United States Map with Capitals

Explore US states and capitals map, Washington, D.C. (formally the District of Columbia), has been the national capital of the U.S. since 1800. Every state of the United States of America has their own capital, as do its insular areas have. Most states of the U.S. have not switched their capital since admission to the Union, but the capitals of their corresponding prior kingdoms, territories, colonies, and republics commonly altered many times. There are other governments in the present boundaries of America with their individual capital cities, like the Native American Tribal nations in the U.S., Republic of Texas, and other anonymous governments.

United States Map with Capitals in Albers Equal Area Projection

US States and Capitals Map in Mercator Projection

About United States Map with Capitals

The above US states and capitals maps are showing all the 50 states of United States of America with their state capitals and national capital Washington D.C..

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US States and Capitals

The United States comprises 50 states and every state has a capital. The capital of each state serves as its seat of government and is home to many government buildings. Of these 50 states, 25 states of the U.S. have changed their capitals at least once. Ten states belong to the group of the thirteen original states. Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to change its capital. In 1910, Oklahoma moved its capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City.

The ‘Capital Since’ column in the following table list the years when that particular city became the capital of the state.

S.N.	State	Abr.	State-hood	Capital	Area (mi²)	Capital since	Capital Population (2019 est.)	Population Rank in State (City Proper)
1	New Mexico	NM	1912	Santa Fe	37.3	1610	84,683	4
2	Massachusetts	MA	1788	Boston	89.6	1630	692,600	1
3	Maryland	MD	1788	Annapolis	6.73	1694	39,174	7
4	Delaware	DE	1787	Dover	22.4	1777	38,079	2
5	Virginia	VA	1788	Richmond	60.1	1780	230,436	4
6	New Jersey	NJ	1787	Trenton	7.66	1784	83,203	10
7	South Carolina	SC	1788	Columbia	125.2	1786	131,674	2
8	Kentucky	KY	1792	Frankfort	14.7	1792	27,679	14
9	North Carolina	NC	1789	Raleigh	114.6	1792	474,069	2
10	New York	NY	1788	Albany	21.4	1797	96,460	6
11	Vermont	VT	1791	Montpelier	10.2	1805	7,855	6
12	New Hampshire	NH	1788	Concord	64.3	1808	43,412	3
13	Pennsylvania	PA	1787	Harrisburg	8.11	1812	49,528	9
14	Ohio	OH	1803	Columbus	210.3	1816	898,553	1
15	Arkansas	AR	1836	Little Rock	116.2	1821	197,312	1
16	Mississippi	MS	1817	Jackson	104.9	1821	160,628	1
17	Florida	FL	1845	Tallahassee	95.7	1824	194,500	7
18	Indiana	IN	1816	Indianapolis	361.5	1825	876,384	1
19	Missouri	MO	1821	Jefferson City	27.3	1826	42,838	15
20	Tennessee	TN	1796	Nashville	525.9	1826	670,820	1
21	Maine	ME	1820	Augusta	55.4	1832	18,681	8
22	Illinois	IL	1818	Springfield	54	1837	114,230	6
23	Wisconsin	WI	1848	Madison	68.7	1838	259,680	2
24	Texas	TX	1845	Austin	305.1	1839	978,908	4
25	Hawaii	HI	1959	Honolulu	68.4	1845	345,064	1
26	Alabama	AL	1819	Montgomery	159.8	1846	198,525	2
27	Michigan	MI	1837	Lansing	35	1847	118,210	5
28	Minnesota	MN	1858	Saint Paul	52.8	1849	308,096	2
29	Washington	WA	1889	Olympia	16.7	1853	46,478	24
30	California	CA	1850	Sacramento	97.9	1854	513,624	6
31	Oregon	OR	1859	Salem	45.7	1855	174,365	3
32	Kansas	KS	1861	Topeka	56	1856	125,310	4
33	Iowa	IA	1846	Des Moines	75.8	1857	214,237	1
34	Utah	UT	1896	Salt Lake City	109.1	1858	200,567	1
35	Nevada	NV	1864	Carson City	143.4	1861	55,916	6
36	Idaho	ID	1890	Boise	63.8	1865	228,959	1
37	Colorado	CO	1876	Denver	153.3	1867	727,211	1
38	Nebraska	NE	1867	Lincoln	74.6	1867	289,102	2
39	Georgia	GA	1788	Atlanta	133.5	1868	506,811	1
40	Wyoming	WY	1890	Cheyenne	21.1	1869	64,235	1
41	Connecticut	CT	1788	Hartford	17.3	1875	122,105	3
42	Montana	MT	1889	Helena	14	1875	32,315	6
43	Louisiana	LA	1812	Baton Rouge	76.8	1880	220,236	2
44	North Dakota	ND	1889	Bismarck	26.9	1883	73,529	2
45	West Virginia	WV	1863	Charleston	31.6	1885	46,536	1
46	Arizona	AZ	1912	Phoenix	517.6	1889	1,680,992	1
47	South Dakota	SD	1889	Pierre	13	1889	13,646	8
48	Rhode Island	RI	1790	Providence	18.5	1900	179,883	1
49	Alaska	AK	1959	Juneau	2716.7	1906	32,113	3
50	Oklahoma	OK	1907	Oklahoma City	620.3	1910	655,057	1

