Which city was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution?

New York City was the first United States capital under the Constitution.

The new federal government began operating under the Constitution in 1789, and New York served as the national capital from 1789 until 1790. George Washington was inaugurated there as the first president on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall.

The capital then moved to Philadelphia, which served as the seat of the federal government from 1790 to 1800. Washington, D.C., became the permanent capital in 1800, after the federal government relocated to the newly developed District of Columbia.

New York’s role is sometimes overlooked because Washington, D.C., has been the capital for most of U.S. history. The city’s brief constitutional-era status connects the early republic to the broader story commemorated by America250.