Civics question 119 of 128
What is the capital of the United States?
Official answer
- Washington, D.C.
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. The D.C. stands for District of Columbia, and the city is deliberately not part of any state. The framers placed the capital on federal land so that no single state could hold power over the national government, an idea sharpened by an incident in 1783 when unpaid soldiers surrounded Congress in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania would not send help. The site on the Potomac River was chosen in 1790 and the government moved there in 1800. Because it is a district rather than a state, residents have no voting representative in Congress, though they have voted in presidential elections since 1961. Do not confuse the capital with New York City, which is the largest city and served as an early temporary capital.
This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.
Where this question sits
It is part of Symbols, inside the Symbols And Holidays section of the test.