Arizona Capital Phoenix Phoenix is the capital of Arizona Thousands of people have moved to Phoenix since the 1970s The city also grew by joining with nearby communities Today it has more people than any other state capital Unlike older capitals it is very spread out with many centers The region used to have many ranches and farms Today most people have jobs that help other people or build things such as electronic equipment Phoenix is in the hot dry Sonoran Desert The city depends on the water found below the ground or in the Colorado River The faster the city grows the more water it needs City founded 1868 Became Capital Population Territorial Capital 1889 1,563,025 people 2015 estimate State Capital 1912 City area 517 square miles 1,339 square kilometers 6
Arkansas Capital Little Rock Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas It was an important trade center for farmers Goods traveled from Little Rock down the Arkansas River to the Mississippi River Today goods also move along Little Rock’s major highways This has helped make Little Rock the largest city in Arkansas Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas and then President of the United States A special library was built in Little Rock The William J Clinton Presidential Center tells about his life and his time as president City founded 1820 Became Capital Population Territorial Capital 1820 197,992 people 2015 estimate State Capital 1836 City area 119 square miles 308 square kilometers 7
California Capital Sacramento Sacramento is the capital of California The California Gold Rush started nearby In 1849 people walked or rode wagons across the country They were headed to Sacramento and the goldfi elds Soon a steamboat went from Sacramento to San Francisco Then in 1869 the new railroad crossed the country and ended in Sacramento Now it has a harbor which connects to San Francisco Harbor It is still at the center of a rich farming region When California became a state in 1850 Sacramento was not the capital Between 1849 and 1854 California’s capital moved six times Finally Sacramento became the permanent capital even though other cities have wanted to be the capital City founded 1848 Became Capital Population 490,712 people State Capital 1854 2015 estimate City area 98 square miles 254 square kilometers 8
Colorado Capital Denver Denver is the capital of Colorado Beginning in 1870 streetcars went from the city to nearby empty land People built homes along the streetcar lines They rode the streetcars into the city for work Some towns became part of Denver while others decided to stay separate This has created a large metropolitan area Denver’s nickname is The Mile High City In 1909 the city carved One Mile Above Sea Level into the fi fteenth step of the state capitol They had to change it because of better measuring In 1969 they marked the eighteenth step In 2003 they moved it again to the thirteenth step City founded 1858 Became Capital Population Territorial Capital 1867 682,545 people 2015 estimate State Capital 1876 City area 153 square miles 396 square kilometers 9
