Each state has a capital city.

As you run through the list and your memory begins to stall, you might wonder, “Wait, didn’t I learn a song about this in elementary school?” Maybe you did. Perhaps you still remember the tune and can recite all the capitals with ease. Or possibly, as time has passed, those lyrics have faded, and only the most familiar capitals stand out while the rest blur together on the map.

Challenging yourself to recall America’s state capitals is a fun way to sharpen your memory and revisit capitals you’ve forgotten. It might even be easier than you think once you type out each state next to its corresponding capital. Can you name the state capitals without second-guessing? Let’s find out! 

How did your memory hold up? Can you name all 50 in record time, or did memorizing that elementary school tune escape your brain when you needed it most? Some of these capitals were easy to mentally cross off while others proved more difficult to guess. Share this Sporcle quiz with your friends and family to crown the true state capitals wiz! 

THE HISTORY OF THE STATE CAPITALS

How does a city become a capital? Before a city is officially named the state capital, the state legislature weighs several factors. These include the city’s economic and cultural history, its geographic location, available infrastructure, population, public opinion, and political considerations. Changes in any of these elements can lead lawmakers to pass legislation relocating the state capital to a different city.

During colonial times, governments selected established cities as capitals. As the country expanded, these choices evolved. Interestingly, the first enduring state capital was not on the East Coast at all but in the Southwest: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1610 as “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis” (which translates to “The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi”), Santa Fe paved the way. Over the next 300 years, new capitals were designated, with Arizona selecting Phoenix as its capital in 1912 (the last state to do so).

Fun Fact: Before Phoenix was chosen as the name of the capital of Arizona, early settlers called it “Pumpkinville.”

THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES

In addition to each state having a capital city, the United States itself has a federal capital. America’s capital wasn’t always located in Washington, D.C.; it once resided in cities that are not even the capitals of their respective states. 

New York City served as the nation’s capital from 1785 to 1790, more than two decades before the city adopted numbered streets and shifted to a grid layout. In fact, the first president of the United States lived in the Franklin House (otherwise known as the first White House) at the intersection of Cherry and Pearl Streets in lower Manhattan, according to the New York Department of Records and Information Services. Afterward, in 1790, Philadelphia became the capital and remained so until 1800. 

Learn More About The United States: