United States Presidents in Order

The presidency of the United States is a cornerstone of American democracy, embodying the nation’s leadership, values, and evolving political landscape.

From George Washington’s foundational leadership to the modern era, each president has played a crucial role in shaping the country’s trajectory.

This comprehensive list chronicles the men who have held the highest office in the United States, reflecting the nation’s political, social, and historical transformations.

1. George Washington (1789-1797)

• First President of the United States
• Served two terms, established many presidential precedents
• Led the country during its formative years

2. John Adams (1797-1801)

• Second President
• First Vice President under Washington
• Federalist Party leader

3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

• Third President
• Principal author of the Declaration of Independence
• Completed the Louisiana Purchase

4. James Madison (1809-1817)

• Fourth President
• Known as the “Father of the Constitution”
• Led the country during the War of 1812

5. James Monroe (1817-1825)

• Fifth President
• Issued the Monroe Doctrine
• Era known as the “Era of Good Feelings”

6. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)

• Sixth President
• Son of second President John Adams
• Served one term

7. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)

• Seventh President
• Founder of the Democratic Party
• Controversial for Indian Removal Act

8. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)

• Eighth President
• First president born as a U.S. citizen
• Faced economic depression

9. William Henry Harrison (1841)

• Ninth President
• Shortest presidency (32 days)
• Died of pneumonia shortly after inauguration

10. John Tyler (1841-1845)

• Tenth President
• First vice president to succeed to presidency after a president’s death
• Annexed Texas

11. James K. Polk (1845-1849)

• Eleventh President
• Oversaw Mexican-American War
• Expanded U.S. territory significantly

12. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)

• Twelfth President
• Mexican-American War hero
• Died in office

13. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

• Thirteenth President
• Succeeded Taylor
• Signed Compromise of 1850

14. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

• Fourteenth President
• Supported expansion of slavery
• Signed Kansas-Nebraska Act

15. James Buchanan (1857-1861)

• Fifteenth President
• Served immediately before Civil War
• Failed to prevent secession

16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

• Sixteenth President
• Led during Civil War
• Issued Emancipation Proclamation
• Assassinated in 1865

17. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

• Seventeenth President
• Succeeded Lincoln
• First president impeached

18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

• Eighteenth President
• Civil War Union Army General
• Supported Reconstruction

19. Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

• Nineteenth President
• Elected through controversial compromise
• Ended Reconstruction

20. James A. Garfield (1881)

• Twentieth President
• Assassinated after only months in office

21. Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)

• Twenty-first President
• Succeeded Garfield
• Civil service reform advocate

22. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)

• Twenty-second President
• First time

23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

• Twenty-third President
• Grandson of William Henry Harrison
• Lost re-election to Cleveland

24. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)

• Twenty-fourth President

25. William McKinley (1897-1901)

• Twenty-fifth President
• Assassinated in 1901
• Led during Spanish-American War

26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

• Twenty-sixth President
• Succeeded McKinley
• Known for conservation and trust-busting

27. William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

• Twenty-seventh President
• Later became Supreme Court Chief Justice

28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

• Twenty-eighth President
• Led during World War I
• Established League of Nations

29. Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)

• Twenty-ninth President
• Died in office
• Teapot Dome scandal

30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

• Thirtieth President
• Succeeded Harding
• Known for economic prosperity

31. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

• Thirty-first President
• Presidency marked by Great Depression

32. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

• Thirty-second President
• Longest-serving president
• Led during Great Depression and World War II

33. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

• Thirty-third President
• Ordered atomic bombings of Japan
• Implemented Marshall Plan

34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)

• Thirty-fourth President
• World War II Allied Commander
• Interstate Highway System

35. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

• Thirty-fifth President
• Assassinated in Dallas
• Cuban Missile Crisis

36. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

• Thirty-sixth President
• Succeeded Kennedy
• Civil Rights Act and Great Society programs

37. Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

• Thirty-seventh President
• Resigned due to Watergate scandal

38. Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

• Thirty-eighth President
• Succeeded Nixon
• Only president not elected as president or vice president

39. Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

• Thirty-ninth President
• Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Brokered Camp David Accords

40. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

• Fortieth President
• “Reaganomics” and Cold War policies

41. George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)

• Forty-first President
• Led during Gulf War
• “Thousand Points of Light”

42. Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

• Forty-second President
• Impeached but not removed
• Economic prosperity era

43. George W. Bush (2001-2009)

• Forty-third President
• Led during 9/11 and Iraq War
• Financial crisis began during his term

44. Barack Obama (2009-2017)

• Forty-fourth President
• First African American president
• Affordable Care Act

45. Donald Trump (2017-2021)

• Forty-fifth President
• Businessman and reality TV personality
• Impeached twice

46. Joe Biden (2021-2024)

• Forty-sixth President
• Former Vice President under Obama
• Oldest person elected to the presidency

47. Donald Trump (2024-Present)

• Forty-seventh President
• Returned to office after winning 2024 election
• Continuing his political agenda