US State Capitals Quiz
50 capitalsPick an answer. On a keyboard, press A–D.
See a state highlighted on the map and pick its capital from four choices. Free, no sign-up.
What it does
The US State Capitals Quiz is a free game that highlights one state on a map of the United States and asks you to pick its capital from four choices. Wrong answers come from nearby states, so you learn which capital belongs where. Practice mode brings missed states back until you get them, and timed mode records your best time.
How to use it
- Pick one of four answers
Click an answer or press A–D on a keyboard. A right answer is marked and the quiz moves on; a wrong one shows the correct capital and waits until you press Next.
- Choose a round
Practice mode brings missed questions back until you get them; Timed mode moves on and records your time.
- Drill your mistakes
At the end you see your score, your time and everything you missed. Press Practice the ones you missed to replay only those.
Limits and notes
- The quiz covers the 50 state capitals. Washington, D.C. is the national capital and is not asked.
- Alaska and Hawaii are drawn as insets in the lower left and are not to scale.
- Scores and best times are kept only in this browser. Clearing site data resets them.
More about the US State Capitals Quiz
Not the biggest city
Many state capitals are not the state’s largest city. Six well-known cases:
CaliforniaSacramentonot Los Angeles
New YorkAlbanynot New York City
IllinoisSpringfieldnot Chicago
FloridaTallahasseenot Jacksonville
PennsylvaniaHarrisburgnot Philadelphia
WashingtonOlympianot Seattle
All 50 capitals
Every state and its capital, grouped by Census region.
Northeast (9)
- Connecticut: Hartford
- Maine: Augusta
- Massachusetts: Boston
- New Hampshire: Concord
- New Jersey: Trenton
- New York: Albany
- Pennsylvania: Harrisburg
- Rhode Island: Providence
- Vermont: Montpelier
Midwest (12)
- Illinois: Springfield
- Indiana: Indianapolis
- Iowa: Des Moines
- Kansas: Topeka
- Michigan: Lansing
- Minnesota: Saint Paul
- Missouri: Jefferson City
- Nebraska: Lincoln
- North Dakota: Bismarck
- Ohio: Columbus
- South Dakota: Pierre
- Wisconsin: Madison
South (16)
- Alabama: Montgomery
- Arkansas: Little Rock
- Delaware: Dover
- Florida: Tallahassee
- Georgia: Atlanta
- Kentucky: Frankfort
- Louisiana: Baton Rouge
- Maryland: Annapolis
- Mississippi: Jackson
- North Carolina: Raleigh
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
- South Carolina: Columbia
- Tennessee: Nashville
- Texas: Austin
- Virginia: Richmond
- West Virginia: Charleston
West (13)
- Alaska: Juneau
- Arizona: Phoenix
- California: Sacramento
- Colorado: Denver
- Hawaii: Honolulu
- Idaho: Boise
- Montana: Helena
- Nevada: Carson City
- New Mexico: Santa Fe
- Oregon: Salem
- Utah: Salt Lake City
- Washington: Olympia
- Wyoming: Cheyenne
Frequently asked questions
Which state capitals are the hardest?
The ones that are not the state's largest city, such as Albany (New York), Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), Springfield (Illinois), Tallahassee (Florida), Olympia (Washington), Pierre (South Dakota) and Montpelier (Vermont).
Is the capital always the largest city?
No. In more than half of the states the capital is smaller than the largest city. Phoenix, Boston, Denver and Atlanta are among the capitals that are also the largest city.
How do I learn all 50 capitals?
Play a Quick 15 in Practice mode, then press Practice the ones you missed after each round. The states you miss come back until you get them right.
Is my score saved?
Your best score and time for each mode are saved in this browser only. There is no account and nothing is sent to a server.