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But to be fair, that state is California and it is still the capital which isn't just some superficial honor - especially with a state as large (in every way, not just population) like California.
This was my reasoning for including Sacramento. As the capital of the largest state, it has some sway, even if it is not the most definitive city within its own state.
I'm inclined to agree with the OP's choices except I'd place Phoenix as having a greater sphere of influence than Sacramento being the largest metro area in the desert Southwest. Sacramento is important to California as a government city where as Phoenix serves as the big league metro and for a region going beyond Arizona's borders with a bigger tier level in terms of major league sports, commerce, air service, and it's more of a destination in the leisure hotel/resort market.
I'd place the top 5 as
Boston
Atlanta
Denver
Phoenix
Austin
and the next tier level
Sacramento
Indianapolis
Salt Lake City
Nashville
Honolulu
next level simply just being on the national radar to some degree and important role in the state...
Richmond
Raleigh
Hartford
Providence
Columbus
Santa Fe
Boise
I'm not sure where I'd place St. Paul. Being that by virtue of anchoring one of the Twin Cities, albeit secondary it could go either way.
I'd probably put Oklahoma City on that list, certainly above Santa Fe or Boise.
I'd probably put Oklahoma City on that list, certainly above Santa Fe or Boise.
I think Oklahoma City is a rising star and a highly underrated city. I was out there last fall for a wedding and loved it. Coming from an area where traffic is horrible, I found driving through Oklahoma City to be a breeze and have the city on my short list of possible locations to live in some day. It's also a great "bang for your buck" type of city. Housing costs are low, but there are some pretty high-paying jobs there. That's a great combination.
OKC is America's right armpit to Detroit on the left....
PHX does not feel like a state capital at all. PHX is a prominent city, but the capitol is not. Atlanta and Boston have a better connection and more prominent buildings, but still seem lost in the shuffle a bit. Austin is a larger city that still feels strongly like a capital.
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Originally Posted by DynamoLA
I'd probably put Oklahoma City on that list, certainly above Santa Fe or Boise.
Yeah, you're probably right. I was just thinking of cities that immediately came to mind. Not sure why I overlooked OKC. I think of Santa Fe with some obvious local bias, but it also has a national role as a center for artistry and draws tourists from all over the world. Boise seems to be a growing from a small city to medium sized city tier level and is the base for Albertsons which is also growing a lot bigger lately with its aquisition of Safeway.
This was my reasoning for including Sacramento. As the capital of the largest state, it has some sway, even if it is not the most definitive city within its own state.
Yea sac may not be the biggest show in california, but it has a lot more to offer than the vast majority of state capitals. And the local gdp of the area attests to that.
A lot of state capitals get too much hype for being the only show in town.
Pretty easy to hype out cities who box other lightweight towns, vs a city who has to stand among prize contenders.
Yea sac may not be the biggest show in california, but it has a lot more to offer than the vast majority of state capitals. And the local gdp of the area attests to that.
A lot of state capitals get too much hype for being the only show in town.
Pretty easy to hype out cities who box other lightweight towns, vs a city who has to stand among prize contenders.
Out of curiosity, what capitals do you consider fit this description?
As far as prominent cities that are state capitals, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Honolulu & Phoenix. Nashville, Salt Lake City and Indianapolis are three others that are well known for more than just being state capital.
As far as larger cities/metros whose prominence is derived from their status as state capital, Sacramento for sure.
If it was not on my original list, you have my answer.
Columbus, madison, springfield, okc, little rock, richmond, etc.
Ah, I see... To be fair, cities like Columbus, Madison, and Richmond don't "box out" other cities because they are the only game in town. None of these are even the largest metros within their states, so I don't think they're the "only show in town." And I'd be willing to bet the vast majority of high school students and maybe even adults don't even know Springfield is the capital of Illinois.
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