Capital City Comparison
Geography

Oregon vs Washington: Capital City

Oregon's capital is Salem and Washington's capital is Olympia.

Oregon flag
Oregon
OR • West
Salem
The official state capital.
Washington flag
Washington
WA • West
Olympia
The official state capital.

Related Context

States at a Glance

Key facts about each state alongside the capital comparison.

Metric
Oregon
Washington
Population
4,237,256
7,705,281
State Color
Solid Blue
Solid Blue
Governor Party
Democratic
Democratic
Median Income
$75,313
$90,325
Cost of Living Index
117.1
115.3
Oregon
Salem
Washington
Olympia

People Also Ask

Oregon vs Washington Capital City — Common Questions

Q What is Oregon's capital city?

Oregon's capital city is Salem.

Q What is Washington's capital city?

Washington's capital city is Olympia.

More Comparisons: Oregon vs Washington

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Land Area Highest Point Statehood Region
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Oregon flag Oregon Symbols Washington flag Washington Symbols Compare Other States

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.