List of current and former capital cities within U.S. states

From Freepedia

Image:Independence Hall belltower.jpg

This is a list of the current and former national and subnational capitals (legislature or government seat) of states, territories, colonies, or kingdoms located in the United States, organized by current U.S. state location. Washington, D.C., the national capital, is not located in any state; current state capitals are noted in boldface font.

Located in	Place	When, Whose
Alabama Image:Alabama state flag.png
	St. Stephens, Alabama2	Territorial capital (1817–1819)
	Huntsville, Alabama2	1819
	Cahawba, Alabama2	1820–1826
	Tuscaloosa, Alabama2	1826–1846
	Montgomery, Alabama2	Confederate States national capital (February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861), current state capital
Alaska Image:Alaska state flag.png	Sitka, Alaska4	Russian capital (as New Archangel), military department capital, district capital (—1900 de jure, 1906 de facto)
	Juneau, Alaska3	District capital (1900 de jure, 1906 de facto–1912), territorial capital, current state capital
Arizona Image:Arizona state flag.png	Prescott, Arizona5	Territorial capital (1864–1867; 1877–1889)
	Tucson, Arizona5	Territorial capital (1867–1877)
	Phoenix, Arizona5	Territorial capital (1889–1912), state capital (1912–current)
Arkansas Image:Arkansas state flag.png	Arkansas Post, Arkansas6	Territorial capital (1819–1821)
	Washington, Arkansas6,7	Confederate state government capital (1863–1865)
	Little Rock, Arkansas	Territorial capital (1821–1836), state capital (1836–current)
California Image:California state flag.png	Monterey, California9	Capital of Alta and Baja California under Spanish and Mexican rule (1777–1850)
	San José, California8	State capital (1850–1851)
	Vallejo, California8	State capital (1851–1853)
	Benicia, California8	State capital (1853–1854)
	Sacramento, California8	State capital (1854–current)
Colorado Image:Colorado state flag.png	Auraria, Kansas Territory10	Territory of Jefferson capital (1859–1861)
	Colorado City, Colorado10	Territorial capital, federally unrecognized (1861–1862)
	Golden, Colorado10	Territorial capital (1862–1867)
	Denver, Colorado10	Current state capital
Connecticut Image:Connecticut state flag.png	New Haven, Connecticut	Co-capital with Hartford (1701–1873)
	Hartford, Connecticut	Current
Delaware Image:Delaware state flag.png	New Castle, Delaware	Colonial capital
	Dover, Delaware	Current state capital
Florida Image:Florida state flag.png	St. Augustine, Florida28	Capital of British East Florida, territorial capital (1821–1824, dual capital with Pensacola)
	Pensacola, Florida28	Capital of British West Florida, territorial capital (1821–1824, dual capital with St. Augustine)
	Tallahassee, Florida28	Territorial capital (1824–1845), state capital (1845–current)
Georgia Image:Georgia state flag.png	Savannah, Georgia27	Colonial capital, state capital (1777–1778, 1782, 1784, 1785)
	Heard's Fort, Georgia27	Temporary state capital (1780–1781)
	Ebenezer, Georgia27	Temporary state capital (1782)
	Augusta, Georgia27	State capital (1779–1780, 1781–1784 alternated with Savannah, et al., 1786–1796)
	Louisville, Georgia27	State capital (1796–1806)
	Milledgeville, Georgia27	State capital (1807–1864, 1865–1868)
	Macon, Georgia27	Temporary state capital during American Civil War (1864–1865)
	Atlanta, Georgia27	State capital (1868–current)
Hawaii Image:Hawaii state flag.png	Lahaina, Hawaii	Capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii (—1840)
	Honolulu, Hawaii	Current state capital
Idaho Image:Idaho state flag.png	Lewiston, Idaho15	Territorial (1863–1864)
	Boise, Idaho15	Territorial capital, current state capital
Illinois Image:Illinois state flag.png	Kaskaskia, Illinois26	Territorial capital (1809–1818)
	Vandalia, Illinois26	State capital (1819–1839)
	Springfield, Illinois26	State capital (1839–current)
Indiana Image:Indiana state flag.png	Vincennes, Indiana	Territorial capital (1800–1813)
