US State Capitals Quiz
This state capitals quiz shows you a capital city; click the state it belongs to. Play all 50 capitals or one region at a time, with three tries per state, a timer and a review of the ones you missed.
Small Northeast states have tap boxes in the Atlantic. On a phone, pinch to zoom for precise taps. Green = first try, yellow = later try, red = missed.
How to play
- Pick a set: all 50 states, or the Northeast, Midwest, South or West on its own.
- Press Start: a capital appears above the map, for example “Whose capital is Pierre?”
- Click the state: a wrong click shows the name of the state you picked, so you learn as you go. After three misses the quiz moves on.
- Switch modes: choose “Find the state” to practice state names and shapes instead of capitals, or play the full US map quiz.
How scoring works
- First-try score: your percentage counts only states found on the first click, so guessing does not pay.
- Timer: runs from Start to the last state; a faster time breaks a tie with your best score.
- Personal best: your best score and time for each mode and region are saved in your browser only.
- Review: at the end, missed states link to their state maps so you can study them.
The 10 most-missed state capitals
The capitals people miss most have one thing in common: the capital is not the state’s largest or best-known city, so the obvious guess is wrong.
| State | Capital | Largest city | Why it is missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Albany | New York City | New York City dominates the state; Albany is far up the Hudson River. |
| California | Sacramento | Los Angeles | Los Angeles and San Francisco are better known; Sacramento has been the capital since 1854. |
| Illinois | Springfield | Chicago | Chicago is the obvious guess, and there are Springfields in many other states. |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Philadelphia | Philadelphia and Pittsburgh overshadow Harrisburg, on the Susquehanna River between them. |
| Florida | Tallahassee | Jacksonville | Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville are better known; Tallahassee, in the Panhandle, was chosen in 1824 as a midpoint between St. Augustine and Pensacola. |
| Washington | Olympia | Seattle | Seattle is far better known; Olympia is at the southern end of Puget Sound. |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | Louisville | Louisville and Lexington are larger; Frankfort lies on the Kentucky River between them. |
| South Dakota | Pierre | Sioux Falls | Pierre (pronounced “peer”) is a small city on the Missouri River in the middle of the state. |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | Kansas City | Kansas City and St. Louis are the famous names; Jefferson City is on the Missouri River between them. |
| Vermont | Montpelier | Burlington | Montpelier is the least populous state capital, so few people have heard of it. |
Memory tips by region
Northeast
Boston and Providence are both capital and largest city; Hartford is Connecticut’s capital, although Bridgeport is larger. Augusta is Maine’s capital, not Georgia’s (Georgia’s is Atlanta). Concord (New Hampshire), Trenton (New Jersey) and Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) are smaller cities, not Manchester, Newark or Philadelphia.
Midwest
Many Midwest capitals sit near the middle of their state: Columbus, Indianapolis, Des Moines, Jefferson City and Pierre. Indianapolis contains its state’s name. Two are named for presidents: Lincoln (Nebraska) and Madison (Wisconsin). St. Paul, not Minneapolis, is Minnesota’s capital.
South
Watch the look-alikes: Columbia is South Carolina’s capital, Columbus is Ohio’s; Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, not South Carolina. Jackson (Mississippi) is named for a president. Oklahoma City contains its state’s name. Annapolis (Maryland) and Dover (Delaware) are small capitals beside much larger Baltimore and Wilmington.
West
Two of the four capitals ending in “City” are in the West: Carson City (Nevada) and Salt Lake City (Utah); the others are Jefferson City and Oklahoma City. Juneau (Alaska) cannot be reached by road from the rest of the state. Salem, not Portland, is Oregon’s capital; Helena, not Billings, is Montana’s; Cheyenne is Wyoming’s and Boise is Idaho’s.
Study the full list
The US map with capitals lists all 50 state capitals with their locations. For practice on paper, print the capitals map PDF and cover the names, or start with a blank US map and fill in the capitals yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How many state capitals are there?
Fifty, one for each state. Washington, D.C., is the national capital, not a state capital, and is not part of the quiz.
What is the hardest state capital to remember?
Usually one that is not the state’s largest city, such as Pierre (South Dakota), Montpelier (Vermont), Frankfort (Kentucky) or Jefferson City (Missouri).
How can I learn the 50 state capitals quickly?
Learn one region at a time, play each region in this quiz until you score 100% on the first try, then play all 50. Review the states you miss on their state map pages.
Does the quiz work on phones?
Yes. Tap a state to answer and pinch to zoom for small states; the smallest Northeast states also have larger tap boxes beside the coast.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census population, boundaries), official state government websites. Last reviewed October 2026.