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State Capitals Quiz: How Many Questions Can You Get Right?

We'll go easy on you—only 20 questions. See how you do!

State Capitals Quiz
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Can you ace this state capitals quiz?

Who doesn’t love brain games that also boost your geography knowledge? If you’ve aced every geography quiz you’ve ever taken, it’s time to test your luck (and smarts) with this state capitals quiz. There are 20 questions in total—and we’ll be totally impressed if you answer them all correctly. Best of luck! And don’t forget to guess the U.S. states with no outline and read up on the meaning behind all the state flags.

Massachusetts
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What’s the capital of Massachusetts?

A. Worcester

B. Boston

C. Salem

(P.S. Don’t forget to check out the official food of all 50 states.)

Sailboats on the Charles River with Boston's Back Bay skyline in the background
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Answer: B. Boston

OK, that was an easy start to this state capitals quiz. Worcester may not be the capital of the Bay State, but it does win the award for its most difficult-to-pronounce city. These are the most tongue-twisting towns in all the other states.

Georgia
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What’s the capital of Georgia?

A. Savannah

B. Alpharetta

C. Atlanta

After you answer this, can you guess which state name starts with two vowels?

Atlanta
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Answer: C. Atlanta

Atlanta is Georgia’s capital and also its biggest city, which is only the case for 17 out of the 50 state capitals. Test your knowledge further by guessing which letter is not in any state name.

Oklahoma
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What’s the capital of Oklahoma?

A. Tulsa

B. Oklahoma City

C. Broken Arrow

By the way, this is how Oklahoma (and other states) got their nicknames.

Downtown Oklahoma City, Aerial View
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Answer: B. Oklahoma City

Oklahoma is the only state where the capital is just the state name followed by “city” (though other states do have cities like that). Fun fact: Oklahoma City is one of the best Christmas towns to visit.

New Mexico
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What’s the capital of New Mexico?

A. Albuquerque

B. Santa Fe

C. Las Cruces

Don’t forget to learn how the states got their names!

Santa Fe, New Mexico
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Answer: B. Santa Fe

Now you know! Increase your knowledge by learning about these things that are older than the United States of America.

Florida
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What’s the capital of Florida?

A. Tallahassee

B. St. Augustine

C. Orlando (aka the home of Disney World)

Downtown Tallahassee Florida skyline
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Answer: A. Tallahassee

St. Augustine did spend a few years as the capital of Florida, though—and it’s actually the oldest city in America! See if you can answer these history trivia questions.

Colorado
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What’s the capital of Colorado?

A. Colorado Springs

B. Boulder

C. Denver

Skyline, Neighborhoods, Front Range, Rocky Mountains, Denver, Colorado
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Answer: C. Denver

Denver, Colorado, is known as the “Mile High City” because it sits at 5,280 feet, or exactly one mile, above sea level.

California
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What’s the capital of California?

A. San Francisco

B. Los Angeles

C. Sacramento

Sacramento Tower Bridge and Sacramento Capitol Mall
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Answer: C. Sacramento

Sacramento is California’s sixth most populated city. Both of the other choices in this state capitals quiz far exceed it in terms of population. Do you know these geography facts that quite a few people get wrong?

Texas
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What’s the capital of Texas?

A. Austin

B. Houston

C. Dallas

Austin, TX skyline
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Answer: A. Austin

Remember this next time you drive through the Lone Star State. Here are the U.S. geography facts you didn’t learn in school.

Louisiana
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What’s the capital of Louisiana?

A. Alexandria

B. Baton Rouge

C. New Orleans

Aerial photo Downtown Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
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Answer: B. Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge means “red stick” in French. The name comes from a red-painted pole that the Native American tribes stuck in the ground there to designate the borders between the hunting grounds of different tribes. Here is the most spectacular sunset from each state.

Arkansas
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What’s the capital of Arkansas?

A. Little Rock

B. Jonesboro

C. Fort Smith

Little Rock, Arkansas
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Answer: A. Little Rock

Did you know that it’s illegal in Arkansas to pronounce the state’s name wrong? These are the other dumbest laws in America.

Illinois
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What’s the capital of Illinois?

A. Rockford

B. Chicago

C. Springfield

Illinois State Capitol
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Answer: C. Springfield

Did you know that 34 states contain a city named Springfield? (Only in Illinois is it the capital, though.)

North Dakota
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What’s the capital of North Dakota?

A. Williston

B. Bismarck

C. Fargo

North Dakota State Capitol Building
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Answer: B. Bismarck

Fun fact: North Dakota is part of the Great Northern Road Trip.

Nevada
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What’s the capital of Nevada?

A. Reno

B. Carson City

C. Las Vegas

Nevada State Capitol Complex - Aerial
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Answer: B. Carson City

Did you know Nevada contains the spot in America that’s farthest from a McDonald’s? Well, now you do!

Tennessee
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What’s the capital of Tennessee?

A. Nashville

B. Memphis

C. Sweet Lips

Nashville,Tennessee,USA
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Answer: A. Nashville

Nashville is the capital of Tennessee. Sweet Lips will just have to be satisfied with having one of the weirdest state names in the country. Here are more funny town names from each of the 50 states.

South Carolina
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What’s the capital of South Carolina?

A. Charleston

B. Myrtle Beach

C. Columbia

Downtown Columbia South Carolina SC Skyline Aerial
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Answer: C. Columbia

We’d understand if this state capitals quiz question tripped you up—Charleston is the name of a state capital, just not South Carolina’s. It’s the capital of West Virginia. Find out which state everyone forgets when listing all 50.

Arizona
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What’s the capital of Arizona?

A. Tucson

B. Flagstaff

C. Phoenix

Phoenix Arizona
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Answer: C. Phoenix

Arizona is the only state with a Z in its name. You never know when that piece of trivia will come in handy.

Pennsylvania
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What’s the capital of Pennsylvania?

A. Harrisburg

B. Pittsburgh

C. Philadelphia

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA skyline on the Susquehanna River
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Answer: A. Harrisburg

Philadelphia gets a lot more press, but Harrisburg is actually the capital of the Keystone State. Did you know Philly was even the capital of America at one point? These are the other amazing history facts your teacher never taught you.

Vermont
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What’s the capital of Vermont?

A. Montpelier

B. Burlington

C. Middlebury

Montpelier, Vermont Skyline
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Answer: A. Montpelier

Montpelier is America’s smallest state capital—and it’s also the only state capital without a McDonald’s.

Alaska
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What’s the capital of Alaska?

A. Fairbanks

B. Juneau

C. Anchorage

The water traffic in Juneau downtown, the capital of Alaska.
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Answer: B. Juneau

Alaska is the largest state in the U.S., and Juneau is the largest capital city (by area). In fact, the entire state of Delaware could fit inside it.

Hawaii
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What’s the capital of Hawaii?

A. Pearl City

B. Honolulu

C. Kailua

Honolulu city view from Diamond Head lookout, Waikiki beach landscape background. Hawaii travel.
Maridav/Getty Images

Answer: B. Honolulu

We’re finishing off this state capitals quiz is the last state to be added to the U.S. Did you get its capital right?

Now, it’s time to give your brain a break and learn some interesting facts about the 50 states.

Meghan Jones
Meghan Jones is a word nerd who has been writing for RD.com since 2017. You can find her byline on pieces about grammar, fun facts, the meanings of various head-scratching words and phrases, and more. Meghan graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2017; her creative nonfiction piece “Anticipation” was published in the Spring 2017 issue of Angles literary magazine.