State Capitals Ranked by Land Area
When looking at the geographic footprint of the 50 United States capitals, the land area varies significantly depending on historical annexation laws, local boundaries, and whether the city has consolidated with its surrounding county. The table below ranks all 50 state capitals from largest to smallest by total land area, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
| Rank | Capital City | State | Land Area (sq mi) | Land Area (sq km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juneau | Alaska | 2,704.0 | 7,003.4 |
| 2 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 607.0 | 1,572.1 |
| 3 | Phoenix | Arizona | 518.0 | 1,341.6 |
| 4 | Nashville | Tennessee | 475.8 | 1,232.3 |
| 5 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 361.5 | 936.3 |
| 6 | Austin | Texas | 319.9 | 828.5 |
| 7 | Columbus | Ohio | 220.0 | 569.8 |
| 8 | Tallahassee | Florida | 100.4 | 260.0 |
| 9 | Jackson | Mississippi | 111.0 | 287.5 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 86.3 | 223.5 |
| 11 | Lansing | Michigan | 39.1 | 101.3 |
| 12 | Springfield | Illinois | 60.1 | 155.7 |
| 13 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 97.6 | 252.8 |
| 14 | Topeka | Kansas | 61.5 | 159.3 |
| 15 | Montgomery | Alabama | 155.4 | 402.5 |
| 16 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 121.0 | 313.4 |
| 17 | Jefferson City | Missouri | 36.0 | 93.2 |
| 18 | Bismarck | North Dakota | 31.2 | 80.8 |
| 19 | Pierre | South Dakota | 13.0 | 33.7 |
| 20 | Cheyenne | Wyoming | 29.6 | 76.7 |
| 21 | Helena | Montana | 16.4 | 42.5 |
| 22 | Boise | Idaho | 83.8 | 217.0 |
| 23 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 110.4 | 285.9 |
| 24 | Denver | Colorado | 153.3 | 397.0 |
| 25 | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 52.3 | 135.5 |
| 26 | Carson City | Nevada | 143.4 | 371.4 |
| 27 | Sacramento | California | 97.9 | 253.6 |
| 28 | Salem | Oregon | 48.4 | 125.4 |
| 29 | Olympia | Washington | 17.8 | 46.1 |
| 30 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 60.5 | 156.7 |
| 31 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 147.6 | 382.3 |
| 32 | Columbia | South Carolina | 134.9 | 349.4 |
| 33 | Atlanta | Georgia | 134.0 | 347.1 |
| 34 | Richmond | Virginia | 59.8 | 154.9 |
| 35 | Charleston | West Virginia | 31.5 | 81.6 |
| 36 | Frankfort | Kentucky | 14.3 | 37.0 |
| 37 | Des Moines | Iowa | 88.9 | 230.2 |
| 38 | St. Paul | Minnesota | 52.0 | 134.7 |
| 39 | Madison | Wisconsin | 77.0 | 199.4 |
| 40 | Albany | New York | 21.4 | 55.4 |
| 41 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 8.1 | 21.0 |
| 42 | Trenton | New Jersey | 7.7 | 19.9 |
| 43 | Dover | Delaware | 23.2 | 60.1 |
| 44 | Hartford | Connecticut | 17.4 | 45.1 |
| 45 | Providence | Rhode Island | 18.4 | 47.7 |
| 46 | Boston | Massachusetts | 48.3 | 125.1 |
| 47 | Concord | New Hampshire | 64.2 | 166.3 |
| 48 | Montpelier | Vermont | 10.2 | 26.4 |
| 49 | Annapolis | Maryland | 6.7 | 17.4 |
| 50 | Augusta | Maine | 55.1 | 142.7 |
City-County Consolidations: The largest capitals by area, such as Juneau, Nashville, and Indianapolis, operate under consolidated city-county (or city-borough) governments. This legal structure expands the official municipal boundaries to encompass outlying suburban and rural areas.
Juneau’s Scale: Juneau, Alaska, occupies a massive geographic footprint of over 2,700 square miles, making it larger in total land area than the entire states of Delaware or Rhode Island.
Historic Colonial Boundaries: Many older capitals on the East Coast, such as Boston, Annapolis and Trenton, sit near the bottom of the list. These cities were established with rigid historical boundaries and have minimal room to annex surrounding territory, keeping their footprints small.