Here are the capitals of the five Pacific states.
Key idea
The Pacific capitals: Olympia (Washington), Salem (Oregon), Sacramento (California), Juneau (Alaska) and Honolulu (Hawaii).
Why it works
A capital is the city where a state's government meets: the governor works there and the legislature writes laws there. Many capitals were chosen long ago because they were near the middle of the state, easy for lawmakers to reach by horse or riverboat. The biggest cities often grew later, around ports and railroads. That is why the capital is so often not the biggest city.
| State | Capital | A well-known city that is not the capital |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | Olympia | Seattle |
| Oregon | Salem | Portland |
| California | Sacramento | Los Angeles |
| Alaska | Juneau | Anchorage |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | Hilo |
Worked example: California's capital
What is the capital of California?
- Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco are famous.
- The capital is inland, in the Central Valley, where two rivers meet.
- It is Sacramento.
Answer: Sacramento.
Common mistake
Students pick Los Angeles for California or Seattle for Washington; the capitals are Sacramento and Olympia. Oregon's is Salem, not Portland, and Alaska's is Juneau, not Anchorage.
Memory help. Juneau, Alaska, cannot be reached by road from the rest of North America; people come by plane or boat. Honolulu is the one Pacific capital that is also its state's biggest city.