	Corydon, Indiana	1816–1825
	Indianapolis, Indiana	Current state capital
Iowa Image:Iowa state flag.png	Burlington, Iowa21	Wisconsin Territory capital (1837–1838), top-gap territorial capital 1838–1841
	Iowa City, Iowa21	Territorial, first state (1841–1857)
	Des Moines, Iowa21	Current state capital
Kansas Image:Kansas state flag.png	Pawnee near Fort Riley, Kansas19	Territorial capital (1855)
	Lecompton, Kansas	Territorial capital for pro-slavery government
	Topeka, Kansas19	Territorial capital (1859–1861 under Wyandotte constitution), state capital (1861–current)
Kentucky Image:Kentucky state flag.png	Danville, Kentucky	Capital of Virginia's Kentucky District
	Bowling Green, Kentucky	Capital of the state's Confederate government
	Frankfort, Kentucky	Current state capital
Louisiana Image:Louisiana state flag.png	New Orleans, Louisiana	1812–1830, 1831–1841, 1865–1880
	Donaldsonville, Louisiana	1830
	Opelousas, Louisiana	1862 in war
	Shreveport, Louisiana	1863
	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Current state capital
Maine Image:Maine state flag.png	Portland, Maine25	State capital (1820–1827 de jure, 1832 de facto)
	Augusta, Maine25	State capital (1827 de jure, 1832 de facto–current)
Maryland Image:Maryland state flag.png	St. Mary's City, Maryland	Colonial capital ( —1694)
	Baltimore, Maryland1	U.S. national capital (1776–1777)
	Brookeville, Maryland29	U.S. national capital (August 26, 1814)
	Annapolis, Maryland1	Current state capital (initially named Anne Arundel Town), U.S. national capital (1783–1784)
Massachusetts   Image:Massachusetts state flag.png	Boston, Massachusetts	Massachusetts Bay Colony capital, current state capital (1630—)
Michigan Image:Michigan state flag.png	Detroit, Michigan23	Territorial capital (1805–1837, occupied by British forces 1812–1813), first state capital (1837–1847)
	Lansing, Michigan23	State capital (1847–current)
Minnesota Image:Minnesota state flag.png	Saint Paul, Minnesota14	Territorial capital (1849–1858), state capital (1858–current)
Mississippi Image:Mississippi state flag.png	Natchez, Mississippi20	Territorial capital (1798–1802)
	Washington, Mississippi20	Territorial capital (1802–1817)
	Natchez, Mississippi20	State capital (1817–1821)
	Jackson, Mississippi20	State capital (renamed from LeFleur's Bluff, 1821–current)
Missouri Image:Missouri state flag.png	St. Louis, Missouri	Territorial capital
	Saint Charles, Missouri	1821–1825
	Jefferson City, Missouri	Current state capital
Montana Image:Montana state flag.png	Bannack, Montana22	Territorial capital (1864–1865)
	Virginia City, Montana22	Territorial capital (1865–1875)
	Helena, Montana22	Territorial capital (1875–1889), state capital (1889–current)
Nebraska Image:Nebraska state flag.png	Omaha, Nebraska	Territorial capital
	Lincoln, Nebraska	Current state capital
Nevada Image:Nevada state flag.png	Carson City, Nevada12	Territorial capital, current state capital
New Hampshire Image:New Hampshire state flag.png	Portsmouth, New Hampshire17	Colonial, state ( —1808)
	Exeter, New Hampshire	Revolutionary War capital
	Concord, New Hampshire16	Current state capital
New Jersey Image:New Jersey state flag.png	Elizabethtown, New Jersey	Colonial capital (—1686)
	Princeton, New Jersey1	U.S. national capital (1783)
	Trenton, New Jersey1	U.S. national capital (1784), current state capital
New Mexico Image:New Mexico state flag.png	Mesilla, New Mexico	Capital of Confederate Arizona Territory
	Santa Fe, New Mexico	Current state capital
New York Image:New York state flag.png	New York, New York	Colonial, under British rule (1664–1777), U.S. national capital (1785–1790), state capital (1789–1797)
	Kingston, New York	(1777)
	Hurley, New York	(Oct–Dec 1777)
	Poughkeepsie	(~1777)
	Albany, New York	Current state capital
North Carolina   Image:North Carolina state flag.png	Charlestown, Carolina	Early colonial, before division of Carolina
