Which US State Capitals Are Named After Presidents?
Which US State Capitals Are Named After Presidents?
Collection - Capitals
Lincoln, Madison, Jackson, and Jefferson City: the four U.S. state capitals named after American presidents.
Quick Answer
Which US State Capitals Are Named After Presidents?
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1
Four state capitals are named after U.S. presidents: Lincoln (Nebraska), Madison (Wisconsin), Jackson (Mississippi), and Jefferson City (Missouri).
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2
All four were named between 1821 and 1867, during or shortly after their states joined the Union.
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3
Washington D.C. does not count: it is the federal capital, not a state capital. The state of Washington's capital is Olympia, named after the Olympic Mountains.
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4
Columbus, Ohio is not on the list. Christopher Columbus was an explorer who died in 1506, not a U.S. president.
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5
No state capital has been renamed to honor a president since the 19th century.
State Capitals Named After Presidents: The Complete List
| State Capital | State | President Honored | President # | Year Named Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City | Missouri | Thomas Jefferson | 3rd | 1821 |
| Jackson | Mississippi | Andrew Jackson | 7th | 1821 |
| Madison | Wisconsin | James Madison | 4th | 1836 |
| Lincoln | Nebraska | Abraham Lincoln | 16th | 1867 |
"The naming of a capital after a revered statesman was among the most visible acts of civic symbolism available to a new state legislature. It aligned the community's identity with national ideals at the moment of founding."
Jefferson City, Missouri | Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City was selected as Missouri's permanent capital in 1821, the same year Missouri joined the Union. It sits on a bluff above the Missouri River, the same river Lewis and Clark followed on Jefferson's orders during the Corps of Discovery expedition.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
The legislature named the city to honor the author of the Declaration of Independence and the president who authorized the Louisiana Purchase, the land deal that brought Missouri into the United States.
U.S. state capitals named after presidents, out of 50 total.
Jackson, Mississippi | Andrew Jackson, 7th President
Jackson, Mississippi
Mississippi's legislature named its new capital after Andrew Jackson in 1821, replacing Natchez. It is one of two presidential capitals named that year, alongside Jefferson City, Missouri.
Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)
At the time of naming, Jackson was a national hero for his victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 but had not yet been elected president. He is the only person on this list whose capital was named before he took office.
Madison, Wisconsin | James Madison, 4th President
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison was platted as the capital of Wisconsin Territory in 1836, on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Wisconsin became a state in 1848, with Madison continuing as the capital.
James Madison (1751-1836)
Madison was the fourth president and principal architect of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He died in June 1836, the same year the territory was organized, making the naming a tribute to a Founding Father who had died months before.
Lincoln, Nebraska | Abraham Lincoln, 16th President
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln became Nebraska's state capital in 1867, replacing Lancaster. The Nebraska State Capitol, completed in 1932, is a 400-foot Art Deco tower topped with a bronze statue of "The Sower."
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Lincoln signed the act enabling Nebraska's path to statehood in 1864, a year before his assassination. Nebraska entered the Union in 1867, and the legislature named the capital after the president who made statehood possible. Lincoln is the only figure on this list honored posthumously.
The Washington Trick Question
No state capital is named after George Washington. This surprises many people, because the state of Washington carries his name.
Washington's capital is Olympia, named after the Olympic Mountains, which take their name from Mount Olympus in Greece. It has no connection to any president.
Washington D.C. is named after George Washington but is the federal capital, not a state capital. D.C. is not a state and has no Senate representation.
Why Columbus, Ohio Doesn't Count
Columbus, Ohio is the most common wrong answer to this question. Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer sailing for Spain who died in 1506, nearly 300 years before the United States existed.
Ohio's capital was named in 1812 as a tribute to the explorer's legacy of discovery, not as a presidential honor. Columbia, South Carolina is off the list for the same reason.
Why Only Four?
Three of the four capitals were named in 1821-1836, when reverence for the founding generation was at its peak. Lincoln is the outlier, named in 1867 after the Civil War and Lincoln's assassination.
Most state capitals took their names from geographic features, Indigenous place names, or European cities. After 1870, no new state capital was named after a president.
Presidential Names That Are Not State Capitals
Washington D.C.
The federal capital, not a state capital. Named for George Washington. D.C. is a federal district with no Senate representation.
Montgomery, Alabama
Named after General Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War officer, not a president.
Harrison, Cleveland, Grant, and others
Many U.S. cities carry presidential names, but none of these are state capitals.
Quick Answers
How many state capitals are named after presidents?
Which presidents have a state capital named after them?
Is Jackson, Mississippi named after Andrew Jackson?
Is Jefferson City named after Thomas Jefferson?
Is Madison named after a president?
Is Columbus, Ohio named after a president?
Are there 5 state capitals named after presidents?
Methodology
State capitals only; presidential naming confirmed by state legislative records.
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