Rivers, railroads, and political bribes: How every state capital was chosen

Jackson is Mississippi's capital because of its central location in the state. Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto Most states have had multiple capital cities throughout their histories. Most commonly, geography and transportation links were the biggest factors in determining a capital. Most capitals have been decided through legislative or statewide votes. From railroad hubs and river towns to hard-fought votes and alleged bribes, America's state capitals took wildly different paths to power. Today, in 17 states, the capital is also the most populous city. Phoenix , the nation's most populous state capital, has more than 1.6 million residents, while Montpelier, Vermont, has fewer than 8,000, according to the latest Census estimates. But population was often far from the deciding factor when designating a state capital. Many were selected hundreds of years ago, when some of today's cities were little more than stretches of undeveloped land.