has been the national capital of the United States since 1800.
From 1774 to 1800, Congress met in numerous locations; as such, the following cities can be said to have once been the United States capital[[The Nine Capitals of the United States]. United States Senate Historical Office. Accessed June 9, 2005. Based on Fortenbaugh, Robert, The Nine Capitals of the United States, York, PA: Maple Press, 1948.]:
had three capitals during its existence.
Before joining the United States in 1845, Texas was an independent nation known as the
. Seven cities served as its capital:
Prior to becoming a territory of the United States in 1898, Hawaii was an independent nation. Two cities served as its capital:
| State
| Capital
| Date
| Notes
|
Alabama[[Capitals of Alabama]. Alabama Department of Archives and History. Updated October 29, 2001. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1819
| St. Stephens
| 1817
| Alabama Territory capital
|
| Huntsville
| 1819
| State capital
|
| Cahawba
| 1820
|
| Tuscaloosa
| 1826
|
| Montgomery
| 1846
| State capital; Confederate national capital briefly during 1861
|
Alaska[[Frequently Asked Questions About Alaska]. Statewide Library Electronic Doorway. Updated September 21, 2004. Accessed June 9, 2005; based on Alaska Blue Book 1993-94, 11th ed., Juneau, Department of Education, Division of State Libraries, Archives & Museums. [ExploreNorth: The History of Sitka]. Department of Community and Economic Development, Alaska Community Database Online. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1959
| Sitka
| 1808
| Russian Alaska capital (as New Archangel)
|
| 1867
| Department of Alaska capital
|
| 1900
| District of Alaska capitals
|
| Juneau
| 1906
|
| 1959
| State capital
|
Arizona[[Capitals before the Capitol]. Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1912
| Prescott
| 1864
| Arizona Territory capitals
|
| Tucson
| 1867
|
| Prescott
| 1877
|
| Phoenix
| 1889
|
| 1912
| State capital
|
Arkansas[[Educational Materials: Facts]. Arkansas Secretary of State. Accessed June 9, 2005. [Washington State Park 19th century village in SW Arkansas]. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Confederate Capital Old Division of State Parks. 2003. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1836
| Arkansas Post
| 1819
| Arkansas Territory capitals
|
| Little Rock
| 1821
|
| 1836
| State capital; during 1861-1863, Washington was the Confederate state government capital
|
California[[Previous Capitals of California]. California State Library. Updated November 27, 2000. Accessed June 9, 2005. [Historic Timeline]. Historic Monterey. Created 2005. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1850
| Monterey
| 1777
| Alta and Baja California capital under Spanish and Mexican rule
|
| San José
| 1850
| State capitals
|
| Vallejo
| 1851
|
| Benicia
| 1853
|
| Sacramento
| 1854
|
| San Francisco
| 1866
|
| Sacramento
| 1867
|
Colorado[[Early Capitol and Legislative Assembly Locations] Colorado State Archives, Colorado State Capitol Virtual Tour. Updated June 20, 2003. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1876
| Auraria
| 1859
| Territory of Jefferson capital
|
| Colorado City
| 1861
| Colorado Territory capital, federally unrecognized
|
| Golden
| 1862
| State capitals
|
| Denver
| 1867
|
Connecticut
Statehood in 1776
| New Haven
| 1701
| State capitals
|
| Hartford
| 1873
|
Delaware
Statehood in 1776
| New Castle
|
| Delaware colony capital
|
| Dover
|
| State capital
|
Florida[[Florida State History]. Florida Division of Historical Resources.]
