List of historical capitals of Vietnam
This list of historical capitals of Vietnam includes former capital cities as well as the current capital of Vietnam which is Hanoi in time order. The capitals in bold indicate long-term or important capitals in Vietnamese history while the capitals in italic indicate short-lived or transient capitals.
| Capital | Period | Nation | Era | Palace | Current location |
| Ngàn Hống | 2879 – ? BC | Xích Quỷ | Kinh Duong Vuong | unknown | Hồng Lĩnh mountain, Hà Tĩnh Province |
| Nghĩa Lĩnh | ? – 2524 BC | Xích Quỷ | Lac Long Quan | unknown | Nghĩa Lĩnh mountain, Phú Thọ Province |
| Phong Châu | 2524–258 BC | Văn Lang | Hồng Bàng dynasty | unknown | Phú Thọ Province |
| Cổ Loa | 257–208 BC | Âu Lạc | Thục dynasty | Cổ Loa Citadel | Đông Anh District, Hanoi |
| Panyu | 207–111 BC | Nanyue | Triệu dynasty | Nanyue Palace | Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China |
| Mê Linh | 40–43 | Lingnan | Trưng Sisters | unknown | Mê Linh District, Hanoi |
| Long Uyên | 544–602 | Vạn Xuân | Early Lý dynasty | Long Biên Palace | Long Biên District, Hanoi or Bắc Ninh Province ? |
| Vạn An | 713–722 | Annam under Tang domination | Mai Hắc Đế | unknown | Nam Đàn District, Nghệ An Province |
| Đại La | 905–938 | Jinghai | Khúc clan | unknown | Hanoi |
| Cổ Loa | 939–967 | Jinghai | Ngô dynasty | Cổ Loa Citadel | Đông Anh District, Hanoi |
| Hoa Lư | 968–980 | Đại Cồ Việt | Đinh dynasty | Hoa Lư Citadel | Ninh Bình Province |
| Hoa Lư | 980–1009 | Đại Cồ Việt | Early Lê dynasty | Hoa Lư Citadel | Ninh Bình Province |
| Hoa Lư | 1009 – 1010 | Đại Cồ Việt | Later Lý dynasty | Hoa Lư Citadel | Ninh Bình Province |
| Thăng Long | 1010 – 1225 | Đại Việt | Later Lý dynasty | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| Thăng Long | 1226–1440 | Đại Việt | Trần dynasty | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| Tây Đô | 1400–1407 | Đại Ngu | Hồ dynasty | Ho Citadel | Vĩnh Lộc District, Thanh Hóa Province |
| Mô Độ | 1407–1409 | Jiaozhi under Ming domination | Later Trần dynasty | none | Yên Mô District, Ninh Bình Province |
| Đông Kinh | 1428–1527 | Đại Việt | Later Lê dynasty – early period | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| Đông Kinh | 1527–1592 | Đại Việt | Mạc dynasty | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| Vạn Lại | 1533–1597 | Đại Việt | Later Lê dynasty – warlord period | Van Lai Citadel | Thọ Xuân District, Thanh Hóa Province |
| Cao Bình | 1592–1677 | Đại Việt – northernmost region | Mạc dynasty | Ban Phu Citadel | Cao Bằng City, Cao Bằng Province |
| Đông Kinh | 1597–1789 | Đại Việt | Later Lê dynasty – warlord period | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| Đông Kinh | 1597–1787 | Đại Việt – Outer Region | Trịnh lords | Palace of Trịnh Lords | Hanoi |
| Phú Xuân | 1678–1777 | Đại Việt – Inner Region | Nguyễn lords | Palace of Nguyễn Lords | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Qui Nhơn | 1778–1793 | Đại Việt | Tây Sơn dynasty | Emperor Citadel | Bình Định Province |
| Phú Xuân | 1786–1802 | Đại Việt | Tây Sơn dynasty | unknown | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Huế | 1802–1945 | Viet Nam, later Dai Nam | Nguyễn dynasty | Imperial City of Huế | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Sài Gòn | 1887–1901 | French Indochina | Indochinese Federation | Governor-General Palace | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Hà Nội | 1902–1954 | French Indochina | Indochinese Federation | Indochinese Governor-General Palace | Hanoi |
| Hà Nội | 1945–1976 | Vietnam, later North Vietnam | Democratic Republic | Presidential Palace | Hanoi |
| Huế | 1945 | Vietnam | Empire | none | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Sài Gòn | 1946–1949 | French Cochinchina | Autonomous Republic | none | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Sài Gòn | 1949–1955 | South Vietnam | State | Independence Palace | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Sài Gòn | 1955–1975 | South Vietnam | Republic | Independence Palace | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Lộc Ninh | 1972–1975 | South Vietnam | Provisional Government | none | Lộc Ninh District, Bình Phước Province |
| Hà Nội | 1976 – present | Vietnam | Socialist Republic | Presidential Palace | current capital |
Some secondary unofficial capitals also existed throughout Vietnamese history. These secondary capitals were established by dynasty founders merely as symbolic capitals to pay tribute to their ancestors.
- Thiên Trường at Nam Định Province during Trần dynasty, existed along with Thăng Long capital
- Lam Kinh at Thanh Hóa Province during Later Lê dynasty, existed along with Đông Kinh capital
- Dương Kinh at Hải Phòng City during Mạc dynasty, existed along with Đông Kinh capital
- Phượng Hoàng Trung Đô at Nghệ An Province during Tây Sơn dynasty, although only in planning and was never completed, existed along with Phú Xuân capital
- Đà Lạt at Lâm Đồng Province during French colonial era as summer capital, existed along with Hanoi capital
- Việt Bắc at northern Vietnam during First Indochina War as Việt Minh's headquarter, existed along with de jure Hanoi capital