Capital of Insular Areas

Insular area or Isolated area is a US territory or region that is not either a part or region of 1 of the 50 U.S. states and nor a region of the DC (District of Columbia), the US's national capital. Those isolated or insular territories with their capitals are mentioned below.

Capitals of US Insular Areas

S.N.	Abbreviation	Insular Areas Name	Capitals	Capital Since	Population (2010)
1	PR	Puerto Rico	San Juan	1898	3,95,326
2	MP	Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan	1947	48,220
3	VI	U.S. Virgin Islands	Charlotte Amalie	1917	18,481
4	AS	American Samoa	Pago Pago	1899	3,656
5	GU	Guam	Hagåtña	1898	1,051

Capitals of United States

According to the Articles of Confederation, which came into force on March 1, 1781, the U.S. did not have a stable capital. The cities mentioned below were those places where the colonial American congresses held their meetings. The present Constitution of the United States was authorized in 1787. The constitution bestowed upon the Congress the authority to exercise ‘absolute constitution upon a commune that was to the the United States government’s seat of power. This was to be after cession of a few particular states and the recognition of the Congress.

The meeting of the first Congress took place in New York in Federal Hall. The Residence Act was passed in 1790. As per this act, the country capital was to be established at a place near the Potomac River. This place came to be known as Washington D.C. But for the afterward 10 years, i.e.. until 1800, Philadelphia, was the short-lived capital of the United States and the meetings took place at the Congress Hall. On 17th November, 1800, the Congress moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C and formally convened in the new capital. Since then the Congress has held all its meetings in Washington D.C, except on two occasions. On 16th July, 1987, it met at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. The occasion commemorated the 200th commemoration of the constitution’s ratification. On September 6, 2002, it met at the New York’s Federal Hall National Memorial. It marked September 11 attacks first anniversary.

From 1754 to 1819, Congress met in numerous locations; therefore, the following cities can be said to have once been the United States capital.

Capital City	Building Name	State Name	Date (Start)	Date (End)	Governing Body
Albany	Stadt Huys	New York	19-Jun-1754	11-Jul-1754	Albany Congress
New York	City Hall	New York	7-Oct-1765	25-Oct-1765	Stamp Act Congress
Philadelphia	Carpenters' Hall	Pennsylvania	5-Sep-1774	26-Oct-1774	First Continental Congress
Philadelphia	Independence Hall	Pennsylvania	10-May-1775	12-Dec-1776	Second Continental Congress
Baltimore	Henry Fite House	Maryland	20-Dec-1776	27-Feb-1777	Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia	Independence Hall	Pennsylvania	5-Mar-1777	18-Sep-1777	Second Continental Congress
Lancaster	Court House	Pennsylvania	27-Sep-1777	27-Sep-1777	Second Continental Congress
York	Court House	Pennsylvania	30-Sep-1777	27-Jun-1778	Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia	College Hall[citation needed]	Pennsylvania	2-Jul-1778	1-Mar-1781	Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia	Independence Hall	Pennsylvania	2-Mar-1781	21-Jun-1783	Congress of the Confederation
Princeton	Nassau Hall	New Jersey	30-Jun-1783	4-Nov-1783	Congress of the Confederation
Annapolis	Maryland State House	Maryland	26-Nov-1783	19-Aug-1784	Congress of the Confederation
Trenton	French Arms Tavern	New Jersey	1-Nov-1784	24-Dec-1784	Congress of the Confederation
New York	City Hall	New York	11-Jan-1785	6-Oct-1788	Congress of the Confederation
New York	Federal Hall	New York	4-Mar-1789	5-Dec-1790	United States Congress
Philadelphia	Congress Hall	Pennsylvania	6-Dec-1790	14-May-1800	United States Congress
District of Columbia	United States Capitol	-	17-Nov-1800	24-Aug-1814	United States Congress
Washington, D.C.	Blodgett's Hotel	-	19-Sep-1814	7-Dec-1815	United States Congress
Washington, D.C.	Old Brick Capitol	-	4-Dec-1815	3-Mar-1819	United States Congress
Washington, D.C.	United States Capitol	-	4-Mar-1819	present	United States Congress