Statehood in 1845
| St. Augustine
| 1821
| Florida Territory capital; British East Florida capital
|
| Pensacola
| Florida Territory capital; British West Florida capital
|
| Tallahassee
| 1824
| Florida Territory capital
|
| 1845
| State capital
|
Georgia[Jackson, Edwin L. [Story of Georgia's Capitols and Capital Cities]. Carl Vinson Institute of Government. University of Georgia. 1988]
Statehood in 1776
| Savannah
|
| Georgia colony capital
|
| 1777
| State capitals
|
| Augustana
| 1779
|
| Heard's Fort
| 1780
|
| Augustana
| 1781
|
| Savannah
| 1782
|
| Ebenezer
| 1782
|
| Savannah
| 1784
|
| Augustana
| 1786
|
| Louisville
| 1796
|
| Milledgeville
| 1807
|
| Macon
| 1864
|
| Milledgeville
| 1865
|
| Atlanta
| 1868
|
Hawaii
Statehood in 1959
| Lahaina
| 1820
| Kingdom of Hawaii capital
|
| Honolulu
| 1894
| Republic of Hawaii capital
|
| 1898
| Hawaii Territory capital
|
| 1959
| State capital
|
Idaho[[Chronological History of Idaho]. Idaho Office of the Governor. Created 2000. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1890
| Lewiston
| 1863
| Idaho Territory capitals
|
| Boise
| 1864
|
| 1890
| State capital
|
Illinois[[Past Capitols]; based on Illinois Bluebook, 1975-1976. Created March 5, 2005. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1818
| Kaskaskia
| 1809
| Illinois Territory capital
|
| Vandalia
| 1819
| State capitals
|
| Springfield
| 1839
|
Indiana
Statehood in 1816
| Vincennes
| 1800
| Indiana Territory capital until 1813
|
| Corydon
| 1816
| State capitals
|
| Indianapolis
| 1825
|
Iowa[Sabin, Henry. [Making of Iowa, chapter 24: Locating a Capital]. Originally published 1900 by A. Flanagan Co. of Chicago and New York; published online by Iowa History Project, posted August 25, 2004. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1846
| Burlington
| 1837
| Wisconsin Territory capital
|
| 1838
| Iowa Territory capitals
|
| Iowa City
| 1841
|
| 1846
| State capitals
|
| Des Moines
| 1857
|
Kansas[Harding, Eldon. [Stories from the Kansas State Capital: Choosing a Capital City--Why Topeka?]. Kansas State Historical Society. April 2001. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1861
| Pawnee
| 1855
| Kansas Territory capital (July 2-6); in present Fort Riley
|
| Shawnee Mission
| 1855
| Kansas Territory capital; in present Fairway, Kansas
|
| Lecompton
| 1856
| Official (pro-slavery) Kansas Territory capital
|
| Topeka
| Unofficial capital
|
| Topeka
| 1861
| State capital
|
Kentucky
Statehood in 1792
| Danville
|
| Virginia's Kentucky District capital
|
| Bowling Green
|
| Confederate state government capital
|
| Frankfort
|
| State capital
|
Louisiana
Statehood in 1812[Note: The Louisiana Capitals information may be incorrect or incomplete. See http://www.state.la.us/about_history2.htm and elsewhere.]
| New Orleans
| 1812
| State capitals
|
| Donaldsonville
| 1830
|
| New Orleans
| 1831
|
|
| 1841
|
| Opelousas
| 1862
|
| Shreveport
| 1863
|
| New Orleans
| 1865
|
| Baton Rouge
| 1880
|
Maine[[Students Questions Frequently Ask]. Maine State Senate. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1820
| Portland
| 1820
| State capitals de jure
|
| Augusta
| 1827
|
| Portland
| 1832
| State capital de facto
|
| Augusta
| 1832
| State capital
|
Maryland
Statehood in 1776
| St. Mary's City
|
| Province of Maryland capital until 1694
|
| …
| 1694
| …
|
| Baltimore
| 1776
| State capital
|
| Annapolis
| 1777
| State capital; previously named Anne Arundel Town; U.S. national capital (1783 - 1784)
|
Massachusetts
Statehood in 1776
| Boston
| 1630
| Massachusetts Bay Colony capital
|
| 1776
| State capital
|
Michigan[[Michigan in Brief] State of Michigan. Updated March 7, 2005. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1837
| Detroit
| 1805
| Michigan Territory capital; occupied by British forces 1812 - 1813
|
| 1837
| State capitals
|
| Lansing
| 1847
|
Minnesota[[Saint Paul's 150th birthday]. City of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1858
| Saint Paul
| 1849
| Minnesota Territory capital
|
| 1858
| State capital
|
