The one thing that makes state capitals hard
In most states the capital is not the biggest or best-known city. New York's capital is Albany, not New York City. California's is Sacramento, not Los Angeles. Illinois's is Springfield, not Chicago. Many capitals were chosen in the 1800s because they were central, on a river, or a compromise between rival cities, and the famous cities grew somewhere else.
So the fastest way to learn the 50 capitals is to sort them into three groups and spend your effort on the last one:
- Capitals that are also the state's best-known city — you already know these.
- Capitals that contain the state's name — free points.
- Capitals that are neither — the real work.
The quiz above shows a state and asks for its capital. Below is the full list by region, followed by the traps and memory hooks for the hard ones.
Group 1 and 2: the capitals you already know
Capitals that are also the state's largest city include Boston (Massachusetts), Atlanta (Georgia), Phoenix (Arizona), Denver (Colorado), Honolulu (Hawaii), Nashville (Tennessee), Indianapolis (Indiana), Columbus (Ohio), Salt Lake City (Utah), Boise (Idaho), Providence (Rhode Island), Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), Little Rock (Arkansas), Des Moines (Iowa), Jackson (Mississippi) and Cheyenne (Wyoming).
Capitals that repeat the state's name: Oklahoma City and Indianapolis (Indiana plus polis, Greek for city) — both already in the list above.
That is about a third of the list before you start.
All 50 state capitals, by region
Northeast
| State | Capital | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Hartford | "Heart" of Connecticut |
| Maine | Augusta | Not Portland |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Largest city |
| New Hampshire | Concord | Not Manchester |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Not Newark |
| New York | Albany | Not New York City |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Not Philadelphia or Pittsburgh |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Largest city |
| Vermont | Montpelier | The smallest state capital by population |
Midwest
| State | Capital | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Springfield | Abraham Lincoln's hometown |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | State name + "polis" |
| Iowa | Des Moines | Largest city |
| Kansas | Topeka | Not Wichita or Kansas City |
| Michigan | Lansing | Not Detroit |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | The "twin" of Minneapolis |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | Not St. Louis or Kansas City |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | Not Omaha |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | Named after the German chancellor |
| Ohio | Columbus | Largest city |
| South Dakota | Pierre | Pronounced "peer" |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Not Milwaukee |
South
| State | Capital | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | Not Birmingham |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | Largest city |
| Delaware | Dover | Not Wilmington |
| Florida | Tallahassee | Not Miami, Orlando or Tampa |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Largest city |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | Not Louisville or Lexington |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | Not New Orleans |
| Maryland | Annapolis | Not Baltimore |
| Mississippi | Jackson | Largest city |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | Not Charlotte |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | State name in the capital |
| South Carolina | Columbia | Not Charleston |
| Tennessee | Nashville | Not Memphis |
| Texas | Austin | Not Houston or Dallas |
| Virginia | Richmond | Former Confederate capital |
| West Virginia | Charleston | The other Charleston |
West
| State | Capital | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Juneau | Reachable only by boat or plane |
| Arizona | Phoenix | Largest city |
| California | Sacramento | Not Los Angeles or San Francisco |
| Colorado | Denver | Largest city |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | Largest city |
| Idaho | Boise | Largest city |
| Montana | Helena | Not Billings |
| Nevada | Carson City | Not Las Vegas or Reno |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | Not Albuquerque |
| Oregon | Salem | Not Portland |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Largest city |
| Washington | Olympia | Not Seattle |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | Largest city |
The ten capitals people miss most
- Frankfort, Kentucky. People guess Louisville. Hook: Frankfort sits roughly between Louisville and Lexington — the compromise city.
- Pierre, South Dakota. Hard to spell and to pronounce ("peer"). Hook: a pier on the Missouri River, which runs through the city.
- Montpelier, Vermont. Picture a small mountain town — it is the least populous state capital.
- Jefferson City, Missouri. Named after Thomas Jefferson. Hook: Missouri is the "Show-Me" state, so show me Jefferson.
- Olympia, Washington. Seattle is the obvious guess. Hook: the Olympic Mountains are nearby.
- Salem, Oregon. Portland is the guess. Hook: Salem, Oregon shares its name with the Massachusetts town known for the witch trials.
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both feel more likely. Hook: "Harris-burg" sits in the middle of the state, between the two big cities.
- Tallahassee, Florida. In the panhandle, far from the peninsula's big cities.
- Charleston — which one? Charleston is the capital of West Virginia. South Carolina's capital is Columbia, even though South Carolina also has a famous Charleston.
- Bismarck and Pierre. The Dakotas' capitals get swapped. Hook: North has the B (Bismarck), South has the P — B comes before P, north comes before south on the map.
A two-week plan
- Days 1–2: Skip everything in Group 1 and 2 above. Make a list of the rest — usually about 30 states.
- Days 3–7: Take one region a day using the tables above. Play the State → Capital quiz with just that region in mind.
- Days 8–10: Reverse it. The Capital → State quiz catches the ones you only know one way round.
- Days 11–14: Speed. The Name All 50 Capitals challenge asks you to type every capital before the timer ends.
If the states themselves are still shaky, start with the 50 states study guide first — capitals stick much better once you can place the state on the map.
A note on accuracy
Capitals do not change often, but they have changed: several states moved their capitals in the 1800s. The list above reflects the current capitals. If you are studying for a test, your teacher's list is the one that counts.