State capitals

[kkt]

Lots of states and countries have the capital elsewhere than in the largest city.  It reduces the influence the large companies and wealthy have on national policy, and reduces the cost of real estate in both the capital and commercial center.

I think that every state should have its largest city as capital.

So you're on board with Jacksonville for Florida's capital now. Cool.

Make Miami Florida's largest city with annexing all suburbs in Miami-Dade County. Then make it also a capital.

Have Sweden annex Finland and make Stockholm its capital.

'cause that worked out so well last time.

[bulldog1979]

Detroit used to be Michigan's capital but the capital was moved to Lansing to be more centrally located in the state. Back then Lansing was just a township in a pretty rural area. Now Lansing Township has isolated islands due to Lansing annexing land.

The capital was moved out of Detroit because it was considered a bad idea to have the state capital on the border next to a foreign, and at the time, hostile power. When Michigan gained statehood in 1837, memories of the Siege of Detroit in 1812 weren't that far in the past yet, and we weren't yet on the best of terms with the British who controlled the other side of the Detroit River. The state constitution of 1835 contained a requirement that the capital move ten years after statehood, and it even gave the legislature power to adjourn to another city after its first meeting.

As for the choice of Lansing, there were several candidates, including Marshall (they built a governor's mansion to entice selection), Ann Arbor (they were awarded the university as a consolation prize) and Jackson (awarded the state prison as a consolation prize). Members of the state house chose Lansing as a way to avoid picking between the various options. At the time of selection, there really wasn't a town there. In fact, Lansing had been a real estate scam in 1835. The Biddle Brothers from Lansing, New York, sold plots in "Biddle City" to people back home claiming it had a church, academic square and all these blocks built. Instead it was a swampy area prone to flooding. Only some 20 people lived there until it was selected as the state capital 12 years later. After it was selected, the community was renamed the Village of Michigan for a short period before returning to Lansing before incorporation as a city in thee 1850s.

As for its centrality, it might be central to the population now, but it's rather distant from some parts of the state. A location more geographically central to the state as a whole wouldn't have made much more sense in the 1840s considering much of the interior of the Lower Peninsula was marked on maps of the time as "impenetrable swamp".

[Otto Yamamoto]

Why in most states, state capital is not same as its largest city? For example, all of Australia's states and territories have their largest city as capital, as well as most European countries.

Canberra...

It's the largest city in the ACT.

[Flint1979]

Detroit used to be Michigan's capital but the capital was moved to Lansing to be more centrally located in the state. Back then Lansing was just a township in a pretty rural area. Now Lansing Township has isolated islands due to Lansing annexing land.

The capital was moved out of Detroit because it was considered a bad idea to have the state capital on the border next to a foreign, and at the time, hostile power. When Michigan gained statehood in 1837, memories of the Siege of Detroit in 1812 weren't that far in the past yet, and we weren't yet on the best of terms with the British who controlled the other side of the Detroit River. The state constitution of 1835 contained a requirement that the capital move ten years after statehood, and it even gave the legislature power to adjourn to another city after its first meeting.

As for the choice of Lansing, there were several candidates, including Marshall (they built a governor's mansion to entice selection), Ann Arbor (they were awarded the university as a consolation prize) and Jackson (awarded the state prison as a consolation prize). Members of the state house chose Lansing as a way to avoid picking between the various options. At the time of selection, there really wasn't a town there. In fact, Lansing had been a real estate scam in 1835. The Biddle Brothers from Lansing, New York, sold plots in "Biddle City" to people back home claiming it had a church, academic square and all these blocks built. Instead it was a swampy area prone to flooding. Only some 20 people lived there until it was selected as the state capital 12 years later. After it was selected, the community was renamed the Village of Michigan for a short period before returning to Lansing before incorporation as a city in thee 1850s.

As for its centrality, it might be central to the population now, but it's rather distant from some parts of the state. A location more geographically central to the state as a whole wouldn't have made much more sense in the 1840s considering much of the interior of the Lower Peninsula was marked on maps of the time as "impenetrable swamp".

