From 1774 to 1800, Congress met in numerous locations; as such, the following cities can be said to have once been the United States capital[The Nine Capitals of the United States. United States Senate Historical Office. Accessed June 9, 2005. Based on Fortenbaugh, Robert, The Nine Capitals of the United States, York, PA: Maple Press, 1948.]:
===
Before joining the United States in 1845, Texas was an independent nation known as the Republic of Texas. Seven cities served as its capital:
Prior to becoming a territory of the United States in 1898, Hawaii was an independent nation. Two cities served as its capital:
| State | Capital | Date | Notes
|
Alabama[Capitals of Alabama. Alabama Department of Archives and History. Updated October 29, 2001. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1819
| St. Stephens | 1817 | Alabama Territory capital
|
| Huntsville | 1819 | State capital
|
| Cahawba | 1820
|
| Tuscaloosa | 1826
|
| Montgomery | 1846 | State capital; Confederate national capital briefly during 1861
|
Alaska[Frequently Asked Questions About Alaska. Statewide Library Electronic Doorway. Updated September 21, 2004. Accessed June 9, 2005; based on Alaska Blue Book 1993-94, 11th ed., Juneau, Department of Education, Division of State Libraries, Archives & Museums. ExploreNorth: The History of Sitka. Department of Community and Economic Development, Alaska Community Database Online. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1959
| Sitka | 1808 | Russian Alaska capital (as New Archangel)
|
| 1867 | Department of Alaska capital
|
| 1900 | District of Alaska capitals
|
| Juneau | 1906
|
| 1959 | State capital
|
Arizona[Capitals before the Capitol. Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1912
| Prescott | 1864 | Arizona Territory capitals
|
| Tucson | 1867
|
| Prescott | 1877
|
| Phoenix | 1889
|
| 1912 | State capital
|
Arkansas[Educational Materials: Facts. Arkansas Secretary of State. Accessed June 9, 2005. Washington State Park 19th century village in SW Arkansas. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Confederate Capital Old Division of State Parks. 2003. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1836
| Arkansas Post | 1819 | Arkansas Territory capitals
|
| Little Rock | 1821
|
| 1836 | State capital; during 1861-1863, Washington was the Confederate state government capital
|
California[Previous Capitals of California. California State Library. Updated November 27, 2000. Accessed June 9, 2005. Historic Timeline. Historic Monterey. Created 2005. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1850
| Monterey | 1777 | Alta and Baja California capital under Spanish and Mexican rule
|
| San José | 1850 | State capitals
|
| Vallejo | 1851
|
| Benicia | 1853
|
| Sacramento | 1854
|
| San Francisco | 1866
|
| Sacramento | 1867
|
Colorado[Early Capitol and Legislative Assembly Locations Colorado State Archives, Colorado State Capitol Virtual Tour. Updated June 20, 2003. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1876
| Auraria | 1859 | Territory of Jefferson capital
|
| Colorado City | 1861 | Colorado Territory capital, federally unrecognized
|
| Golden | 1862 | State capitals
|
| Denver | 1867
|
Connecticut
Statehood in 1776
| New Haven | 1701 | State capitals
|
| Hartford | 1873
|
Delaware
Statehood in 1776
| New Castle | | Delaware colony capital
|
| Dover | | State capital
|
Florida[Florida State History. Florida Division of Historical Resources.]
Statehood in 1845
| St. Augustine | 1821 | Florida Territory capital; British East Florida capital
|
| Pensacola | Florida Territory capital; British West Florida capital
|
| Tallahassee | 1824 | Florida Territory capital
|
| 1845 | State capital
|
Georgia[Jackson, Edwin L. Story of Georgia's Capitols and Capital Cities. Carl Vinson Institute of Government. University of Georgia. 1988]
Statehood in 1776
| Savannah | | Georgia colony capital
|
| 1777 | State capitals
|
| Augustana | 1779
|
| Heard's Fort | 1780
|
| Augustana | 1781
|
| Savannah | 1782
|
| Ebenezer | 1782
|
| Savannah | 1784
|
| Augustana | 1786
|
| Louisville | 1796
|
| Milledgeville | 1807
|
| Macon | 1864
|
| Milledgeville | 1865
|
| Atlanta | 1868
|
Hawaii
Statehood in 1959
| Lahaina | 1820 | Kingdom of Hawaii capital
|
| Honolulu | 1894 | Republic of Hawaii capital
|
| 1898 | Hawaii Territory capital
|
| 1959 | State capital
|
Idaho[Chronological History of Idaho. Idaho Office of the Governor. Created 2000. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1890
| Lewiston | 1863 | Idaho Territory capitals
|
| Boise | 1864
|
| 1890 | State capital
|
Illinois[Past Capitols; based on Illinois Bluebook, 1975-1976. Created March 5, 2005. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1818
| Kaskaskia | 1809 | Illinois Territory capital
|
| Vandalia | 1819 | State capitals
|
| Springfield | 1839
|
Indiana
Statehood in 1816
| Vincennes | 1800 | Indiana Territory capital until 1813
|
| Corydon | 1816 | State capitals
|
| Indianapolis | 1825
|
Iowa[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 August 25, 2004. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1846
| Burlington | 1837 | Wisconsin Territory capital
|
| 1838 | Iowa Territory capitals
|
| Iowa City | 1841
|
| 1846 | State capitals
|
| Des Moines | 1857
|
Kansas[Harding, Eldon. Stories from the Kansas State Capital: Choosing a Capital City--Why Topeka?. Kansas State Historical Society. April 2001. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1861
| Pawnee | 1855 | Kansas Territory capital (July 2-6); in present Fort Riley
|
| Shawnee Mission | 1855 | Kansas Territory capital; in present Fairway, Kansas
|
| Lecompton | 1856 | Official (pro-slavery) Kansas Territory capital
|
| Topeka | Unofficial capital
|
| Topeka | 1861 | State capital
|
Kentucky
Statehood in 1792
| Danville | | Virginia's Kentucky District capital
|
| Bowling Green | | Confederate state government capital
|
| Frankfort | | State capital
|
Louisiana
Statehood in 1812[Note: The Louisiana Capitals information may be incorrect or incomplete. See http://www.state.la.us/about_history2.htm and elsewhere.]
