Capitals of Alabama

Alabama has had five capitals: St. Stephens, Huntsville, Cahaba, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery. St. Stephens was the territorial seat from 1817, Huntsville hosted the 1819 constitutional convention, Cahaba served as the first state capital from 1820, Tuscaloosa took over in 1826 and Montgomery was chosen in 1846 as the permanent capital because of its central location [1]. This entry gives each city’s dates and explains the reasons for the moves.

St. Stephens

St. Stephens was the seat of the Alabama Territory from 1817. It was a river town on the Tombigbee with a Spanish fort and American trading post, but it had no permanent capitol [2]. See St. Stephens (Territorial Capital).

Huntsville

Huntsville became the temporary capital in 1819 when the state’s constitutional convention met there in July. The city, in the Tennessee Valley, had grown quickly during the land rush. The convention is described in Huntsville Constitutional Convention of 1819 [1][3].

Cahaba

Cahaba became the capital in 1820, after lobbying by political factions, and served until 1825. Flooding and health concerns led lawmakers to move the capital, and the town later became a ghost town. See Cahaba (First State Capital) [1][4].

Tuscaloosa

The legislature voted to move the capital to Tuscaloosa in 1825, and the change took effect on February 1, 1826. The city on the Black Warrior River remained the capital until 1846. A former state capitol building stood there, as the Encyclopedia of Alabama’s photographs show [1][4].

Montgomery

In 1846 the legislature selected Montgomery as the permanent capital because of its central location on the Alabama River. The Alabama State Capitol stands on a hill there, described in Alabama State Capitol. Montgomery is also the seat of the executive branch and of many state agencies [1].

Why the capital kept moving

Early capitals were chosen for transportation, for politics and for the settlement pattern of a fast-growing state. Rivers carried goods and people, so river towns were natural choices. As roads and railways spread and the population moved into the center and south, a central location grew more important. Montgomery’s position near the middle of the state helped it keep the title since the 1840s. For the broader story see Alabama [1].

FAQs

How many capitals has Alabama had? Five, counting the territorial capital.

What was the first state capital? Cahaba, from 1820 to 1825.

When did Montgomery become the capital? It was selected in 1846.

Where was the 1819 convention? In Huntsville.

Why Montgomery? Because of its central location.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: State Capitals (collection)
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: St. Stephens
3. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Constitution of 1819
4. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Cahaba

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue