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About This Quiz
Although you may have spent time working on your memorization of each of the state capitals, few people actually know what they are for. The purpose of a state capital is to centralize the governing body of each state. But wait ... we abide by the laws of the federal government, right? Yes, but every state in the U.S. has different rules that they enforce beyond the federal laws. These can be simple laws that regard traffic to heavier laws that include human rights and even the legalization of specific recreational substances. Each state capital houses the state government, which both creates these laws and helps to enforce them.Â
But you don't have to know all of that to pass this quiz. As a matter of fact, we're here just to see if you can remember these places. For every state, there is a capital. From Albany to Trenton, we're going to test you on all 50. Do you think you can name them all? Only true geography stars can ace this quiz, but we'll be impressed if you can get more than 30 of them right. Here's a special hint: not every state's capital is the largest city within that state.Â
Gardentown
George Island
Providence
Although Rhode Island is the smallest state by square mileage in the US, it does have something that is the biggest. You can find the world's largest termite statue in Providence, Rhode Island, and it's 58 feet long.
Georgetown
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Cheyenne
Muskogee
Hartford
Every state capital has a story. For Hartford, Connecticut, it's the place where the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile drove through town. Teddy Roosevelt did this in 1902.
Denmark
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Big Rock
White Rock
Alt Rock
Little Rock
In 2006, Little Rock, Arkansas built the largest pedestrian bridge in the United States. It's known as "The Big Dam Bridge" because a local judge declared "We're going to build that dam bridge!" in reference to the dam it's built over, not the curse word.
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D.C.
Charm City
Chevy Chase
Dover
Like nearly every early American city, Dover, Delaware is named after a small town in England. The name was given to the city by the founder, William Penn nearly 350 years ago in 1683.
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Concord
One of the most remarkable things about New Hampshire's capitol building is the gold dome that is on top. This glorious piece of architecture was built in 1819 and has a hall of flags as well as a visitor center.
Ft. Bragg
Silver City
Villia
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Tallahassee
Originally named Desoto, Tallahassee, Florida was the first recorded place to hold a Christmas celebration in North America. This was all the way back in the 1500s, and celebrations were a little different back then.
Pensacola
Orlando
Miami
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Richardsville
Tiki Hiki
Honolulu
You probably never thought that there would be a royal palace anywhere in the United States. However, Honolulu, Hawaii is home to the only royal palace on American soil. It was built in 1879 and used for Hawaiian royalty until 1893.
Oahu
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Indiana City
Indianapolis
Indianapolis might not be known for a lot of things, but it is definitely known for its race cars. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is so massive that Yankee Stadium, the Roman Coliseum and Vatican City can all fit inside of it.
Indian Trails
Gary
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Boston
Though every city has a piece of its history it wants to hide, it might be difficult for people to forget the great molasses flood of 1919 in Boston, Massachusetts. Nearly 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooded an entire area, killing 21 people.
Wellford
Dilltown
South Milner
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Frankfort
Even though the population of Frankfort, Kentucky is only about 27,500 people, it is considered to be the fifth-largest city in the state by population. If you didn't know that Kentucky was rural before, you do now.
Shell Island
Central City
Bogstown
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Peach Grove
Atlanta
While the rap scene may have started in New York and California in the 1980s, today Atlanta, Georgia is the epicenter of hip-hop and rap. Many of the recent stars of the genre found fame in the south.
Savanah
Millsburg
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Poormond
Richmond
Established in 1737, Richmond, Virginia is considered one of the oldest major cities in the United States. It's home to historic buildings that tell a story of America's past, including the old White House of the Confederacy, which is now a museum.
Fallmond
Terramond
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Iowa City
Sioux Falls
Des Moines
Before settling on the name Des Moines, the capital city of Iowa was originally going to be named Fort Raccoon. Founders decided against it, choosing the name Des Moines, which means "of the monks" in French.
Martin Lake
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Souix Falls
Algonquin
Cheyenne
Wyoming is well-known for its horse and cattle ranches. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the largest outdoor rodeo in the world is held during Cheyenne Frontier Days in the state's capital.
Tempe
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Foise
Moise
Croise
Boise
Despite what you may think of Idaho, the capital is not in the middle of a potato farm. However, the city does have one of the smaller populations of state capitals, coming in at just over 225,000 residents.
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Dragon
Carsgard
Phoenix
Phoenix wasn't always named Phoenix. As a matter of fact, in the late 1800s, the city was known as Pumpkinville. Despite its original name, there were no pumpkin patches in the area.
Wight
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Washington
Jefferson
Lincoln
Despite its name, former president Abraham Lincoln never lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. However, Dick Cheney and Johnny Carson both lived in the small Midwestern city for part of their lives.
Eisenhower
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Remaina
Helena
Just like the capital of Arizona, Helena, Montana was almost named Pumpkinville. Another alternative name for the town was going to be Squashtown. For some reason, naming state capitals after crops was a good idea back then.
Romania
Ellena
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SoHo
Trenton
While many don't think twice about Trenton, New Jersey, few actually know that it served as the capital of the United States for a brief period in 1784. It is also one of the only state capitals that is near the border of the state.
Manhattan
Fallsburg
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Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina is well-known as one of the best places in the country to do research. With a cluster of universities and colleges known as the Research Triangle, scholars and tech lovers flock there for their educations.
Riley
Myley
Corleigh
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Brinetown
Bismarck
Bismark, North Dakota is mainly known as the state capital, but it is also known for something else. In 2007, thousands of people came together in an attempt to set the world record for most snow angels in one place. They reached almost 9,000 people.
Ranchard
Postmark
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Kansas City
Buffalo
Markstown
Topeka
In America's heartland, you'll find Topeka, Kansas. While most people don't notice the city, it gained quite a bit of attention in 2010 when it offered to change its name to Google for a month, so Google would install the fiber-optic broadband.
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Nina
Pinta
Columbus
Columbus, Ohio might not seem like much, but it is actually a central city in the United States. As a matter of fact, 48% of Americans are within a 600-mile drive of Columbus at any given time, because it is so close to Chicago, New York City and Atlanta.
Santa Maria
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Dallas
Fort Worth
Austin
As with many of the state capitals, Austin's original name wasn't actually Austin. It was originally called Waterloo. However, it was changed and named after Stephen F. Austin, who was known as the father of Texas.
Houston
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Milesburg
Panhandle
Boatown
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is the state capital of Oklahoma, but it is also home to something else all travelers should know about. In Oklahoma City, you will find the American Banjo Museum, where they have a banjo that is worth over $175,000.
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Brazil
Bolivia
Portugal
Columbia
Though we have a lot of cities in this country named after Christopher Columbus, Columbia, South Carolina is the first city to hold that title. However, there was a debate about whether to name it Columbia or Washington.
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Montpelier
With a population of just under 7,500, Montpelier is one of the smallest state capitals by population. The small town is filled with gorgeous architecture and looks very much like a Thomas Kinkade painting.
Mt. Helen
Mountaintown
Montmillier
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New Orleans
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana is home to Louisiana State University. In the last seconds of a football game in 1988, the team scored a touchdown that caused the crowd to make so much noise it registered at earthquake levels. It has since been known as the Earthquake Game.
Mobile
Deux Mareus
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Detroit
Lansing
When Lansing became the capital of Michigan, people were shocked and outraged. It was one of the smaller populated cities in the state, and it only was given the title of capital, because other cities were fighting for the same title so hard that choosing one over the other would have been disastrous.
Flint
Houghton
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Sutton
Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee is a very well-known hub of entertainment and commerce in the south. However, few actually realize that the phrase "Good to the last drop" was first said by Theodore Roosevelt when he was drinking coffee at the Maxwell House Hotel.
Tempest
Hartford
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Buffalo
Syracuse
Yorktown
Albany
When you think of New York state, you probably think of New York City. However, there is quite a bit of rural area in the state as well as smaller towns and cities, including its capital in Albany.
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Montgomery
Alabama has a rich history and may be overlooked from time to time, but did you know that the minor league baseball team in Montgomery is called the Montgomery Biscuits? You should bring gravy to their games.
