New York City was the United States capital when George Washington took the presidential oath in 1789.
Washington’s first inauguration took place on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City. Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston administered the oath, and John Adams became the nation’s first vice president.
New York was the national capital under the new Constitution from 1785 until 1790. Philadelphia then served as the capital from 1790 to 1800, while the permanent federal district on the Potomac was being developed.
Washington, D.C., became the capital in 1800. This timeline explains a common mix-up: Washington took office in New York City, but the city named for him was not yet the national capital. Federal Hall itself stood on Wall Street and was later demolished.