Mississippi[Bunn, Mike and Clay Williams, [Capitals and Capitols: The Places and Spaces of Mississippi's Seat of Government]. Mississippi History Now. Mississippi Historical Society Online. Posted September 2003. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1817
| Natchez
| 1798
| Mississippi Territory capitals
|
| Washington
| 1802
|
| Natchez
| 1817
| State capitals
|
| Jackson
| 1821
|
Missouri
Statehood in 1821
| St. Louis
|
| Missouri Territory capital
|
| Saint Charles
| 1821
| State capital until 1825
|
| Marshall, Texas
|
| Exiled pro-Confederate Missouri government capital
|
| Jefferson City
|
| State capital
|
Montana[Lambert, Kirby. [Montana's crown jewel of architecture: The Montana state capitol] Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Montana Historical Society. Summer 2002. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1889
| Bannack
| 1864
| Montana Territory capital
|
| Virginia City
| 1865
|
| Helena
| 1875
|
| 1889
| State capital
|
Nebraska
Statehood in 1867
| Omaha
|
| Nebraska Territory capital
|
| Lincoln
|
| State capital
|
Nevada[Rocha, Guy [Nevada State Archives Historical Myth a Month: Myth #28, Las Vegas: Nevada's Next State Capital]. Updated July 14, 2003. Accessed June 9, 2005; originally published as Sierra Sage, Carson City/Carson Valley, Nevada. May 1998 edition.]
Statehood in 1864
| Carson City
|
| Territorial capital
|
| 1864
| State capital
|
New Hampshire[[New Hampshire Senate Page For Kids]. New Hampshire General Court. Accessed June 9, 2005. [New Hampshire History in Brief]. New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Created 1989. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1776
| Portsmouth
| 1679
| Province of New Hampshire capital
|
| Exeter
| 1775
| Revolutionary War capital
|
| Concord
| 1808
| State capital
|
New Jersey
Statehood in 1776
| Elizabethtown
| 1686
| Province of New Jersey; now named Elizabeth
|
| Princeton
| 1783
| State capital; U.S. national capital
|
| Trenton
| 1784
| State capital; U.S. national capital
|
New Mexico
Statehood in 1912
| Mesilla
|
| Confederate Arizona Territory capital
|
| Santa Fe
| 1912
| State capital
|
New York
Statehood in 1776
| New York
| 1664
| Province of New York under British rule
|
| Kingston
| 1777
| State capitals
|
| Hurley
| 1777
|
| Poughkeepsie
| 1777
|
| New York
| 1789
| State capital; U.S. national capital 1785 – 1788, 1789 – 1790
|
| Albany
| 1797
| State capital
|
North Carolina
Statehood in 1776
| Charlestown
|
| Colonial capitals
|
| New Bern
|
|
| Raleigh
| 1794
| State capital
|
North Dakota
Statehood in 1889
| Yankton
| 1861
| Dakota Territory capital; now part of South Dakota
|
| Bismarck
| 1883
| Dakota Territory capital
|
| 1889
| State capital
|
Ohio
Statehood in 1803
| Marietta
| 1788
| Northwest Territory capitals
|
| Chillicothe
| 1800
|
| 1803
| State capitals
|
| Zanesville
| 1810
|
| Chillicothe
| 1812
|
| Columbus
| 1816
|
Oklahoma
Statehood in 1907
| Tahlequah
|
| Cherokee capital
|
| Ninih Waiya
|
| Choctaw capital
|
| Tishomingo
|
| Chickasaw capital
|
| Tuskahoma
|
| Choctaw capital
|
| Wewoka
|
| Seminole capital
|
| Guthrie
| 1889
| Oklahoma Territory capital
|
| Oklahoma City
| 1910
| State capital
|
Oregon
Statehood in 1859
| Oregon City
| 1848
| Oregon Territory capital through 1851
|
| Corvallis
| 1855
| Oregon Territory capital
|
| Salem
| 1859
| State capital
|
Pennsylvania
Statehood in 1776
| Philadelphia
|
| Province of Pennsylvania capital
|
| 1776
| State capital; U.S. national capital 1776, 1777, 1778-1783, 1790-1800
|
| Lancaster
| 1799
| State capital; U.S. national capital 1777
|
| York
|
| State capital; U.S. national capital 1777-1778
|
| Harrisburg
|
| State capital
|
Rhode Island
Statehood in 1776
| Providence
| 1776
| State capital
|
South Carolina
Statehood in 1776
| Charlestown
|
| Colonial capital
|
| Columbia
|
| State capital
|
South Dakota
Statehood in 1889
| Yankton
| 1861
| Dakota Territory capital
|
| Bismarck
| 1883
| Dakota Territory capital; now capital of North Dakota
|
| Pierre
| 1889
| State capital
|
Tennessee[[Capital Cities]. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. 2002. Accessed March 12, 2006.]
