US State Capitals by Population
State capitals are a strange collection of cities. A few of them, like Phoenix, Boston and Atlanta, are exactly the metropolis you would expect a state to govern itself from. Most of the rest are small, deliberately so: 19th century legislatures picked central, neutral towns as a compromise between rival cities, long before anyone knew where the population would end up. The result is a list where the biggest capital has roughly 200 times the population of the smallest.
Largest State Capital
Phoenix
1,608,139 people at the 2020 census. Montpelier, the smallest, has 8,074.
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Need this as data for a worksheet, flashcard deck, or app? Download all 50 capitals ranked by 2020 census population, with state, postal abbreviation, and whether the capital is its state’s largest city.
All 50 State Capitals Ranked by Population
| # | Capital | State | Population (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | Arizona | 1,608,139 |
| 2 | Austin | Texas | 961,855 |
| 3 | Columbus | Ohio | 905,748 |
| 4 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 887,642 |
| 5 | Denver | Colorado | 715,522 |
| 6 | Nashville | Tennessee | 689,447 |
| 7 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 681,054 |
| 8 | Boston | Massachusetts | 675,647 |
| 9 | Sacramento | California | 524,943 |
| 10 | Atlanta | Georgia | 498,715 |
| 11 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 467,665 |
| 12 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 350,964 |
| 13 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 311,527 |
| 14 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 291,082 |
| 15 | Madison | Wisconsin | 269,840 |
| 16 | Boise | Idaho | 235,684 |
| 17 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 227,470 |
| 18 | Richmond | Virginia | 226,610 |
| 19 | Des Moines | Iowa | 214,133 |
| 20 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 202,591 |
| 21 | Montgomery | Alabama | 200,603 |
| 22 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 199,723 |
| 23 | Tallahassee | Florida | 196,169 |
| 24 | Providence | Rhode Island | 190,934 |
| 25 | Salem | Oregon | 175,535 |
| 26 | Jackson | Mississippi | 153,701 |
| 27 | Columbia | South Carolina | 136,632 |
| 28 | Topeka | Kansas | 126,587 |
| 29 | Hartford | Connecticut | 121,054 |
| 30 | Springfield | Illinois | 114,394 |
| 31 | Lansing | Michigan | 112,644 |
| 32 | Albany | New York | 99,224 |
| 33 | Trenton | New Jersey | 90,871 |
| 34 | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 87,505 |
| 35 | Bismarck | North Dakota | 73,622 |
| 36 | Cheyenne | Wyoming | 65,132 |
| 37 | Carson City | Nevada | 58,639 |
| 38 | Olympia | Washington | 55,605 |
| 39 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 50,099 |
| 40 | Charleston | West Virginia | 48,864 |
| 41 | Concord | New Hampshire | 43,976 |
| 42 | Jefferson City | Missouri | 43,228 |
| 43 | Annapolis | Maryland | 40,812 |
| 44 | Dover | Delaware | 39,403 |
| 45 | Juneau | Alaska | 32,255 |
| 46 | Helena | Montana | 32,091 |
| 47 | Frankfort | Kentucky | 28,602 |
| 48 | Augusta | Maine | 18,899 |
| 49 | Pierre | South Dakota | 14,091 |
| 50 | Montpelier | Vermont | 8,074 |
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CapitalPhoenixStateArizonaPopulation (2020)1,608,1392
CapitalAustinStateTexasPopulation (2020)961,8553
CapitalColumbusStateOhioPopulation (2020)905,7484
CapitalIndianapolisStateIndianaPopulation (2020)887,6425
