The 50 destinations that serve as state capitals in the USA represent an incredibly diverse assortment of cities – everything from huge metropolises to tiny towns. We asked USA TODAY 10Best readers to vote for their favorite from a list of 20 nominees, and the winners might surprise you!
Winning by a sizable margin was Carson City, Nevada, a small town of about 50,000 with some excellent historical attractions and a location convenient for exploring nearby Lake Tahoe and Reno.
Runner-up Juneau proves that bigger isn't always better; the Alaskan capital city doesn't even have a road leading in or out, but it does have a glacier within its city limits (and not many cities can claim that!).
Little Rock, Boise and Sacramento also finished in the top five ahead of some pretty heavy hitters – certainly an honor to be proud of.
The winners of 'Best State Capital' category in our USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice contest are as follows:
- Carson City, Nevada
- Juneau, Alaska
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Boise, Idaho
- Sacramento, California
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Springfield, Illinois
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Helena, Montana
A big congratulations to all the winners (and keep this list handy for planning your next vacation).
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The Experts
Larry Bleiberg
Larry Bleiberg is a veteran journalist with... Read More
Larry Bleiberg is a veteran journalist with magazine, newspaper and web experience. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is a seven-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner and was honored for producing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Learn more at LarryBleiberg.com or facebook.com/larry.bleiberg.
Larry Bleiberg

Larry Bleiberg is a veteran journalist with magazine, newspaper and web experience. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is a seven-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner and was honored for producing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Learn more at LarryBleiberg.com or facebook.com/larry.bleiberg.
David and Kay Scott
David and Kay Scott have been traveling since the... Read More
David and Kay Scott have been traveling since the late 1960s and writing about it since the 1970s, when they authored their first three-volume series of books about America's national parks. They subsequently authored Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges (Globe Pequot) plus numerous travel articles for newspapers and magazines. The Scotts have discussed travel on various radio programs and twice been interviewed on NBC's Today. They are contributors to USA TODAY. Read more about them here.
David and Kay Scott

David and Kay Scott have been traveling since the late 1960s and writing about it since the 1970s, when they authored their first three-volume series of books about America's national parks. They subsequently authored Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges (Globe Pequot) plus numerous travel articles for newspapers and magazines. The Scotts have discussed travel on various radio programs and twice been interviewed on NBC's Today. They are contributors to USA TODAY. Read more about them here.