginia (Richmond), West Virginia (Charleston), Kentucky (Frankfort), Tennessee (Nashville), North Carolina (Raleigh), South Carolina (Columbia), Georgia (Atlanta), Florida (Tallahassee), Alabama (Montgomery), Mississippi (Jackson), Louisiana (Baton Rouge) and Arkansas (Little Rock).

Is Charleston the capital of South Carolina?

No. Columbia is the capital of South Carolina. Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina is that state's largest city.

Which Southeast capitals are the largest city in their state?

Atlanta, Nashville, Jackson, Little Rock and Charleston, West Virginia.

Why is Texas not in the Southeast?

The five-region map used in schools puts Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona in the Southwest. Play the Western States and Capitals Quiz for those four.

Is the quiz free?

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