	New Bern, North Carolina	—1794
	Raleigh, North Carolina	Current state capital
North Dakota Image:North Dakota state flag.png	Bismarck, North Dakota	Dakota territorial (1883–1889), current state capital
Ohio Image:Ohio state flag.png	Chillicothe, Ohio	1803–1810, 1812–1816
	Zanesville, Ohio	1810–1812
	Columbus, Ohio	Current state capital
Oklahoma Image:Oklahoma state flag.png	Tahlequah, Oklahoma	Cherokee Nation capital
	Ninih Waiya	Choctaw Nation capital
	Tishomingo, Oklahoma	Chickasaw Nation capital
	Tuskahoma	Choctaw Nation capital
	Okmulgee, Oklahoma	Creek Nation capital
	Wewoka, Oklahoma	Seminole Nation capital
	Guthrie, Oklahoma	Territorial capital 1889–1910
	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Current state capital
Oregon Image:Oregon state flag.png	Oregon City, Oregon	Territorial capital (1848–1851)
	Corvallis, Oregon	Territorial capital (1855)
	Salem, Oregon	Current state capital
Pennsylvania Image:Pennsylvania state flag.png	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania1	Colonial capital, first state capital ( —1799), U.S. national capital (1776, 1777, 1778–1783, 1790–1800)
	Lancaster, Pennsylvania1	U.S. national capital (1777), state capital 1799–1812
	York, Pennsylvania1	U.S. national capital (1777–1778)
	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	Current state capital
Rhode Island Image:Rhode Island state flag.png	Providence, Rhode Island	Current state capital
South Carolina   Image:South Carolina state flag.png	Charleston, South Carolina	Was early colonial Charlestown, Carolina
	Columbia, South Carolina	Current state capital
South Dakota Image:South Dakota state flag.png	Yankton, South Dakota	Dakota territorial (1861–1883)
	Pierre, South Dakota	Current state capital
Tennessee Image:Tennessee state flag.png	Knoxville, Tennessee24	Southwest Territory capital (first called White's Fort, 1791–1796), state capital (1796–1812, 1817)
	Kingston, Tennessee24	State capital for one day (in 1807) to fulfill treaty obligations with the Cherokee
	Murfreesboro, Tennessee24	State capital (1818–1826)
	Nashville, Tennessee24	State capital (1812–1817, 1826–current)
Texas Image:Texas state flag.png	Los Adaes	Colonial capital from (1721–1772)
	San Antonio de Bexar	Colonial capital from (1772–1824)
	Saltillo, Coahulia	First capital of Coahuila y Tejas from (1824–1833)
	Monclova, Coahulia	Second capital of Coahuila y Tejas from (1833–1836)
	Washington, Texas	First capital of the Republic of Texas, today called Washington-on-the-Brazos
	Marshall, Texas	Capital of exiled pro-Confederate state officials and ousted Governor of Missouri
	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 state capital (initially named Waterloo; changed in 1839)
Utah Image:Utah state flag.png	Fillmore, Utah	Territorial capital
	Salt Lake City, Utah	Current state capital
Vermont Image:Vermont state flag.png	Windsor, Vermont	Early meeting place for independent Vermont legislature
	Montpelier, Vermont13	State capital (1805–current)
Virginia Image:Virginia state flag.png	Jamestown, Virginia	First Colonial capital
	Williamsburg, Virginia	Second colonial capital (initially Middle Plantation)
	Yorktown, Virginia	Third colonial capital
	Danville, Virginia	Confederate States national capital (April 3, 1865–April 10, 1865)
	Richmond, Virginia	Confederate States national capital (May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865), current state capital
Washington Image:Washington state flag.png	Olympia, Washington11	Territorial, current
West Virginia Image:West Virginia state flag.png	Wheeling, West Virginia	First state capital, 1863–1870, and again 1875–1885
	Charleston, West Virginia	State capital, 1870–1875, 1885–present
Wisconsin Image:Wisconsin state flag.png	Belmont, Wisconsin	Territorial capital
	Madison, Wisconsin	Current state capital
Wyoming Image:Wyoming state flag.png	Cheyenne, Wyoming18	Territorial capital (1869–1890), state capital (1890–current)

