List of current and former capital cities within the United States

This is a list of the current capitals of U.S. states, as well as a few of the former capital cities (legislature or government seat) of states, territories, colonies, or kingdoms within today's United States.

A few of these were temporary, until the permanent location was chosen or built. Sorted by state and date.

Table of contents

1 National capital
2 Within current states
3 Within current possessions
4 Related lists
5 External links

National capital

State Place When
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA New York City, New York 1785–1790
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1790–1800
Washington, District of Columbia 1800–present

Within current states

Located in Place When, Whose
ALABAMA St. Stephens, Alabama territorial capital (1817–1819)
Huntsville, Alabama 1819
Cahaba, Alabama 1820–1826
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 1826–1846
Montgomery, Alabama current, also first capital of Confederate States of America
ALASKA Sitka, Alaska district capital (–1906)
Juneau, Alaska district capital (1906–1912) territorial capital, current
ARIZONA Prescott, Arizona territorial capital (–1867; 1877–1889)
Tucson, Arizona territorial capital (1867–1877)
Phoenix, Arizona current
ARKANSAS Arkansas Post, Arkansas territorial (1819–1821)
Washington, Arkansas Confederate capital (1863–1865)
Little Rock, Arkansas territorial; current
CALIFORNIA Monterey, California capital under Spanish and Mexican rule
San Jose, California –1851
Vallejo, California 1851–
Benicia, California 1853–1854
Sacramento, California current
COLORADO Golden, Colorado territorial capital (1862–1867)
Denver, Colorado current
CONNECTICUT Hartford, Connecticut current
New Haven, Connecticut co-capital with Hartford (1701–1873)
DELAWARE New Castle, Delaware colonial capital
Dover, Delaware current
FLORIDA St. Augustine, Florida Spanish and territorial capital (–1824), alternated with Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida Spanish and territorial capital (–1824), alternated with St. Augustine
Tallahassee, Florida territorial, current
GEORGIA Savannah, Georgia (colonial)
Augusta, Georgia
Louisville, Georgia ~1799
Milledgeville, Georgia 1803–1868
Atlanta, Georgia current
HAWAII Lahaina, Hawaii capital of the Kingdom ( –1840)
Honolulu, Hawaii current
IDAHO Lewiston, Idaho territorial (1863–1864)
Boise, Idaho territorial, current
ILLINOIS Kaskaskia, Illinois 1818–1819
Vandalia, Illinois 1819–1839
Springfield, Illinois current
INDIANA Vincennes, Indiana territorial capital (1800–1813)
Corydon, Indiana 1816–1825
Indianapolis, Indiana current
IOWA Burlington, Iowa 1838–1841
Iowa City, Iowa 1841–1857
Des Moines, Iowa current
KANSAS Pawnee near Fort Riley, Kansas territorial capital
Topeka, Kansas current
KENTUCKY Danville, Kentucky capital Virginia's Kentucky District
Bowling Green, Kentucky Confederate capital
Frankfort, Kentucky current
LOUISIANA New Orleans, Louisiana 1812–1849 except 1830; 1865–1880
Donaldsonville, Louisiana 1830
Opelousas, Louisiana 1862 in war
Shreveport, Louisiana 1863
Baton Rouge, Louisiana current
MAINE Portland, Maine 1820–1832
Augusta, Maine current
MARYLAND St. Mary's City, Maryland colonial capital ( –1694)
Annapolis, Maryland current (initially named "Anne Arundel Town")
MASSACHUSETTS   Boston, Massachusetts current (1630–)
MICHIGAN Detroit, Michigan territorial capital, state capital 1837–1847
Lansing, Michigan current
MINNESOTA Saint Paul, Minnesota territorial, current
MISSISSIPPI Natchez, Mississippi territorial capital
Washington near Natchez, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi current (renamed from "LeFleur's Bluff")
MISSOURI St. Louis, Missouri territorial capital
Saint Charles, Missouri 1821–1825
Marshall, Texas Civil War Capital of exiled pro-confederate state officials and ousted Governor of Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri current
MONTANA Bannack, Montana territorial capital
Virginia City, Montana territorial capital (1864–1875)
Helena, Montana current
NEBRASKA Omaha, Nebraska territorial capital
Lincoln, Nebraska current
NEVADA Carson City, Nevada territorial, current
NEW HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth, New Hampshire colonial, state (–1808)
Exeter, New Hampshire Revolutionary War capital
Concord, New Hampshire current
NEW JERSEY Elizabethtown, New Jersey colonial capital (–1686)
Trenton, New Jersey current
NEW MEXICO Mesilla, New Mexico declared capital of Confederate Arizona Territory
Santa Fe, New Mexico current
NEW YORK Kingston, New York (1777)
Hurley (city), New York (Oct–Dec 1777)
Poughkeepsie (1777–)
New York, New York (1789–1797)
Albany, New York current
NORTH CAROLINA   New Bern, North Carolina –1794
Raleigh, North Carolina current
NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck, North Dakota territorial (1883–1889), current
OHIO Chillicothe, Ohio 1803–1810; 1812–1816
Zanesville, Ohio 1810–1812
Columbus, Ohio current
OKLAHOMA Guthrie, Oklahoma 1889–1910
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma current
OREGON Oregon City, Oregon territorial capital (–1851)
Corvallis, Oregon territorial capital (1855)
Salem, Oregon current
PENNSYLVANIA Lancaster, Pennsylvania 1799–1812
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania current
RHODE ISLAND Providence, Rhode Island current
SOUTH CAROLINA   Charleston, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina current
SOUTH DAKOTA Yankton, South Dakota Capital Dakota territory (1861–1883)
Pierre, South Dakota current
TENNESSEE Knoxville, Tennessee 1796–1812; 18..
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 1819–1826
Nashville, Tennessee current
TEXAS Washington, Texas first capital of the Republic of Texas, today called "Washington-on-the-Brazos"
Galveston, Texas temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
Harrisburg, Texas temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
Velasco, Texas temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
Columbia, Texas temporary capital of the Republic of Texas, today called "West Columbia"
Houston, Texas capital of the Republic of Texas from 1837 to 1839
Austin, Texas current (initially named "Waterloo"; changed in the 19th c.)
UTAH Fillmore, Utah territorial capital
Salt Lake City, Utah current
VERMONT Montpelier, Vermont current
VIRGINIA Jamestown, Virginia first colonial capital
Williamsburg, Virginia colonial capital (initially "Middle Plantation")
Yorktown, Virginia colonial capital
Richmond, Virginia current (also capital of the Confederate States of America)
WASHINGTON Olympia, Washington territorial, current
WEST VIRGINIA Wheeling, West Virginia first capital; 1863–1870, 1875–1885
Charleston, West Virginia 1870–1875, 1885–present
WISCONSIN Belmont, Wisconsin territorial capital
Madison, Wisconsin current
WYOMING Cheyenne, Wyoming territorial, current

Within current possessions

State Place When
AMERICAN SAMOA     Pago Pago, American Samoa
GUAM     Hagåtña, Guam
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS     Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
PUERTO RICO     San Juan, Puerto Rico
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS     Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands

Related lists

List of U.S. state capitals (plain text, contemporary only)
List of capitals of subnational entities (includes capitals of U.S. possessions)
List of historical national capitals
List of multiple capitals