| New Orleans | 1812 | State capitals
|
| Donaldsonville | 1830
|
| New Orleans | 1831
|
| | 1841
|
| Opelousas | 1862
|
| Shreveport | 1863
|
| New Orleans | 1865
|
| Baton Rouge | 1880
|
Maine[Students Questions Frequently Ask. Maine State Senate. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1820
| Portland | 1820 | State capitals de jure
|
| Augusta | 1827
|
| Portland | 1832 | State capital de facto
|
| Augusta | 1832 | State capital
|
Maryland
Statehood in 1776
| St. Mary's City | | Province of Maryland capital until 1694
|
| … | 1694 | …
|
| Baltimore | 1776 | State capital
|
| Annapolis | 1777 | State capital; previously named Anne Arundel Town; U.S. national capital (1783 - 1784)
|
Massachusetts
Statehood in 1776
| Boston | 1630 | Massachusetts Bay Colony capital
|
| 1776 | State capital
|
Michigan[Michigan in Brief State of Michigan. Updated March 7, 2005. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1837
| Detroit | 1805 | Michigan Territory capital; occupied by British forces 1812 - 1813
|
| 1837 | State capitals
|
| Lansing | 1847
|
Minnesota[Saint Paul's 150th birthday. City of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1858
| Saint Paul | 1849 | Minnesota Territory capital
|
| 1858 | State capital
|
Mississippi[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. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1817
| Natchez | 1798 | Mississippi Territory capitals
|
| Washington | 1802
|
| Natchez | 1817 | State capitals
|
| Jackson | 1821
|
Missouri
Statehood in 1821
| St. Louis | | Missouri Territory capital
|
| Saint Charles | 1821 | State capital until 1825
|
| Marshall, Texas | | Exiled pro-Confederate Missouri government capital
|
| Jefferson City | | State capital
|
Montana[Lambert, Kirby. Montana's crown jewel of architecture: The Montana state capitol Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Montana Historical Society. Summer 2002. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1889
| Bannack | 1864 | Montana Territory capital
|
| Virginia City | 1865
|
| Helena | 1875
|
| 1889 | State capital
|
Nebraska
Statehood in 1867
| Omaha | | Nebraska Territory capital
|
| Lincoln | | State capital
|
Nevada[Rocha, Guy Nevada State Archives Historical Myth a Month: Myth #28, Las Vegas: Nevada's Next State Capital. Updated July 14, 2003. Accessed June 9, 2005; originally published as Sierra Sage, Carson City/Carson Valley, Nevada. May 1998 edition.]
