US States & Capitals
All 50 states, their capitals, and key facts — organized by region to make them easier to learn.
States by Region
Northeast (9 states)
| State | Capital | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Hartford | One of the original 13 colonies; insurance industry capital |
| Maine | Augusta | Northeasternmost state; lobster, lighthouses, Acadia National Park |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Birthplace of the American Revolution; Harvard, MIT |
| New Hampshire | Concord | First in the nation presidential primary; White Mountains |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Most densely populated state; Atlantic City |
| New York | Albany | New York City; Niagara Falls; financial capital of the US |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Liberty Bell; Gettysburg; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Smallest state by area; founding colony |
| Vermont | Montpelier | Maple syrup; skiing; smallest state capital by population |
Southeast (12 states)
| State | Capital | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | Civil Rights Movement history; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | Ozark Mountains; birthplace of Bill Clinton |
| Florida | Tallahassee | Disney World; Everglades; most visited state |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Peaches; Coca-Cola headquarters; Martin Luther King Jr. |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | Kentucky Derby; bourbon; horse country; Mammoth Cave |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | Mardi Gras; jazz; New Orleans; Mississippi River delta |
| Mississippi | Jackson | Mississippi River; blues music; poorest state by income |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | First flight at Kitty Hawk; Research Triangle; Blue Ridge Parkway |
| South Carolina | Columbia | First state to secede in Civil War; Myrtle Beach |
| Tennessee | Nashville | Country music; Graceland; Great Smoky Mountains |
| Virginia | Richmond | Many US presidents born here; Colonial Williamsburg; Pentagon |
| West Virginia | Charleston | Only state entirely within the Appalachians; coal mining history |
Midwest (12 states)
| State | Capital | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Springfield | Chicago; Lincoln's home state; deep-dish pizza |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | Indianapolis 500; corn production; Notre Dame University |
| Iowa | Des Moines | Corn capital; Iowa caucuses; Field of Dreams |
| Kansas | Topeka | Sunflower state; wheat production; geographic center of the US |
| Michigan | Lansing | Detroit; auto industry; Great Lakes shoreline |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | Land of 10,000 lakes; Mall of America; coldest large city in the US |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | Gateway Arch; Mark Twain; where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers meet |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | Cornhuskers; Chimney Rock; Great Plains |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | Least populated state; oil production; Theodore Roosevelt National Park |
| Ohio | Columbus | 7 US presidents born here; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Wright Brothers |
| South Dakota | Pierre | Mount Rushmore; Badlands; Crazy Horse Memorial |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Dairy state; cheese; Green Bay Packers |
Southwest (4 states)
| State | Capital | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Phoenix | Grand Canyon; Saguaro cactus; driest and hottest summers |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | Land of Enchantment; Carlsbad Caverns; UFO lore (Roswell) |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | Oil production; Dust Bowl history; Native American heritage |
| Texas | Austin | Second largest state; oil; rodeos; South by Southwest festival |
West (13 states)
| State | Capital | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Juneau | Largest state by area; northernmost point in US; oil pipeline |
| California | Sacramento | Most populous state; Hollywood; Silicon Valley; Yosemite |
| Colorado | Denver | Rocky Mountains; skiing; highest average elevation of any state |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | Only island state; southernmost point in US; volcanoes |
| Idaho | Boise | Potatoes; Craters of the Moon; Sun Valley skiing |
| Montana | Helena | Fourth largest state; Glacier National Park; Big Sky Country |
| Nevada | Carson City | Las Vegas; driest state; most federal land of any state |
| Oregon | Salem | Crater Lake; Portland; Columbia River Gorge; tech industry |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | 5 national parks; Great Salt Lake; 2002 Winter Olympics |
| Washington | Olympia | Seattle; Microsoft; Amazon; Mount Rainier; rainy weather |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | Least populous state; Yellowstone; Grand Teton; cowboy culture |
Quick Reference: Top 10 Largest States by Area
| Rank | State | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 1,723,337 |
| 2 | Texas | 696,241 |
| 3 | California | 423,967 |
| 4 | Montana | 380,831 |
| 5 | New Mexico | 314,917 |
| 6 | Arizona | 295,234 |
| 7 | Nevada | 286,380 |
| 8 | Colorado | 269,601 |
| 9 | Wyoming | 253,335 |
| 10 | Oregon | 254,799 |
Tips for Memorizing States and Capitals
Learn by Region
Group states geographically rather than alphabetically. The Northeast is a compact group of 9 — learn them as a cluster first.
Capital Patterns
Many capitals are NOT the largest city (Albany not NYC, Annapolis not Baltimore, Sacramento not LA). Know the exceptions first since those trip people up.
Use Flash Cards
State on one side, capital on the other. Shuffle and test yourself. The act of retrieving the answer strengthens memory far better than just reading a list.
Blank Map Practice
Print a blank US map and try to label states and mark capitals. Doing this repeatedly — especially fixing your mistakes — is the fastest way to memorize them all.
Common Mix-Ups
The capital of New York is Albany, not New York City. The capital of California is Sacramento, not Los Angeles. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, not Miami or Orlando. The capital of Illinois is Springfield, not Chicago.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state has the most people?
California, with about 39 million people. Texas is second with about 30 million. Florida is third. Together, these three states have more people than all other states combined.
Which is the smallest state?
Rhode Island is the smallest by area at about 4,000 km². It is about 60 km wide and 80 km long. Wyoming is the least populous state with under 600,000 people — about the size of a medium-sized city.
How many states were original colonies?
13 — Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. Delaware was the first to ratify the Constitution in 1787, earning the nickname "The First State."
What is the newest state?
Hawaii, which became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. Alaska became the 49th state earlier that same year on January 3, 1959. Before that, the US had 48 contiguous states for nearly 50 years.
Quick Quiz
Check your understanding. Click an answer to see if you got it right.