Largest State Capitals | Trails Unblazed

State Capitals Ranked by Population

While some state capitals are bustling metropolises that serve as the crown jewels of their regions, others are quiet, historic towns where the pace of life remains remarkably local. From the sprawling desert landscape of Phoenix, which leads the pack with over 1.6 million residents, to the charming, small-town atmosphere of Montpelier, home to fewer than 8,000 people, the population of these capital cities varies as much as the states themselves. This list ranks all 50 U.S. state capitals by population (rather than land area).

The Metropolitan Nuance: While these rankings reflect the population strictly within city limits, the picture changes if you look at the entire metropolitan area. For example, Boston and Atlanta have relatively small populations within their official city borders (around 650,000 and 500,000 respectively), but their full metro areas hold millions of people.

Rank	Capital City	State	Est. Population	Notable Fact
1	Phoenix	Arizona	1,673,000	The most populous state capital in the U.S.
2	Austin	Texas	993,000	Commonly known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.”
3	Columbus	Ohio	933,000	The largest city in Ohio.
4	Indianapolis	Indiana	891,000	Home to the world’s largest single-day sporting event.
5	Denver	Colorado	729,000	Known for its proximity to the Rocky Mountains.
6	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	712,000	One of the few capitals with an active oil well on its grounds.
7	Nashville	Tennessee	704,000	A global hub for the music and healthcare industries.
8	Boston	Massachusetts	673,000	The largest city in New England.
9	Sacramento	California	535,000	Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers.
10	Atlanta	Georgia	520,000	Host city of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
11	Raleigh	North Carolina	499,000	Part of the Research Triangle Park area.
12	Honolulu	Hawaii	344,000	The only capital located on an island.
13	Saint Paul	Minnesota	307,000	Known for its historic Summit Avenue and Victorian homes.
14	Lincoln	Nebraska	300,000	Home to the Nebraska State Capitol “Sower” statue.
15	Madison	Wisconsin	285,000	Consistently ranked as one of the most bike-friendly cities.
16	Boise	Idaho	237,000	Home to the largest Basque community outside of Spain.
17	Richmond	Virginia	233,000	One of the few U.S. cities with Class IV rapids in its downtown.
18	Des Moines	Iowa	213,000	A major center for the global insurance industry.
19	Salt Lake City	Utah	212,000	The global headquarters of the LDS Church.
20	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	220,000	The name is French for “Red Stick.”
21	Tallahassee	Florida	205,000	Home to Florida State University and Florida A&M.
22	Little Rock	Arkansas	204,000	Named after a small rock formation on the Arkansas River.
23	Montgomery	Alabama	195,000	Known as the “Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement.”
24	Providence	Rhode Island	194,000	Founded by Roger Williams in 1636.
25	Salem	Oregon	180,000	Located in the heart of Oregon’s wine country.
26	Springfield	Illinois	113,000	The long-time home of Abraham Lincoln.
27	Lansing	Michigan	112,000	The only capital city that is not its county seat.
28	Hartford	Connecticut	111,000	Often called the “Insurance Capital of the World.”
29	Jackson	Mississippi	110,000	Named after General Andrew Jackson.
30	Columbia	South Carolina	141,000	The first city in the U.S. named for Christopher Columbus.
31	Topeka	Kansas	125,000	Central to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.
32	Charleston	West Virginia	47,000	Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers.
33	Albany	New York	100,000	Established by the Dutch as Fort Orange in 1614.
34	Concord	New Hampshire	44,000	Home to the famous Concord Coach manufacturer.
35	Jefferson City	Missouri	42,000	Named after the third U.S. President.
36	Santa Fe	New Mexico	89,000	The oldest state capital in the United States.
37	Harrisburg	Pennsylvania	50,000	Located on the Susquehanna River.
38	Trenton	New Jersey	89,000	Site of George Washington’s first victory after crossing the Delaware.
39	Olympia	Washington	55,000	Located at the southern end of Puget Sound.
40	Cheyenne	Wyoming	65,000	Known for the “Frontier Days” outdoor rodeo.
41	Juneau	Alaska	32,000	The only capital city accessible only by boat or plane.
42	Dover	Delaware	38,000	Named after Dover in Kent, England.
43	Helena	Montana	34,000	Founded during a gold rush in 1864.
44	Frankfort	Kentucky	28,000	The Kentucky River bisects the city.
45	Annapolis	Maryland	40,000	Served as the temporary capital of the U.S. in 1783.
46	Bismarck	North Dakota	74,000	Named in honor of the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
47	Carson City	Nevada	58,000	Named for the famous frontiersman Kit Carson.
48	Pierre	South Dakota	14,000	One of the smallest state capitals in the country.
49	Augusta	Maine	19,000	The easternmost state capital.
50	Montpelier	Vermont	8,000	The least populous state capital in the United States.

Some Observations:

There is an enormous spread between the most and least populous capitals. Phoenix, Arizona, is the largest with over 1.6 million residents, while Montpelier, Vermont, is the smallest with a population hovering under 8,000 people.
In the vast majority of U.S. states (more than 30), the capital is not the state’s most populous city. High-profile examples include New York (Albany vs. New York City), California (Sacramento vs. Los Angeles), and Illinois (Springfield vs. Chicago).
Phoenix, Arizona, is unique as the only state capital in the country with a municipal population exceeding one million people. It is also the fifth most populous city in the entire United States.
Only four state capitals have a population of fewer than 20,000 residents: Montpelier, Vermont; Pierre, South Dakota; Augusta, Maine; and Frankfort, Kentucky.
The vast majority of state capitals are mid-sized cities, with roughly half of them falling into a population range between 50,000 and 200,000 residents.