# If D.C. were destroyed where would the capital be moved to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005 "2014-12-23T10:51:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/61 "2014-12-24T02:28:47Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Seriously, what’s wrong with Denver? It’s full of potheads. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/62 "2014-12-24T02:39:07Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > It’s full of potheads. A little of the ‘wacky weed’ might loosen up some of the …errr…congestion we currently experience in Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/63 "2014-12-24T14:47:21Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > But the question is…where to move the seat of the Federal government? Disney Land or World, make em one of the exhibits Declan ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/64 "2014-12-24T15:32:23Z")
Johnsonville, Wisconsin. It’s already a sausage factory. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/65 "2014-12-24T18:13:08Z")
There would certainly be plenty of lobbyists representing prospective sites, and like all other governmental decisions, the choice would be dictated by the lobbyists. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/66 "2014-12-24T18:45:23Z")
I am surprised that no one has mentioned the most obvious choice: George Washington. That way, there would no longer be a need to call it “the _other_ Washington”. But in all seriousness, why locate it in some location? The capital ought to be moved around the country, spending a couple years in some village, then going off to another one. Spread the suffering around. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/67 "2014-12-24T19:02:28Z")
Whatever they pick, I hope this time they make the entire zone business only - no residences allowed. It would solve a multitude of problems. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/68 "2014-12-24T20:11:48Z")
How about Columbia, Missouri? It has an appropriate name, it’s “in the middle” (right between Kansas City and St. Louis), and it already has made some sort of name for itself (it’s the location of the Midway Truck Stop seen on _Truck Stop Missouri_ (later called _Truck Stop USA_)). But if they need somewhere temporary while they build a new capitol, it would probably be somewhere “traditional” like Philadelphia. The problem is, it may have to be somewhere that’s not in any state. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/69 "2014-12-24T20:16:25Z")
So… Guam? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/70 "2014-12-24T20:26:46Z")
Just upload the government to the cloud. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/71 "2014-12-24T21:22:12Z")
Denver seems a likely place. Lots of federal acronyms already have their western regional offices there - USDA, BIA, USFS, BuRec, Corps of Engineers, DOE, Treasury, BLM, NRC, DOD, (Cheyenne Mtn, NORAD) - and og knows whatall else. I’ve seen print references to Denver as “The western capital”. Never heard of any kind of official designation, but if the Federal government in DC ever had to decamp en-mass Denver would certainly be a logical place to relocate. Safe, defensible location, already a national communications hub, and with a good deal of the government infrastructure already in place. SS ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/72 "2014-12-25T01:10:38Z")
Denver would probably be a good spot - it’s at worst a one stop plane trip to get there from anywhere, same as Washington, plus it is more or less centrally located. The problem is there is nowhere with any land to build out a Capitol. I’d put it in Western Kansas or Nebraska, or better yet, Wyoming. Set a new rule that as soon as all the business on the agenda gets done, all Members of Congress can go home. It would quadruple the amount of work that gets done and reduce the time to do it. Plus, all the lobbyists would have to set up permanent shop in Garden City or Scottsbluff or Laramie. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/73 "2014-12-25T01:12:38Z")
The mother ship. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/74 "2014-12-25T02:09:39Z")
Cahokia (near East Saint Louis, Illinois) would make sense. It was a big city (for the Americas north of central Mexico) around 1200 AD, and would make for a good location today as well. Lots of space to build all the new buildings, but well within the commuting orbit of an existing metro area (St. Louis, MO) for the needed infrastructure and housing to get the ball rolling. The old earthen pyramids could be preserved and showcased as the green city center. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/75 "2014-12-25T02:13:11Z")
Greater Gary, Indiana. Right next to Chicago. Assuming, of course, that we’ve already annexed Anglo Canada. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/76 "2014-12-25T02:57:23Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Well, it’s not like my dad - he’s working on being a loony old coot with an MBA from Harvard…a dangerous combination - had a specific plan in mind. He just rants about centralization of government bureaucracies. And on that, as I said, modern communications could make it easy to do. There’s really no need for Agriculture and Defense to be located half a mile from each other. Actually, those two work pretty closely when it comes to humanitarian food aid. And given that this kind of work is time-sensitive, complex, and involves a lot of third parties (the UN, the White House, Congress, relevant embassies, the NGO community, etc.), it is helpful to be able to quickly and easily convene in one place. Federal agencies are connected in all kinds of ways. There is also an enormous amount of cross-pollination of ideas and talent between agencies, as federal workers can move around relatively easily between agencies. Many federal career paths require specific skills tailored to federal needs- things like managing federal contracts, complying with federal HR regulations, building IT systems using federal procurement methods and complying with federal security regulations, etc. I don’t think we’d do as good a job cultivating those talents if federal agencies were not competing against each other for talent. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/77 "2014-12-25T06:50:47Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Other than in the Hunger Games books? And without the destruction and rebuilding of civilization in between? > > It would have to be a swing state, probably a swing city, making the move worth the Congresscritters’ while, and probably closer to the current population center. An existing city to reduce the cash outlay, which would be huge anyway. I’ll go with MacKinley Kantor’s alt-history _If the South had Won the Civil War_ and say Columbus is still a good candidate. In that vein, Harry Turtledove puts it at Philadelphia in his Timeline-191 series, which is quite plausible given the city’s historic significance. A well-esteemed online alternate history-Decades of Darkness-puts it in Knoxville, Tennessee which is a bit more unlikely unless there’s a threat of invasion from sea. ---
**Author:** ![DooProcess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DooProcess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooProcess)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/78 "2014-12-26T14:28:01Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > [Colon, Michigan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colon,_Michigan) just so newscasters will have to say stuff like “Opponents of the bill say that Colon is already too full of pork and it is unclear if it will pass” and “Congress has had an especially productive session. Colon has produced a record amount of material”. Hey, that’s where I went to high school. The town has enough trouble as it is, no need to introduce more. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/79 "2014-12-26T14:48:12Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > I didn’t read all of the replies thoroughly, but one thing I didn’t see mentioned was that DC was NOT in any state, and it was designed that way. The Federal Government was supposed to be placed in a “neutral” location to (I know, don’t laugh) keep it free from undue influence of the state in which it resided. > > So in any place chosen, the state would have to cede that land into a new non-state based district. What state would want to cede a large chunk of land to the Federal Government? So it would also (?) have to be on the edge of the state to keep up the idea that the new district is not still part of the state that gave up the land. > > J. Yeah, it’s worth remembering why the District of Columbia was created in the first place. Before it, the local authorities in NYC/Philadelphia/etc did in fact harass members of congress and otherwise exert undue influence on national legislation. A dedicated capitol district, with Congress as the sole authority, solves this problem. If the Chief of Police is getting too big for his britches, there’s nothing to stop Congress from relocating his office to a floating barge in the Aleutian Islands 😛 ETA: I’d say give the capitol district a representative (or more than one if the population justifies it), but not any senators, because really it’s silly to pretend that a little postage-stamp of real estate that makes Rhode Island look huge is equal to a state. But if there is a permanent population, they should get someone in the House. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005/80 "2015-04-30T19:23:14Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > In that vein, Harry Turtledove puts it at Philadelphia in his Timeline-191 series, which is quite plausible given the city’s historic significance. A well-esteemed online alternate history-Decades of Darkness-puts it in Knoxville, Tennessee which is a bit more unlikely unless there’s a threat of invasion from sea. Zombie-reviving, for which I beg clemency; but in Turtledove’s _Worldwar_ series (reptilian aliens from far away in the universe, invade Earth in the midst of World War II in 1942) – it works out that after conclusion of a “stalemate” peace between “us and them”, the capital of the still-independent USA becomes Little Rock, Arkansas. A combination of the US’s more prominent cities having been obliterated by atom bombs in the no-holds-barred war between humans and “Lizards”; and Arkansas having been in the centrally most human-held part of the country, throughout the conflict. I’m not American; but I get the general picture that Arkansas is not regarded as one of the more enlightened and sophisticated parts of the USA. I rather like Turtledove’s conceit of this poor despised region’s getting – via strange and extreme circumstances – its “place in the sun”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-d-c-were-destroyed-where-would-the-capital-be-moved-to/708005.md?page=5)