Yes I'm aware of that

[Otto Yamamoto]

Why did Constantinople get the works?

That's nobody's business but the Turks.

[Poiponen13]

Los Angeles should be California's capital. And Portland Oregon's, as wellas Seattle Washington's.

[Flint1979]

So when the largest city in a state changes the capital should move? That's ridiculous and so is thinking that capital's should be in the largest city.

[Poiponen13]

So when the largest city in a state changes the capital should move? That's ridiculous and so is thinking that capital's should be in the largest city.

Most European countries have their capital as largest city. When I first looked at the map with US state capitals, I started to think that those states have wrong capitals.

[SectorZ]

So when the largest city in a state changes the capital should move? That's ridiculous and so is thinking that capital's should be in the largest city.

Most European countries have their capital as largest city. When I first looked at the map with US state capitals, I started to think that those states have wrong capitals.

Good for Europe. The US isn't Europe.

[Flint1979]

I think for the most part the capital of each state is where it should be. Only 18 state capitals are also the largest city in their state so there are more capitals that aren't the largest city in the state than are.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Capitols are more based on where the executive offices are, which often outdate the newer cities in many cases. They could also be the sites of some important war victory or where key military development occurred in relation to said war. Essentially, the seat of political/power determines it, not population size or the biggest cities. Albany NY, for example, houses the state legislature and its central location on the Hudson Valley also plays a role, but having been there you wouldn't expect it to be the capital. Same for Harrisburg PA.

[kkt]

Los Angeles should be California's capital. And Portland Oregon's, as wellas Seattle Washington's.

No they shouldn't.  It's a good idea for the state capital to be AWAY from the largest commercial city, so that you don't have state government and commercial space competing for the same real estate to such a large degree.  And to avoid big business having an easy time lobbying for what they want, while the rest of the state has worse access.  Also in the cases of Sacramento and Salem putting the capital in a more central location in the state.

Lots of newer countries - United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc. etc., have their national capitals in cities that are not the largest city in the country as well.

[Max Rockatansky]

Los Angeles should be California's capital. And Portland Oregon's, as wellas Seattle Washington's.

No they shouldn't.  It's a good idea for the state capital to be AWAY from the largest commercial city, so that you don't have state government and commercial space competing for the same real estate to such a large degree.  And to avoid big business having an easy time lobbying for what they want, while the rest of the state has worse access.  Also in the cases of Sacramento and Salem putting the capital in a more central location in the state.

Lots of newer countries - United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc. etc., have their national capitals in cities that are not the largest city in the country as well.

Irony being when Sacramento was selected as the current capital it was the central hub for mining economic activity in California.  It became the economic center of railroad activity the following two decades.  The nice central location today really continues to help Sacramento be the ideal location for the state capital.

[plain]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

[hotdogPi]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

St. Paul was chosen over the larger and adjacent Minneapolis.

[Takumi]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

St. Paul was chosen over the larger and adjacent Minneapolis.

The Twin Cities aren't at the very edge of their state.

[Roadgeekteen]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

St. Paul was chosen over the larger and adjacent Minneapolis.

The Twin Cities aren't at the very edge of their state.

They kinda are, as they are very close to Wisconsin.

[JayhawkCO]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

St. Paul was chosen over the larger and adjacent Minneapolis.

The Twin Cities aren't at the very edge of their state.

They kinda are, as they are very close to Wisconsin.

Yeah. They have two Wisconsin counties in the metro. I grew up in the metro (on the Minnesota side) and lived 3.5 miles as the crow flies from the state line.

[Rothman]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

St. Paul was chosen over the larger and adjacent Minneapolis.

The Twin Cities aren't at the very edge of their state.

So much for Hudson, WI...

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

St. Paul was chosen over the larger and adjacent Minneapolis.

St. Paul was the larger city when it was designated the capital of Minnesota Territory and later the formalized state.