CapitalDenverStateColoradoPopulation (2020)715,5226
CapitalNashvilleStateTennesseePopulation (2020)689,4477
CapitalOklahoma CityStateOklahomaPopulation (2020)681,0548
CapitalBostonStateMassachusettsPopulation (2020)675,6479
CapitalSacramentoStateCaliforniaPopulation (2020)524,94310
CapitalAtlantaStateGeorgiaPopulation (2020)498,71511
CapitalRaleighStateNorth CarolinaPopulation (2020)467,66512
CapitalHonoluluStateHawaiiPopulation (2020)350,96413
CapitalSaint PaulStateMinnesotaPopulation (2020)311,52714
CapitalLincolnStateNebraskaPopulation (2020)291,08215
CapitalMadisonStateWisconsinPopulation (2020)269,84016
CapitalBoiseStateIdahoPopulation (2020)235,68417
CapitalBaton RougeStateLouisianaPopulation (2020)227,47018
CapitalRichmondStateVirginiaPopulation (2020)226,61019
CapitalDes MoinesStateIowaPopulation (2020)214,13320
CapitalLittle RockStateArkansasPopulation (2020)202,59121
CapitalMontgomeryStateAlabamaPopulation (2020)200,60322
CapitalSalt Lake CityStateUtahPopulation (2020)199,72323
CapitalTallahasseeStateFloridaPopulation (2020)196,16924
CapitalProvidenceStateRhode IslandPopulation (2020)190,93425
CapitalSalemStateOregonPopulation (2020)175,53526
CapitalJacksonStateMississippiPopulation (2020)153,70127
CapitalColumbiaStateSouth CarolinaPopulation (2020)136,63228
CapitalTopekaStateKansasPopulation (2020)126,58729
CapitalHartfordStateConnecticutPopulation (2020)121,05430
CapitalSpringfieldStateIllinoisPopulation (2020)114,39431
CapitalLansingStateMichiganPopulation (2020)112,64432
CapitalAlbanyStateNew YorkPopulation (2020)99,22433
CapitalTrentonStateNew JerseyPopulation (2020)90,87134
CapitalSanta FeStateNew MexicoPopulation (2020)87,50535
CapitalBismarckStateNorth DakotaPopulation (2020)73,62236
CapitalCheyenneStateWyomingPopulation (2020)65,13237
CapitalCarson CityStateNevadaPopulation (2020)58,63938
CapitalOlympiaStateWashingtonPopulation (2020)55,60539
CapitalHarrisburgStatePennsylvaniaPopulation (2020)50,09940
CapitalCharlestonStateWest VirginiaPopulation (2020)48,86441
CapitalConcordStateNew HampshirePopulation (2020)43,97642
CapitalJefferson CityStateMissouriPopulation (2020)43,22843
CapitalAnnapolisStateMarylandPopulation (2020)40,81244
CapitalDoverStateDelawarePopulation (2020)39,40345
CapitalJuneauStateAlaskaPopulation (2020)32,25546
CapitalHelenaStateMontanaPopulation (2020)32,09147
CapitalFrankfortStateKentuckyPopulation (2020)28,60248
CapitalAugustaStateMainePopulation (2020)18,89949
CapitalPierreStateSouth DakotaPopulation (2020)14,09150
CapitalMontpelierStateVermontPopulation (2020)8,074
Only 17 of the 50 capitals are also their state’s largest city: Phoenix, Little Rock, Denver, Atlanta, Honolulu, Boise, Indianapolis, Des Moines, Boston, Jackson, Charleston, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Nashville, Providence and Cheyenne. The count keeps shrinking, too. At the 2020 census Charleston overtook Columbia as South Carolina’s largest city, and Huntsville pushed past the capital Montgomery in Alabama. Everywhere else, the famous city and the capital are different places, which is exactly what makes capitals such reliable quiz material.
The bottom of the table is where the real trivia lives. Montpelier, Vermont is the only capital with fewer than 10,000 residents. Pierre, South Dakota is second-smallest and pronounced "peer". Juneau, Alaska cannot be reached by road at all. And the gap between the ends of the list is hard to overstate: Phoenix alone has more residents than the 24 smallest state capitals combined.
