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About This Quiz
The United States itself has had several capitals. There was a time when New York City was the national seat. Even that fairly obvious piece of history is not well known. In addition, some state capitals have changed over the years. The capital of Oklahoma was once Guthrie, for example.
State capitals are not always the most important city in a state. Where would New York State be without New York City, which has never been its capital? A state's personality can be tied up in its capital. Perhaps more importantly, the distance between a state capital and the major population centers can mean that state politics are overlooked, and corruption is allowed to flourish.
You may know your own state capital, assuming you live in the United States, but how well traveled are you? Assuming you visited a state, did you even know what its capital was, or where that city is located? When you open the newspaper and read about news from around the country, do the names of cities mean much to you? Could you say where the governor of New Jersey works, or where the State Senate of California gathers? How well do you really know the state capitals of the United States? Take this quiz and find out.
Which of these states and capitals is mismatched?
Hartford, Alabama
Alabamans do not look to Hartford for their political leadership, and for good reason! As the capital of Connecticut, Nutmeggers (yes, they are called that) look to Hartford for their politics.
Juneau, Alaska
Phoenix, Arizona
Little Rock, Arkansas
Which state capital and state do not go together?
Tallahassee, Kentucky
Tallahassee, Florida, is not our southernmost state capital, but being in Florida, it's pretty far down. In the winter of 2017-2018, Tallahassee saw snow for the first time in decades, due to the crazy snowstorm that struck the east coast in early January.
Montgomery, Alabama
Austin, Texas
Columbia, South Carolina
Which of these cities isn't a state capital?
New York, New York
Albany is the heart of all state politics, good and bad, in New York State. At the New York Historical Society, there is a painting of the first governor of New York (under British rule) in his home in Albany... in drag.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Trenton, New Jersey
Columbus, Ohio
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Which state isn't matched to its capital?
Springfield, North Dakota
Called the most corrupt state government by some government watchdog groups, the state government of North Dakota can be found in Bismarck, not Springfield.
Boston, Massachusetts
Lansing, Michigan
Indianapolis, Indiana
Which capital isn't matched to its state?
Des Moines, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois, is the correct pairing. Springfield was the site of both Lincoln and Obama's announcements of their bids for the presidency.
Frankfort, Kentucky
Honolulu, Hawaii
Albany, New York
Which state isn't correctly matched to its capital?
Tbilisi, Georgia
While Tbilisi is the capital of the nation of Georgia, Atlanta, the home of the Atlanta Braves, is the capital of the state of Georgia.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Lansing, Michigan
Trenton, New Jersey
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Which state doesn't have the name of its capital next to it?
Dover, Colorado
If you're booking a flight to Colorado, make sure you buy a ticket to Denver, not Dover. Denver is at very high altitude. Dover is at sea level.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boise, Idaho
Lansing, Michigan
Can you pinpoint which state isn't matched to its capital?
Jockson, Mississippi
You could be forgiven for thinking "Jockson" was the capital of Mississippi, because it's only one letter off. Jackson is the state capital.
Annapolis, Maryland
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Lincoln, Nebraska
Which of these states isn't matched to its capital?
Minneapolis, Minnesota
It's easy to confuse Minneapolis with Saint Paul. They are the twin cities after all, but the latter is the capital of Minnesota.
Jackson, Mississippi
Annapolis, Maryland
Helena, Montana
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Which state and its capital aren't a match?
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas may be the capital of fun and vice, but Carson City is the capital of Nevada.
Concord, New Hampshire
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Augusta, Maine
Which U.S. state capital isn't correctly matched to its state?
Toepeka, Kansas
Topeka is the capital of Kansas, but Toepeka is how the 44th Vice President of the United States might have spelled the capital of Kansas if he were helping a student.
Des Moines, Iowa
Boise, Idaho
Nashville, Tennessee
One of these state capitals isn't matched to its state. Can you tell which one?
Montpelier, Wyoming
If you wanted to wield the political power of Vermont's state government, you'd want to be in Montpelier, which is its capital.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Austin, Texas
Richmond, Virginia
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Which state and city are not matched state-to-capital?
Washington D.C., Washington
Washington State is not the same as Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia is not a state! Its "state" license plate reads "Taxation Without Representation" because its residents have no say at the federal level. Olympia is the capital of Washington state.
Columbia, South Carolina
Charleston, West Virginia
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Which of these cities is not matched to the state of which it is the capital?
Madison, South Dakota
The capital of South Dakota is Pierre, a city founded in 1880.
Albany, New York
Raleigh, North Carolina
Helena, Montana
Can you tell which state isn't matched with its capital?
Baltimore, Maryland
Annapolis is the naval academy, but it's also the capital of Maryland. Baltimore may be the home of the Orioles and the HBO show, "The Wire," but not statewide power.