[SSOWorld]

If the capital of a division has to be at the center of the state then

Alaska: Fairbanks instead of Juneau (Anchorage is too far south)
Florida: Orlando
Georgia: Macon
Idaho has nothing in the middle so Boise is good
Illinois might have Springfield, but most state government business happens in Chicago
Kansas: Salina or Wichita
Louisiana: Alexandria
Maine's got too much nothing in the north so it's fine
Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Springfield (Though with the state's size Boston's not far from day trip distance
Michigan: Split the state and make Marquette the capitol of the state of Superior
Minnesota: St. Cloud - too much barren in the north
Montana - iffy but keep Helena
Nebraska: Kearney or Grand Island are close
Nevada: too much nothing in the middle - keep Carson
Pennsylvania - keep Harrisburg
Utah has too much nothing in south half - so SLC is good
Washington: Maybe Yakima?
Wisconsin: Marginal, but maybe Portage or the Dells?
Wyoming: Casper perhaps
British Columbia has way too much nothing north of the Yellowhead - Maybe Kamloops.  The bulk of the population though is near Vancouver and Victoria so toss up between them.
The prairie Provinces both have the bulk of the population too far south so Edmonton, Regina (which rhymes with "fun") and the Peg are fine
Ontario's population is southeast so Toronto is fine.
Not much in the middle of Newfoundland island and nothing on Labrador mainland so St. John's works
Most of Yukon's population is Whitehorse.
Tossup for Yellowknife in NWT.

[Roadgeekteen]

If the capital of a division has to be at the center of the state then

Alaska: Fairbanks instead of Juneau (Anchorage is too far south)
Florida: Orlando
Georgia: Macon
Idaho has nothing in the middle so Boise is good
Illinois might have Springfield, but most state government business happens in Chicago
Kansas: Salina or Wichita
Louisiana: Alexandria
Maine's got too much nothing in the north so it's fine
Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Springfield (Though with the state's size Boston's not far from day trip distance
Michigan: Split the state and make Marquette the capitol of the state of Superior
Minnesota: St. Cloud - too much barren in the north
Montana - iffy but keep Helena
Nebraska: Kearney or Grand Island are close
Nevada: too much nothing in the middle - keep Carson
Pennsylvania - keep Harrisburg
Utah has too much nothing in south half - so SLC is good
Washington: Maybe Yakima?
Wisconsin: Marginal, but maybe Portage or the Dells?
Wyoming: Casper perhaps
British Columbia has way too much nothing north of the Yellowhead - Maybe Kamloops.  The bulk of the population though is near Vancouver and Victoria so toss up between them.
The prairie Provinces both have the bulk of the population too far south so Edmonton, Regina (which rhymes with "fun") and the Peg are fine
Ontario's population is southeast so Toronto is fine.
Not much in the middle of Newfoundland island and nothing on Labrador mainland so St. John's works
Most of Yukon's population is Whitehorse.
Tossup for Yellowknife in NWT.

For Massachusetts, Worcester works better as it is closer to the states center of population.

[Flint1979]

For Michigan, Lansing works and the state will never be divided into two. The center of population is located in Morrice about 25 miles NE of Lansing so Lansing is pretty close to the center of population. That wasn't the case when it was selected as the state capital, it is in the center of the state though, although it's pretty far south about 130 miles south of the actual center of the state. The center of the Lower Peninsula is in St. Louis and they make a big deal about being located in the center of the mitten. I'm not 100% sure where the geographic center of the U.P. is but taking guesses I'm assuming it's somewhere between Sawyer Air Force Base and Trenary.

In 1880 the center of population was in Clinton County before moving north to Gratiot County for a few decades. When the auto industry started Detroit's boom the center of population started shifting toward Detroit in about 1910. In 2020 Michigan's center of population shifted 0.8 miles SW indicating that Michigan's population shifted slightly SW in the last decade.

[Poiponen13]

I don't even want to imagine Virginia Beach being the capital of Virginia.

Richmond is the number one city in my thoughts. In Florida it is Miami, but largest city in most states.

[Poiponen13]

It is arbitrary to some degree, such as PA where it would probably make more sense for it to be Pittsburg then Harrisburg, even if neither option includes Philadelphia. The thing is the major cities tend to spring up near the water for trading ports and harbors, so they will almost never be centrally located.

Philadelphia should be PA's capital, because it is the largest city.