Sources

• 1: United States Senate Historical Office, "U.S. Senate: Reference Home > The Nine Capitals of the United States," viewed 9 June 2005; based on Fortenbaugh, Robert, The Nine Capitals of the United States, York, PA: Maple Press, 1948.
• 2: Alabama Department of Archives and History, "ADAH: Capitals of Alabama," updated 29 Oct 2001, viewed 9 June 2005.
• 3: SLED: Statewide Library Electronic Doorway, "FAQ ALASKA - Frequently Asked Questions About Alaska," updated 21 Sept 2004, viewed 9 June 2005; based on Alaska Blue Book 1993-94, 11th ed., Juneau, Department of Education, Division of State Libraries, Archives & Museums.
• 4: Department of Community and Economic Development Alaska Community Database Online, "ExploreNorth: The History of Sitka," viewed 9 June 2005.
• 5: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, "Capitals before the Capitol," viewed 9 June 2005.
• 6: Arkansas Secretary of State, "Arkansas Secretary of State: Educational Materials: Facts," viewed 9 June 2005.
• 7: Confederate Capital Old Division of State Parks, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, "Washington State Park 19th century village in SW Arkansas," created 2003, viewed 9 June 2005.
• 8: California State Library, "Previous Capitals of California," updated 27 Nov 2000, viewed 9 June 2005.
• 9: Historic Monterey, "Historic Timeline," created 2005, viewed viewed 9 June 2005.
• 10: Colorado State Archives, "Colorado State Capitol Virtual Tour Early Capitol and Legislative Assembly Locations," updated 20 June 2003, viewed 9 June 2005.
• 11: Official City of Olympia Web Site, "The History of Olympia," viewed 9 June 2005.
• 12: Rocha, Guy "Nevada State Archives Historical Myth a Month Myth #28, Las Vegas: Nevada's Next State Capital?," updated 14 July 2003, viewed 9 June 2005; originally published as Sierra Sage, Carson City/Carson Valley, Nevada, May 1998 edition.
• 13: Vermont Historical Society, "Early History of Montpelier, Vermont," viewed 9 June 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.
• 14: City of St. Paul, Minnesota, "Saint Paul’s 150th birthday," viewed 9 June 2005.
• 15: Idaho Office of the Governor, "Chronological History of Idaho," created 2000, viewed 9 June 2005.
• 16: New Hampshire General Court, "New Hampshire Senate Page For Kids," viewed 9 June 2005.
• 17: New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, "New Hampshire History in Brief," created 1989, viewed 9 June 2005.
• 18: Saban, Mary Thompson, "Wyoming Sage: Brief History of Wyoming," updated 17 Jan 2004, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 19: Harding, Eldon, "Stories from the Kansas State Capital: Choosing a Capital City--Why Topeka?" Kansas State Historical Society, April 2001, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 20: 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, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 21: 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 25 Aug 2004, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 22: Lambert, Kirby, "Montana's crown jewel of architecture: The Montana state capitol," Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Montana Historical Society, originally published summer 2002, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 23: "Michigan in Brief," Official State of Michigan website, updated 7 Mar 2005, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 24: "Capital Cities," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, posted 2002, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 25: "Students Questions Frequently Ask," Maine State Senate website, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 26: "Past Capitols," (note: copied from the 1975-1976 Illinois Bluebook), ilstatehouse.com, created 5 Mar 2005, viewed 10 June 2005.
• 27: Jackson, Edwin L., "Story of Georgia's Capitols and Capital Cities," Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia, 1988
• 28: Florida State History, Florida Division of Historical Resources
• 29: History of Brookeville, Town of Brookeville, MD

See also

• List of U.S. state capitals
• List of capitals of subnational entities (includes capitals of U.S. possessions)
• List of historical national capitals (e.g. of the United States)
• Capital of the Confederate States of America
• List of multiple capitals

U.S. state lists   Capitals | Capitols | Largest cities | Date of statehood | Never territories | Name etymologies | Area   Elevation | Population | Population density | Postal abbreviations | Time zone    Traditional abbreviation | Unemployment rate | Current and former capitals | State insignia

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External links

• Capitals of Alabama
• Florida Facts - The Capitol
• The Capitalization of Georgia
• The State Houses of Louisiana
• Las Vegas: Nevada's Next State Capital?
• New Hampshire Senate for Kids - Capitals
• Handbook of Texas Online – Capitals
• Colonial Capitals of the Dominion of Virginia
• Utah History To Go - Utah's Capitols