Name all 50 state capitals

How this quiz works

Type capital cities into the box — the state each one belongs to appears underneath as it lands. The counter tracks how many of the 50 you have, and each census region keeps its own tally.

The trap in this quiz is that a state capital is usually not the state's biggest city. Sacramento, Albany, Springfield, Harrisburg, Annapolis and Carson City all sit in the shadow of somewhere far more famous, and typing New York, Chicago or Los Angeles scores nothing at all.

Working region by region is what gets the last ten. Staring at an alphabet does not, because the capital you have forgotten is a city you have never had a reason to think about.

When the clock runs out, or when you give up, every capital you missed is revealed beside its state.

Questions people ask

What are the 50 state capitals?

All 50 are listed in full at the bottom of this page, grouped by census region: Northeast (9 states), Midwest (12), South (16) and West (13). That is the standard US Census Bureau grouping, so the tallies here match what you will have seen elsewhere.

Can I change the timer?

Yes. Pick 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes before you start, or choose Count up — that mode has no limit and the clock stops the moment you get the last one, so it doubles as a speedrun timer. Your choice is remembered for next time.

Do I have to press Enter?

No. Every answer is taken the moment you finish spelling it and the box clears itself, so you can type straight through a run without touching Enter. Names that begin another name are handled too: type “niger” and Niger counts immediately, then carry on with “ia” — or just type “nigeria” in one go — and Nigeria counts as well.

Does spelling have to be exact?

Capitals, spaces, hyphens, punctuation and accents are all ignored, so “st paul” matches Saint Paul, and capitals, spacing and punctuation never matter. There is no Enter to press — an answer counts the instant you finish spelling it.

Is Washington, D.C. an answer?

No. D.C. is a federal district and the national capital, not a state capital. Washington state's capital is Olympia — the answer that catches people out more than any other on this quiz.

Do I need an account?

No. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to install, no ads in the way of the board. Your best score is kept in your own browser and never leaves your device.

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