Baton Rouge
Alabama City
Little Rock
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Tallson
Markson
Jimsom
Jackson
Because Mississippi has a colorful past, it is home to several monuments and historical sites that are worth seeing. The state's Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through Jackson, and has stops along the way with historical significance to the civil rights movement.
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Bueford
Crow Falls
Big Sur
Annapolis
If you love eating crab, you probably know a thing or two about Annapolis, Maryland. It is the home to the largest crab feast and celebration in the entire world. The Annapolis Rotary Crab Feast serves 300 bushels of crab and 3,000 ears of corn every year.
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Pierre
The history of Pierre, South Dakota is pretty straightforward. The capital city was named after a fur trader named Pierre Chouteau. He dealt in trades of all kinds, including beaver skin hats to keep locals warm during the winters.
Jacque
Abella
Pierce
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Hershey
Harrisburg
Sitting on the Susquehanna River, you will find the lovely city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The city is so rich in history, you can find museums like the National Civil War Museum and the State Museum of Pennsylvania.
Hollowsburg
Tritonburg
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Kronos
Zeus
Olympia
One of the major things that Olympia, Washington is known for being the place where grunge band Nirvana first formed. You've probably heard that they formed in Seattle, but the truth is, Olympia is where it all began.
Hera
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Portland
Roughford
Augusta
Maine's history goes back as far as America's history. For this reason, it should be no surprise that Augusta, Maine is home to America's oldest wooden fort that is still standing. It is known as Old Fort Western.
Mere Island
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Lucyston
Pepperton
Linuston
Charleston
When you think of West Virginia, you probably think of coal and tobacco. The state does produce a lot of these. However, in the early 1800s, Charleston, West Virginia was producing more salt than any other city in America.
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Parhump
Reno
Needles
Carson City
Bordering on Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Nevada is in the northern region of the state. Long ago, silver mining was very popular in the state, and Carson City was home to a Mint that produced coins.
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Sacramento
While many believe that San Francisco is the capital of California, the truth is, Sacramento holds that title. California is one of the largest states by population as well as square mileage in the US, and a lot of people mistake its other large cities for the capital.
Los Angeles
San Diego
Bakersfield
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Madison
While several US cities are named after presidents of the United States, Wisconsin's capital is no different. It was named after the fourth president, James Madison, and several of the streets throughout town are named after those who signed the Constitution.
Milwaukee
Janesville
Trapperston
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Jefferson City
Jefferson City, Missouri is right on the Mississippi river. The capitol building receives a lot of visitors, because it has an interesting past. It has burned down not once, but twice since it was built in 1917.
Branson
St. Louis
Kansas City
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Springfield
Springfield, Illinois is home to the first ever drive-thru restaurant in the United States. Opened in 1921, the Maid Rite Sandwich Shop opened a window and allowed customers to order through it in order to speed up service.
Chicago
Carbondale
Champaign
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Zion
Provo
St. George
Salt Lake City
Because it is so close to the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City was originally named Great Salt Lake City. For the sake of brevity, the "Great" was dropped in 1868. The city is also the home of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken.
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Albuquerque
St. Forge
Santa Fe
The oldest church in the United States was built in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mision de San Miguel, or San Miguel Chapel, was built between 1610 and 1626. It still stands today as the oldest church in the U.S.
Goldtown
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Colorado Springs
Denver
Not only is Denver, Colorado the state capital, it also brews more beer than any other city in the United States. As a matter of fact, there are microbreweries and large breweries across the entire state.
Boulder
Pike
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Minneapolis
Minnehaha
St. Paul
While many capital cities had once gone by different names, St. Paul may have had the best original name of them all. It was called Pig's Eye Landing. Changing the name of the city before making it the capital was a smart decision.
Hamlin
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Salem
If you're looking for the smallest parks in the United States or the world, you will find one in Salem, Oregon. Waldo Park is only 12 feet by 20 feet and has a single tree in it. The park was declared a city park in 1936.
Portland
Evanstown
Eugene
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Pico
Juneau
Although Alaska has a lot of small towns, Juneau isn't one of them. By square mileage, Juneau, Alaska is bigger than the entire state of Delaware. This makes it the largest state capital in the United States.
Pique
Tres Martin
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You Got:
/50