One Thing to Know About Every Capital
| Capital | State | Worth Knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | Alabama | Birthplace of the 1955 bus boycott that launched the civil rights movement. |
| Juneau | Alaska | No roads lead in or out; you can only arrive by boat or plane. |
| Phoenix | Arizona | The largest state capital, and the only one with over a million residents. |
| Little Rock | Arkansas | Named after a small rock outcrop on the Arkansas River, "la petite roche". |
| Sacramento | California | Boomed as a supply hub during the Gold Rush of 1849. |
| Denver | Colorado | The Mile High City sits one mile above sea level. |
| Hartford | Connecticut | Mark Twain lived here for 17 years and wrote Tom Sawyer in town. |
| Dover | Delaware | Where Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787. |
| Tallahassee | Florida | The only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi never captured in the Civil War. |
| Atlanta | Georgia | Burned in 1864; its official symbol is a phoenix rising from the ashes. |
| Honolulu | Hawaii | The only state capital with a royal palace, Iolani Palace. |
| Boise | Idaho | The name comes from the French "boisé", meaning wooded. |
| Springfield | Illinois | Abraham Lincoln lived here for 24 years and is buried in town. |
| Indianapolis | Indiana | A planned capital, laid out in 1821 on a design echoing Washington, D.C. |
| Des Moines | Iowa | Becomes the center of US politics every four years when the caucuses open the presidential race. |
| Topeka | Kansas | The Kansa name is often translated as "a good place to dig potatoes". |
| Frankfort | Kentucky | Named for a 1780s river crossing known as Frank's Ford. |
| Baton Rouge | Louisiana | French for "red stick", a boundary marker French explorers saw in 1699. |
| Augusta | Maine | The easternmost state capital in the country. |
| Annapolis | Maryland | Home of the US Naval Academy since 1845. |
| Boston | Massachusetts | The Freedom Trail links 16 Revolutionary War sites through downtown. |
| Lansing | Michigan | Chosen in 1847 partly to move the capital away from Detroit and the Canadian border. |
| Saint Paul | Minnesota | Started as a river landing called Pig's Eye before getting a more dignified name. |
| Jackson | Mississippi | Named after Andrew Jackson before he ever became president. |
| Jefferson City | Missouri | One of four state capitals named after a US president. |
| Helena | Montana | Founded on a gold strike at Last Chance Gulch, now its main street. |
| Lincoln | Nebraska | Renamed from Lancaster to honor Abraham Lincoln at statehood in 1867. |
| Carson City | Nevada | Named after the frontier scout Kit Carson. |
| Concord | New Hampshire | Granite from its quarries went into the Library of Congress. |
| Trenton | New Jersey | Where Washington struck after famously crossing the Delaware in 1776. |
| Santa Fe | New Mexico | The oldest state capital, founded in 1610, and the highest at about 7,200 feet. |
| Albany | New York | One of the oldest continuously chartered cities in America, chartered in 1686. |
| Raleigh | North Carolina | Planned from scratch as a capital in 1792 and named after Sir Walter Raleigh. |
| Bismarck | North Dakota | Renamed after the German chancellor in 1873 to court German railroad investment. |
| Columbus | Ohio | Passed Cleveland and Cincinnati to become Ohio's largest city. |
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Sprang up in a single day during the Land Run of April 22, 1889. |
| Salem | Oregon | The name shares a root with "shalom", meaning peace. |
| Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | Overlooks the Susquehanna River near Three Mile Island of 1979 fame. |
| Providence | Rhode Island | Founded by Roger Williams in 1636 as a haven for religious freedom. |
| Columbia | South Carolina | One of the first planned capital cities in the United States, laid out in 1786. |
| Pierre | South Dakota | The second-smallest capital, pronounced "peer" rather than the French way. |
| Nashville | Tennessee | Music City, home of the Grand Ole Opry since 1925. |
| Austin | Texas | The largest capital that is not its state's largest city. |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | Founded by Brigham Young and Mormon pioneers in 1847. |
| Montpelier | Vermont | The smallest state capital, with about 8,000 residents. |
| Richmond | Virginia | Capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War. |
| Olympia | Washington | Named for the Olympic Mountains visible to the northwest. |
| Charleston | West Virginia | Sits where the Kanawha and Elk rivers meet. |
| Madison | Wisconsin | Built on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona. |
| Cheyenne | Wyoming | Born as a Union Pacific railroad town in 1867, the "Magic City of the Plains". |
Montgomery
StateAlabamaWorth Knowing
Birthplace of the 1955 bus boycott that launched the civil rights movement.
Juneau
StateAlaskaWorth Knowing
No roads lead in or out; you can only arrive by boat or plane.
Phoenix
StateArizonaWorth Knowing
The largest state capital, and the only one with over a million residents.
Little Rock
StateArkansasWorth Knowing
Named after a small rock outcrop on the Arkansas River, "la petite roche".
Sacramento
StateCaliforniaWorth Knowing
Boomed as a supply hub during the Gold Rush of 1849.
Denver
StateColoradoWorth Knowing
The Mile High City sits one mile above sea level.
Hartford
StateConnecticutWorth Knowing
Mark Twain lived here for 17 years and wrote Tom Sawyer in town.
Dover
StateDelawareWorth Knowing
Where Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787.
Tallahassee
StateFloridaWorth Knowing
The only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi never captured in the Civil War.
Atlanta
StateGeorgiaWorth Knowing
Burned in 1864; its official symbol is a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Honolulu
StateHawaiiWorth Knowing
The only state capital with a royal palace, Iolani Palace.
Boise
StateIdahoWorth Knowing
The name comes from the French "boisé", meaning wooded.
Springfield
StateIllinoisWorth Knowing
Abraham Lincoln lived here for 24 years and is buried in town.
Indianapolis
StateIndianaWorth Knowing
A planned capital, laid out in 1821 on a design echoing Washington, D.C.