Statehood in 1864
| Carson City | | Territorial capital
|
| 1864 | State capital
|
New Hampshire[New Hampshire Senate Page For Kids. New Hampshire General Court. Accessed June 9, 2005. New Hampshire History in Brief. New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Created 1989. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1776
| Portsmouth | 1679 | Province of New Hampshire capital
|
| Exeter | 1775 | Revolutionary War capital
|
| Concord | 1808 | State capital
|
New Jersey
Statehood in 1776
| Elizabethtown | 1686 | Province of New Jersey; now named Elizabeth
|
| Princeton | 1783 | State capital; U.S. national capital
|
| Trenton | 1784 | State capital; U.S. national capital
|
New Mexico
Statehood in 1912
| Mesilla | | Confederate Arizona Territory capital
|
| Santa Fe | 1912 | State capital
|
New York
Statehood in 1776
| New York | 1664 | Province of New York under British rule
|
| Kingston | 1777 | State capitals
|
| Hurley | 1777
|
| Poughkeepsie | 1777
|
| New York | 1789 | State capital; U.S. national capital 1785 – 1788, 1789 – 1790
|
| Albany | 1797 | State capital
|
North Carolina
Statehood in 1776
| Charlestown | | Colonial capitals
|
| New Bern |
|
| Raleigh | 1794 | State capital
|
North Dakota
Statehood in 1889
| Yankton | 1861 | Dakota Territory capital; now part of South Dakota
|
| Bismarck | 1883 | Dakota Territory capital
|
| 1889 | State capital
|
Ohio
Statehood in 1803
| Marietta | 1788 | Northwest Territory capitals
|
| Chillicothe | 1800
|
| 1803 | State capitals
|
| Zanesville | 1810
|
| Chillicothe | 1812
|
| Columbus | 1816
|
Oklahoma
Statehood in 1907
| Tahlequah | | Cherokee capital
|
| Ninih Waiya | | Choctaw capital
|
| Tishomingo | | Chickasaw capital
|
| Tuskahoma | | Choctaw capital
|
| Wewoka | | Seminole capital
|
| Guthrie | 1889 | Oklahoma Territory capital
|
| Oklahoma City | 1910 | State capital
|
Oregon
Statehood in 1859
| Oregon City | 1848 | Oregon Territory capital through 1851
|
| Corvallis | 1855 | Oregon Territory capital
|
| Salem | 1859 | State capital
|
Pennsylvania
Statehood in 1776
| Philadelphia | | Province of Pennsylvania capital
|
| 1776 | State capital; U.S. national capital 1776, 1777, 1778-1783, 1790-1800
|
| Lancaster | 1799 | State capital; U.S. national capital 1777
|
| York | | State capital; U.S. national capital 1777-1778
|
| Harrisburg | | State capital
|
Rhode Island
Statehood in 1776
| Providence | 1776 | State capital
|
South Carolina
Statehood in 1776
| Charlestown | | Colonial capital
|
| Columbia | | State capital
|
South Dakota
Statehood in 1889
| Yankton | 1861 | Dakota Territory capital
|
| Bismarck | 1883 | Dakota Territory capital; now capital of North Dakota
|
| Pierre | 1889 | State capital
|
Tennessee[Capital Cities. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. 2002. Accessed March 12, 2006.]
Statehood in 1796
| Rocky Mount | 1790 | Southwest Territory capital
|
| Knoxville | 1791 | Southwest Territory capital; formerly White's Fort
|
| 1796 | State capital
|
| Kingston | | State capital for one day in 1807 to fulfill treaty obligations with the Cherokee
|
| Nashville | 1812 | State capitals
|
| Murfreesboro | 1818
|
| Nashville | 1826
|
Texas
Statehood in 1845
| Los Adaes | 1721 | Colonial capital; now part of Louisiana
|
| San Antonio de Bexar | 1772 | Colonial capital; now San Antonio
|
| Saltillo | 1824 | Coahuila y Tejas capitals
|
| Monclova | 1833
|
| Washington | 1836 | Republic of Texas capital; now Washington-on-the-Brazos
|
| Galveston | 1836 | Temporary Republic of Texas capitals
|
| Harrisburg | 1836
|
| Velasco | 1836
|
| Columbia | 1836
|
| Houston | 1837 | Republic of Texas capital
|
| Austin | 1839 | Republic of Texas capital; named Waterloo until 1839
|
| 1845 | State capital
|
Utah
Statehood in 1896
| Fillmore | | Utah Territory capital
|
| Salt Lake City | | State capital
|
Vermont[Early History of Montpelier, Vermont. Vermont Historical Society. Accessed June 9, 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.]
Statehood in 1791
| Windsor | | Early meeting place for independent Vermont legislature
|
| Montpelier | 1805 | State capital
|
Virginia
Statehood in 1776
| Jamestown | | Virginia Colony capital
|
| Williamsburg | | Virginia Colony capital; originally Middle Plantation
|
| Yorktown | | Virginia Colony capital
|
| Richmond | 1861 | Confederate States national capital, May 29, 1861 – April 9, 1865
|
| Danville | 1865 | Confederate States national capital, April 3, 1865 – April 10, 1865
|
| Richmond | | State Capital
|
Washington[The History of Olympia. City of Olympia. Accessed June 9, 2005.]
Statehood in 1889
| Olympia | | Washington Territory capital
|
| 1889 | State capital
|
West Virginia
Statehood in 1863
| Wheeling | 1863 | State capitals
|
| Charleston | 1870
|
| Wheeling | 1875
|
| Charleston | 1885
|
Wisconsin[Cravens, Stanley H. "Capitals and Capitols in Early Wisconsin". Wisconsin Blue Book, 1983-1984 edition. ]
Statehood in 1848
| Belmont | 1836 | Wisconsin Territory capital
|
| Burlington | 1837 | Wisconsin Territory capital, now part of Iowa
|
| Madison | 1838 | Wisconsin Territory capital
|
| 1848 | State capital
|
Wyoming[Saban, Mary Thompson, Wyoming Sage: Brief History of Wyoming. Updated January 172004. Accessed June 10, 2005.]
Statehood in 1890
| Cheyenne | 1869 | Wyoming Territory capital
|
| 1890 | State capital
|
"List of capitals in the United States"