Can you name the capital of all 50 US states?
Each round shows one of the 50 states with its outline and asks for its capital city. A correct answer moves straight to the next state, and a wrong guess can be tried again as often as you like. Name all 50 to complete the quiz. There is no timer.
How to play
- Each round shows a state’s name and outline. Type its capital in the box below. Capital letters and punctuation do not matter, and common alternatives are accepted: “Boise City” for Boise, “St. Paul” for Saint Paul and “Nashville-Davidson” for Nashville.
- A correct answer is accepted by itself after a short pause and the next state comes up. Press Enter to check any other answer.
- A wrong guess is marked so you can try again, as often as you like. There is no timer.
- Stuck? Press Finish to end the run: the answer is revealed and that state counts as missed.
- The 50 states come up once each, in shuffled order, and your score counts up to 50. Name them all to complete the quiz; the answer review below the board lists every round.
- Your result is saved in this browser. Once enough people have played a game, the results also show how your score ranks, and you can copy or share an image of your result, or replay.
Tips for playing
Many capitals are not the state’s best-known city: Sacramento, not Los Angeles; Albany, not New York City; Springfield, not Chicago; Harrisburg, not Philadelphia; Tallahassee, not Miami. When a famous city comes to mind first, stop and think of where the state government sits.
The capitals of all 50 US states
Show all 50 answers
Northeast (9)
| State | Capital | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Hartford | |
| Maine | Augusta | |
| Massachusetts | Boston | |
| New Hampshire | Concord | |
| New Jersey | Trenton | |
| New York | Albany | |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | |
| Rhode Island | Providence | |
| Vermont | Montpelier |
Midwest (12)
| State | Capital | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Springfield | |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | |
| Iowa | Des Moines | |
| Kansas | Topeka | |
| Michigan | Lansing | |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | St. Paul |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | |
| Ohio | Columbus | |
| South Dakota | Pierre | |
| Wisconsin | Madison |
South (16)
| State | Capital | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | |
| Delaware | Dover | |
| Florida | Tallahassee | |
| Georgia | Atlanta | |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | |
| Maryland | Annapolis | |
| Mississippi | Jackson | |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | |
| South Carolina | Columbia | |
| Tennessee | Nashville | Nashville-Davidson |
| Texas | Austin | |
| Virginia | Richmond | |
| West Virginia | Charleston |
West (13)
| State | Capital | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Juneau | |
| Arizona | Phoenix | |
| California | Sacramento | |
| Colorado | Denver | |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | |
| Idaho | Boise | Boise City |
| Montana | Helena | |
| Nevada | Carson City | |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | |
| Oregon | Salem | |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | |
| Washington | Olympia | |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne |
Grouped by US Census Bureau region. Capital letters and punctuation are optional when you type an answer.
Frequently asked questions
How many state capitals are there?
50, one for each state. Washington, D.C. is the national capital, not a state, so it is not one of the answers, and neither are the US territories.
Do I need the exact spelling?
Capital letters, spaces and punctuation do not matter, and a few alternative forms are accepted: “Boise City” for Boise, “St. Paul” for Saint Paul and “Nashville-Davidson” for Nashville. Otherwise the spelling has to match.
What happens if I guess wrong?
Nothing is lost. The guess is marked and you can try again as often as you like; the run ends when you have named all 50 or press Finish, which reveals the answer.
Which capitals are easiest to mix up?
Columbia (South Carolina) and Columbus (Ohio) differ by one letter. Four capitals end in “City”: Jefferson City, Carson City, Oklahoma City and Salt Lake City. Only Indianapolis and Oklahoma City contain their state’s name.
Which letter starts the most state capitals?
C and S, with six each: Carson City, Charleston, Cheyenne, Columbia, Columbus and Concord; Sacramento, Saint Paul, Salem, Salt Lake City, Santa Fe and Springfield. A follows with five: Albany, Annapolis, Atlanta, Augusta and Austin.
Capital or biggest city?
A state capital is where the state legislature meets, and in many states it is not the largest or best-known city. After a run, use the answer review: the states you miss are often the ones whose famous city is not the capital.
Washington, D.C. and the US territories are not states, so they are not part of the quiz.
More about the United States
Sources
Source: US Census Bureau / us-atlas · 2017 cartographic boundaries · us-atlas 3.0.1 · capitals reviewed 2026-10-01
Public-domain state outlines, each drawn on its own equal-area projection with north up, resized to fit and simplified; islands too small to see are omitted. The 50 states only: Washington, D.C. and the territories are not included. Capitals are public facts, checked against Wikipedia’s list of US state capitals, with a few accepted alternative forms.
Found an incorrect answer or a source that needs updating? Send a correction with the game name and a reference.