History of the United States

The story of the United States starts around 15,000 BC, when the earliest known settlers arrived in the Americas. These settlers formed various indigenous societies. By the 16th century, many of these cultures shifted due to internal and external factors.

European explorers set foot in the Americas in the late 15th century. However, most areas that became part of the U.S. weren't settled until after 1600. By the mid-18th century, 2.5 million people lived in thirteen British colonies, stretching from the Atlantic Coast to the Appalachian Mountains. The Southern Colonies relied heavily on enslaved Africans, whom they forcibly brought over, to propel their agriculture.

Frictions arose when the British imposed taxes, such as the 1765 Stamp Act, without the colonies' consent. Acts of defiance, like the Boston Tea Party in 1773, escalated tensions. Britain's retaliatory measures against self-governance led to the outbreak of armed confrontations in Massachusetts by 1775.

A year later, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia proclaimed the colonies' independence, naming them the "United States." Under General George Washington's leadership, they emerged victorious in the Revolutionary War. The 1783 peace treaty recognized the new nation. The initial Articles of Confederation struggled to maintain stability, prompting the creation of a more robust Constitution in 1789. To further safeguard citizens, a Bill of Rights was introduced in 1791.

Guided by President Washington and his main advisor, Alexander Hamilton, the U.S. established a robust central government. The country's territory grew substantially with the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France.

Belief in "manifest destiny" fueled U.S. expansion to the Pacific. Although the landmass grew, the population was only about four million in 1790. This westward move was motivated by the allure of cheap land. However, the spread of slavery became contentious. While northern states abolished slavery by 1804, southern states, reliant on large-scale agriculture, persisted with the practice. The 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed slavery's expansion, was a breaking point. Southern states formed their own nation, leading to the Civil War. The conflict ended in 1865 with the Confederacy's defeat and slavery's nationwide abolition.

The subsequent Reconstruction period saw formerly enslaved males gain legal and voting rights. The national government's role expanded to protect these rights. Yet, by 1877, southern white Democrats, using force and legal barriers, reestablished dominance and enacted racially discriminatory "Jim Crow" laws.

The turn of the 20th century marked the U.S.'s rise as an industrial powerhouse, supported by entrepreneurism, industrial growth, and a surge of immigrants. Public dissatisfaction with corruption and traditional politics birthed the Progressive movement (1890s-1920s), bringing about reforms like direct senator elections, federal income tax, and women's voting rights. The U.S. entered World War I in 1917, supporting the Allies financially and militarily. The prosperous 1920s ended abruptly with the 1929 financial crash, plunging the world into the Great Depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal introduced measures to counter this crisis, including unemployment relief and a minimum wage.

After the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, the U.S. joined World War II, aiding in the defeat of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The war concluded with the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending Japan's participation.

Post-war, the U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as dominant, yet opposing, forces, marking the start of the Cold War. They battled through space exploration, arms development, and indirect military confrontations. The civil rights movement of the 1960s brought major social reforms, especially for African Americans. The 1980s, under President Ronald Reagan, emphasized tax and regulatory cuts. The Cold War concluded in 1991 with the Soviet Union's dissolution, leaving the U.S. unmatched globally. Later, the U.S.'s focus shifted to Middle Eastern conflicts, particularly after the tragic events of September 11. The 21st century saw the U.S. grappling with the financial crisis of the late 2000s and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geography of the United States

Spanning a vast space, the United States and the District of Columbia cover a combined 3,119,885 square miles. Out of this, the land area, which includes 48 adjoining states, takes up 2,959,064 square miles, or roughly 83.65% of the country's total territory. Alaska, located in the northwestern corner of North America, claims about 15% of this space. The remainder lies in Hawaii, an island group in the central Pacific, and the territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In terms of land alone, the U.S. ranks behind Russia and China, but slightly ahead of Canada. When we consider both land and water areas, the U.S. stands as the world's third-largest nation after Russia and Canada.