Statehood in 1796
| Rocky Mount
| 1790
| Southwest Territory capital
|
| Knoxville
| 1791
| Southwest Territory capital; formerly White's Fort
|
| 1796
| State capital
|
| Kingston
|
| State capital for one day in 1807 to fulfill treaty obligations with the Cherokee
|
| Nashville
| 1812
| State capitals
|
| Murfreesboro
| 1818
|
| Nashville
| 1826
|
Texas
Statehood in 1845
| Los Adaes
| 1721
| Colonial capital; now part of Louisiana
|
| San Antonio de Bexar
| 1772
| Colonial capital; now San Antonio
|
| Saltillo
| 1824
| Coahuila y Tejas capitals
|
| Monclova
| 1833
|
| Washington
| 1836
| Republic of Texas capital; now Washington-on-the-Brazos
|
| Galveston
| 1836
| Temporary Republic of Texas capitals
|
| Harrisburg
| 1836
|
| Velasco
| 1836
|
| Columbia
| 1836
|
| Houston
| 1837
| Republic of Texas capital
|
| Austin
| 1839
| Republic of Texas capital; named Waterloo until 1839
|
| 1845
| State capital
|
Utah
Statehood in 1896
| Fillmore
|
| Utah Territory capital
|
| Salt Lake City
|
| State capital
|
Vermont[[Early History of Montpelier, Vermont]. Vermont Historical Society. Accessed June 9, 2005; adapted from Esther Munroe Swift, Vermont Place-Names: Footprints of History, 1977, 1996, and Montpelier Heritage Group, Three Walking Tours of Montpelier, Vt., 1991.]
Statehood in 1791
| Windsor
|
| Early meeting place for independent Vermont legislature
|
| Montpelier
| 1805
| State capital
|
Virginia
Statehood in 1776
| Jamestown
|
| Virginia Colony capital
|
| Williamsburg
|
| Virginia Colony capital; originally Middle Plantation
|
| Yorktown
|
| Virginia Colony capital
|
| Richmond
| 1861
| Confederate States national capital, May 29, 1861 – April 9, 1865
|
| Danville
| 1865
| Confederate States national capital, April 3, 1865 – April 10, 1865
|
| Richmond
|
| State Capital
|
Washington[[The History of Olympia]. City of Olympia. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1889
| Olympia
|
| Washington Territory capital
|
| 1889
| State capital
|
West Virginia
Statehood in 1863
| Wheeling
| 1863
| State capitals
|
| Charleston
| 1870
|
| Wheeling
| 1875
|
| Charleston
| 1885
|
Wisconsin[Cravens, Stanley H.["Capitals and Capitols in Early Wisconsin"]. [Wisconsin Blue Book], 1983-1984 edition. ]
Statehood in 1848
| Belmont
| 1836
| Wisconsin Territory capital
|
| Burlington
| 1837
| Wisconsin Territory capital, now part of Iowa
|
| Madison
| 1838
| Wisconsin Territory capital
|
| 1848
| State capital
|
Wyoming[Saban, Mary Thompson, [Wyoming Sage: Brief History of Wyoming]. Updated January 172004. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1890
| Cheyenne
| 1869
| Wyoming Territory capital
|
| 1890
| State capital
|
