About the State Capitals Quiz
The State Capitals Quiz asks one deceptively simple question: can you name all 50 US state capitals from memory? Type a capital, press Enter, and if you're right the matching state lights up green and a dot marks the capital on the map. No multiple choice, no word bank, no hints. Just you, a blank map of America, and a clock counting up.
Here's why this quiz is so much harder than naming the states themselves: in most states, the capital is NOT the biggest city. New York's capital is Albany, not New York City. Illinois picked Springfield over Chicago. Washington chose Olympia, not Seattle, and Nevada runs its affairs from little Carson City while Las Vegas gets all the attention. Only 17 of the 50 capitals are also their state's largest city, which means the famous city your brain reaches for first is usually the wrong answer. Most capitals were chosen for a central location or as a compromise between rival towns, long before the modern population centers grew up around them.
Name all 50 and you can submit your time to the leaderboard, where only the ten fastest runs make the board. Give up early and the quiz shows exactly which capitals you missed, so every round doubles as a study session. If you want to warm up, our list of all 50 US states and capitals has the full reference table plus the capitals people get wrong most often. Already know the capitals cold? Race the map in the 50 states quiz or browse every US challenge on the US states games hub.
How to Play
Press Start Game. The timer starts counting up immediately and the input box appears.
Type any state capital and press Enter. Order doesn't matter, capitalization is ignored, and both "St. Paul" and "Saint Paul" count.
A correct capital turns its state green and drops a dot on the city. A wrong guess adds one to your wrong count, and typing a state name earns you a gentle reminder.
Name all 50 capitals to stop the clock and submit your time to the leaderboard. You can also give up to see which capitals you missed.
Tips for Naming All 50 Capitals
- Ignore the famous city. The single biggest trap is guessing the best-known city in the state. Only 17 capitals are their state's largest city, so when in doubt, think of the smaller, older, more central town instead.
- Sweep by region. Walk the map in your head: New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Midwest, the Mountain West, the Pacific coast. A systematic sweep beats random recall every time.
- Bank the easy ones early. Boston, Denver, Atlanta, Phoenix, Nashville and Honolulu are capitals AND famous cities. Clear them fast, then spend your focus on the Frankforts and Pierres.
- Learn the president group. Four capitals are named after presidents: Jackson, Jefferson City, Lincoln and Madison. Recalling them as a set is four answers for the price of one.
- Read the empty patches. The green fill shows which regions are done. When you stall, look at whatever is still grey and ask yourself what its capital could be.
Stuck on the Last Few Capitals?
Staring at a grey state with no idea what its capital is? That is normal. The capitals almost nobody remembers are the small ones, and the fix is ten minutes with the list.
Read US State Capitals by Population to learn the capitals the sticky way: all 50 ranked from Phoenix down to tiny Montpelier, the 17 that are also their state's largest city, and one memorable fact for each. Then come back and watch the map fill up faster.
State Capitals Quiz FAQ
How many state capitals are also the largest city in their state?▼
Only 17 of the 50, by 2020 census city population. Famous examples where the capital is NOT the biggest city: Albany not New York City, Sacramento not Los Angeles, Springfield not Chicago, Olympia not Seattle, and Carson City not Las Vegas.
What is the smallest state capital?▼
Montpelier, Vermont, with about 8,000 residents at the 2020 census. It is the only state capital with fewer than 10,000 people. Pierre, South Dakota is second-smallest at about 14,000.
What is the oldest state capital?▼
Santa Fe, New Mexico, founded by Spanish colonists in 1610, more than a decade before the Pilgrims reached Plymouth. At about 7,200 feet it is also the highest state capital.
Does spelling matter?▼
Yes, a guess counts only when it matches the capital name, though capitalization, punctuation and accents are ignored, and "St. Paul" and "Saint Paul" both work. Type full names: "Salt Lake City" works, "SLC" does not.
Is Washington, D.C. one of the answers?▼
No. Washington, D.C. is the federal capital, not a state capital, so it is not on the list. The quiz asks for the capital city of each of the 50 states.
Is the quiz free?▼
Yes. Free, unlimited replays, playable in the browser, no sign-up or download needed.