Des Moines
StateIowaWorth Knowing
Becomes the center of US politics every four years when the caucuses open the presidential race.
Topeka
StateKansasWorth Knowing
The Kansa name is often translated as "a good place to dig potatoes".
Frankfort
StateKentuckyWorth Knowing
Named for a 1780s river crossing known as Frank's Ford.
Baton Rouge
StateLouisianaWorth Knowing
French for "red stick", a boundary marker French explorers saw in 1699.
Augusta
StateMaineWorth Knowing
The easternmost state capital in the country.
Annapolis
StateMarylandWorth Knowing
Home of the US Naval Academy since 1845.
Boston
StateMassachusettsWorth Knowing
The Freedom Trail links 16 Revolutionary War sites through downtown.
Lansing
StateMichiganWorth Knowing
Chosen in 1847 partly to move the capital away from Detroit and the Canadian border.
Saint Paul
StateMinnesotaWorth Knowing
Started as a river landing called Pig's Eye before getting a more dignified name.
Jackson
StateMississippiWorth Knowing
Named after Andrew Jackson before he ever became president.
Jefferson City
StateMissouriWorth Knowing
One of four state capitals named after a US president.
Helena
StateMontanaWorth Knowing
Founded on a gold strike at Last Chance Gulch, now its main street.
Lincoln
StateNebraskaWorth Knowing
Renamed from Lancaster to honor Abraham Lincoln at statehood in 1867.
Carson City
StateNevadaWorth Knowing
Named after the frontier scout Kit Carson.
Concord
StateNew HampshireWorth Knowing
Granite from its quarries went into the Library of Congress.
Trenton
StateNew JerseyWorth Knowing
Where Washington struck after famously crossing the Delaware in 1776.
Santa Fe
StateNew MexicoWorth Knowing
The oldest state capital, founded in 1610, and the highest at about 7,200 feet.
Albany
StateNew YorkWorth Knowing
One of the oldest continuously chartered cities in America, chartered in 1686.
Raleigh
StateNorth CarolinaWorth Knowing
Planned from scratch as a capital in 1792 and named after Sir Walter Raleigh.
Bismarck
StateNorth DakotaWorth Knowing
Renamed after the German chancellor in 1873 to court German railroad investment.
Columbus
StateOhioWorth Knowing
Passed Cleveland and Cincinnati to become Ohio's largest city.
Oklahoma City
StateOklahomaWorth Knowing
Sprang up in a single day during the Land Run of April 22, 1889.
Salem
StateOregonWorth Knowing
The name shares a root with "shalom", meaning peace.
Harrisburg
StatePennsylvaniaWorth Knowing
Overlooks the Susquehanna River near Three Mile Island of 1979 fame.
Providence
StateRhode IslandWorth Knowing
Founded by Roger Williams in 1636 as a haven for religious freedom.
Columbia
StateSouth CarolinaWorth Knowing
One of the first planned capital cities in the United States, laid out in 1786.
Pierre
StateSouth DakotaWorth Knowing
The second-smallest capital, pronounced "peer" rather than the French way.
Nashville
StateTennesseeWorth Knowing
Music City, home of the Grand Ole Opry since 1925.
Austin
StateTexasWorth Knowing
The largest capital that is not its state's largest city.
Salt Lake City
StateUtahWorth Knowing
Founded by Brigham Young and Mormon pioneers in 1847.
Montpelier
StateVermontWorth Knowing
The smallest state capital, with about 8,000 residents.
Richmond
StateVirginiaWorth Knowing
Capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War.
Olympia
StateWashingtonWorth Knowing
Named for the Olympic Mountains visible to the northwest.
Charleston
StateWest VirginiaWorth Knowing
Sits where the Kanawha and Elk rivers meet.
Madison
StateWisconsinWorth Knowing
Built on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona.
Cheyenne
StateWyomingWorth Knowing
Born as a Union Pacific railroad town in 1867, the "Magic City of the Plains".
Sources and Notes
Populations are city proper (not metro area) from the 2020 US Census. Rankings shift between censuses; the largest-city comparisons above also use 2020 city-proper counts. Washington, D.C. is the federal capital, not a state capital, and is excluded.
Now do it from memory
Reading the list is the warm-up. The State Capitals Quiz asks you to type all 50 while the map keeps score.
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Written by
Ziga Straus
I build and run Geography Games on my own, from the games and the artwork to these articles. Everything here is checked against published references, and each article lists its sources at the bottom so you can verify any figure yourself rather than taking my word for it.
