Philadelphia served as the temporary United States capital from 1790 until the federal government moved to Washington.
The Residence Act of 1790 selected a permanent capital site on the Potomac River and designated Philadelphia as the temporary capital for ten years. The federal government moved from New York City to Philadelphia in December 1790, where Congress met and the executive branch operated.
Philadelphia had already been central to the founding era. The Continental Congress met there, the Declaration of Independence was adopted there, and the Constitutional Convention met at Independence Hall. Its temporary capital status therefore continued the city’s strong connection with national political history.
The government moved to Washington in 1800. Philadelphia remained an important American city, but it was no longer the national seat. New York City had been the first capital under the Constitution, which is why the two cities are often confused in questions about the early federal government.