Geographically, the Atlantic coast is predominantly a coastal plain, which transitions to the forested hills of the Piedmont inland. The Appalachian Mountains play a pivotal role, separating the eastern coast from the Midwest's Great Lakes and grasslands. Flowing through the nation's heart, the Mississippi–Missouri River system is the world's fourth-longest. The Great Plains, known for its flat and fertile terrain, stretches out westward.

The majestic Rocky Mountains rise up west of the plains and stretch from north to south, with some peaks, especially in Colorado, surpassing 14,000 feet. Beyond them lie the vast Great Basin and various deserts including the Mojave. The Pacific coast is flanked by the towering Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. Interestingly, the U.S.'s highest and lowest points are both in California and only about 84 miles apart. The grandeur of Alaska's Denali, at an elevation of 20,310 feet, makes it North America's tallest peak. Active volcanoes dot Alaska's Aleutian Islands, and Hawaii is known for its volcanic origins. The Yellowstone National Park houses North America's largest volcanic structure.

Climate of the United States

The U.S. boasts diverse climates due to its vast size. East of the 100th meridian, climates vary from the chilly humid continental in the north to the warm humid subtropical in the south. The Great Plains have a semi-arid climate, and the western mountains often have alpine conditions. Coastal California enjoys a Mediterranean climate, whereas regions like Alaska mostly experience subarctic or polar conditions. Hawaii and parts of Florida have tropical climates.

The Gulf of Mexico area is vulnerable to hurricanes, and the country, especially the Midwest and South, witnesses the highest number of tornadoes globally. The 21st century has seen the U.S. grappling with more frequent extreme weather events. For instance, heatwaves have tripled since the 1960s. Prolonged droughts have also been a concern in places like the Southwest.

Biodiversity in United States

The bald eagle, the U.S.'s national bird since 1782, symbolizes the country's rich biodiversity. The U.S. houses around 17,000 species of plants, with over 1,800 unique flowering plants in Hawaii alone. The nation is home to hundreds of mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian species.

The U.S. takes pride in its 63 national parks and countless federally managed forests and wilderness areas. Almost 28% of the country's territory is publicly owned. While most of these areas are protected, some are leased for various economic activities.

Several environmental challenges face the U.S., including resource management, pollution, deforestation, and climate change. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), founded in 1970, addresses these issues. Concepts like wilderness conservation have guided land management since the 1960s. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects vulnerable species and their habitats.

In 2020, the U.S. ranked 24th out of 180 nations in terms of environmental performance. Though the U.S. briefly withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2020, it rejoined the global climate pact in 2021.

Facts about United States of America

Facts about US
Chief Justice	John Roberts
Government	Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic
House Speaker	Nancy Pelosi (Democratic Party)
Legislature	Congress
Lower House	House of Representatives
President	Joe Biden (Democratic Party)
Upper House	Senate
Vice President	Kamala Harris (Democratic Party)
Confederation	March 1, 1781
Constitution	June 21, 1788
Declaration	July 4, 1776
Independence from	Great Britain
Last State Admitted	August 21, 1959
Treaty of Paris	September 3, 1783
Total Area	3,796,742 square miles (9,833,520 square kilometers)
Total Land Area	3,531,905 square miles (9,147,590 square kilometers)
Water (%)	4.66%
GDP (Nominal) 2022 Estimate	Total: $24.8 Trillion, GDP Per Capita: $74,725
GDP (PPP) 2022 Estimate	Total: $24.8 Trillion, GDP Per Capita: $74,725
Gini (2020)	48.5
HDI (2019)	0.926
Highest Point	Denali 6,190 meters (Mount McKinley) (highest point in the continent of North America)
Lowest Point	Death Valley (lowest point in the continent of North America) -86 meters
Mean Elevation	760 meters
Anthem	The Star-Spangled Banner
Birth Rate (2021 estimate)	12.33 births/1,000 population
Border Countries	Canada 8,891 kilometers (including 2,475 kilometers with Alaska), Mexico 3,111 kilometers
Calling Code	+1
Capital	Washington, D.C.
Coastline	19,924 kilometers
Currency	U.S. Dollar ($) or USD
Death Rate (2021 estimate)	8.35 deaths/1,000 population
Demonym(s)	American
Driving Side	Right
Education Expenditures	5% of GDP
Ethnic Groups (2020)	By Race: 61.6% White, 12.4% Black, 6.0% Asian, 1.1% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 10.2% Multiracial and 8.4% Other; By Hispanic or Latino Origin: 81.3% Non-Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Hispanic or Latino
Geographic Coordinates	38 00 N, 97 00 W
Internet Country Code	.us
Irrigated Land	264,000 square kilometers
ISO 3166 Code	US
Land Boundaries	Total: 12,002 kilometers
Land Use	Agricultural Land: Total: 44.5%, Arable Land: 16.8%, Permanent Crops: 0.3%, Permanent Pasture: 27.4% ; Forest: 33.3% ; and Other: 22.2%
Largest City	New York City
Motto	In God We Trust
National Language	English (de facto)
National Symbol(s)	Bald Eagle ; National Colors: Red, White, Blue
Population	2021 Estimate: 331,893,745 ; 2020 Census: 331,449,281 ; Population Density: 87/sq mi (33.6/km2)
Religion (2021)	63% Christianity, 40% Protestantism, 21% Catholicism, 2% Other Christian, 28% No religion, 6% Other, 2% Unanswered
Time Zone	UTC-4 to -12, +10, +11 ; Summer (DST): UTC-4 to -10
Date Format	mm/dd/yyyy
Net Migration Rate (2021 estimate)	3.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Former national capitals

Kingdom and Republic of Hawaii

Before becoming a territory of the US in 1898, Hawaii was an independent nation. 5 sites served as its capital:

Hawaii	Capital	During
Kingdom of Hawaii	Waikīkī	1795 - 1796
	Hilo	1796 - 1803
	Kailua-Kona	1812 - 1820
	Lahaina	1820 - 1845
	Honolulu	1803 - 1812
		1845 - January 17, 1893
		January 17, 1893 - July 4, 1894 (as the seat of the Hawaii's Provisional Government after the dethrone of the Kingdom of Hawaii)
Republic of Hawaii		July 4, 1894 - July 7, 1898
Territory of Hawaii		July 7, 1898 - 1959 (covered by the Newlands Resolution to turn into the Territory of Hawaii)
State of Hawaii		1959 - till date (Hawaii on becoming a state of the US in 1959)

Republic of Texas

Prior to joining the US under the Texas Annexation in 1845, the state of Texas was an autonomous nation acknowledged as the Republic of Texas. 7 cities served as its capital:

City	During
Washington (now Washington-on-the-Brazos)	1836
Harrisburg (now part of Houston)	1836
Galveston	1836
Velasco	1836
West Columbia	1836
Houston	1837 - 1839
Austin	1839 - 1845 (present capital)

Native American capitals

Few Native American tribes, especially the 5 Civilized Tribes, formed their states with capitals and constitutions in Western style. Rest, like the Iroquois, had long-existing, pre-Columbian custom of a 'capitol' longhouse where council fires and wampum were continued with significant status. Since they did trade with the United States Federal Government, these capitals can be observe as officially accepted in some sense.

Cherokee Nation

Capital	During
New Echota	1825 - 1832
Red Clay	1832 - 1838
Tahlequah	1839 - 1907, 1938 - present
Cherokee	20th century - present (Cherokee's Eastern Band)

Muscogee Creek Nation

Capital	During
Hot Springs, Arkansas c.	1837-1866
Okmulgee	1867-1906

Iroquois Confederacy

Capital	During
Onondaga (Onondaga privilege c.)	1450-present

Seneca Nation of Indians
Jimerson Town (Allegany Reservation)
Irving (Cattaraugus Reservation)

Navajo Nation

Window Rock

Unrecognized national capitals

There have been few nations inside the present borders of the US which were never officially accepted as constitutionally autonomous sovereign entities; but, these entities did have actual regulation over their respective areas at the time of their existence.

Vermont Republic

Capital	During
Westminster	1777
Windsor	1777 - 1791

State of Franklin

Capital	During
Jonesborough, Tennessee	1784 - ?
Greeneville, Tennessee	1785? - ?

State of Muskogee

Capital	During
Miccosukee	1799 - 1803

Republic of West Florida

Capital	During
St. Francisville, Louisiana	1810

Republic of Indian Stream

Capital	During
Pittsburg, New Hampshire	1832 - 1835

California Republic

Capital	During
Sonoma	1846

Confederate States

Capital	During
Montgomery	4th February, 1861 - 29th May, 1861
Richmond	29th May, 1861 - 3rd April, 1865