The United States has 51 capitals: one national capital (Washington, D.C.) plus 50 separate state capitals, one for each state.

Quick Scoop: Short Answer

  • The federal capital of the United States is Washington, D.C.
  • There are 50 U.S. states, and each has its own state capital city, for a total of 50 state capitals.
  • Adding them together, there are 51 political capitals in the United States (50 state capitals + 1 national capital).

What People Usually Mean

Most people asking “how many capitals are in the United States” are either:

  • Talking about state capitals only → answer: 50.
  • Talking about every governmental capital, including the federal one → answer: 51.

So both “50” and “51” can show up in forum and trivia discussions, depending on whether Washington, D.C. is being counted.