Denver, Colorado
Montgomery, Alabama
Atlanta, Georgia
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Which state and city are not a state-to-capital match?
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans may be the most famous city in Louisiana, but the state named for a French king actually has a capital a bit north of Fun City, in Baton Rouge.
Augusta, Maine
Honolulu, Hawaii
Lincoln, Nebraska
Which capital isn't matched to its state?
Jersey City, New Jersey
From space, Jersey City looks like just more of New York City, and like New York, it isn't a state capital. That honor belongs to Trenton, site of The Battle of Trenton in the Revolutionary War.
Albany, New York
Springfield, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Which state and state capital are not a match?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
While their names are similar, it is Harrisburg, not Pittsburgh, which is the capital of Penn's Woods, also known as Pennsylvania.
Frankfort, Kentucky
Augusta, Maine
Helena, Montana
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Which city and state are not a state and capital match?
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston is one of the tiny state's more populous cities, but Providence holds the title of the capital of Rhode Island.
Concord, New Hampshire
Trenton, New Jersey
Salt Lake City, Utah
Which state is not matched to its correct capital?
Portland, Oregon
Portland was named for a city in Maine from which one of its founders came. Salem, likely named for the town in Massachusetts, is the capital of Oregon.
Charleston, West Virginia
Pierre, South Dakota
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Which capital and state are not correctly matched?
Colombia, South Carolina
Colombia is the country in South America. Columbia is the capital of South Carolina.
Madison, Wisconsin
Richmond, Virginia
Pierre, South Dakota
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Which state and city aren't matched capital-to-state?
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital of Oklahoma, an exception to the general rule that states with cities with the same name don't have a state-to-state capital relationship.
Bismarck, North Dakota
Providence, Rhode Island
Carson City, Nevada
Which city is not a state capital?
Chicago, Illinois
How soon we forget. Chicago may be the economic powerhouse of Illinois, but Springfield is its capital.
Boise, Idaho
Des Moines, Iowa
Honolulu, Hawaii
Which state and capital combo has something wrong with it?
Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine, is a famous major city in the northern state. It is Augusta that is the state capital, however.
Topeka, Kansas
Albany, New York
Olympia, Washington
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Which state and capital don't go together?
Albuquerque, New Mexico
While Albuquerque is a fine town, it isn't where the beating political heart of New Mexico. That honor belongs to picturesque Santa Fe.
Columbus, Ohio
Boston, Massachusetts
Boise, Idaho
Which of these states and capitals has something wrong with it?
Charlotte, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, and while Charlotte may have a wonderful basketball team, it can't lay claim to the governor's house.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Nashville, Tennessee
Charleston, West Virginia
Which state and state capital combo isn't quite right?
Dallas, Texas
Austin is the capital of Texas, not Dallas. Dallas can comfort itself with its wonderful football tradition, excellent baseball team and turbulent airport landings.
Lincoln, Nebraska
Pierre, South Dakota
Cheyenne, Wyoming
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Which state and state capital combination doesn't quite pass muster?
Albany, Kentucky
Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky, but Albany is a town in the state. Obviously, it's not the same Albany that is the capital of New York.
Atlanta, Georgia
Topeka, Kansas
Phoenix, Arizona
Which state and state capital don't meet the criteria?
Manhattan, Kansas
While there is a Manhattan, Kansas, it isn't the capital of the state. Topeka holds that tile.
Augusta, Maine
Boise, Idaho
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Which pairing of state and capital has a problem?
Anchorage, Alaska
While Anchorage is a major city in the huge, northern state, it isn't the capital. That honor belongs to Juneau.
Concord, New Hampshire
Jefferson City, Missouri
Annapolis, Maryland
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Which state and state capital isn't a match?
Miami, Florida
If Miami were the capital of Florida, the state would be without a capital in a century or so, if sea levels continue to rise. Tallahassee is the capital of the Sunshine State.
Providence, Rhode Island
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Salem, Oregon
Which U.S. state and capital aren't quite right?
Juneau, Alaska
Montpelier, Vermont
Scofield, Utah
Salt Lake City is the most populous city and the capital of Utah, with a population around 180,000. Scofield, Utah, on the other hand, has a population of 24.
Montgomery, Alabama
Which U.S. state and its capital aren't really a match?
Austin, Texas
Sacramento, California
Los Angeles, California
Sacramento is the capital of California, not Los Angeles, not San Francisco, not San Diego. If you want to drop in on their state legislature, go there.
Richmond, Virginia
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Which state and capital aren't even kissing cousins?
Montpelier, Vermont
Columbia, South Carolina
Trenton, New Jersey
East Honolulu, Hawaii
East Honolulu is a real place, but Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, where there was recently an accidental ICBM warning mistakenly transmitted to all the occupants of the state.
You Got:
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