George Washington
Served: 1789–1797
First president; unanimously elected and set the two-term tradition.
List of Presidents of United States: Past and Present
Last updated November 2026
This page lists the presidents and heads of state of United States from 1789 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of United States, former presidents, and key dates in the country's political history.
Current president of United States: Donald Trump (in office since 2025).
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Presidents of United States in order, with years in office
John Adams
Served: 1797–1801
Served one term and lost the 1800 election to Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson
Served: 1801–1809
Completed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
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James Madison
Served: 1809–1817
Led the country through the War of 1812.
James Monroe
Served: 1817–1825
Issued the Monroe Doctrine in 1823.
John Quincy Adams
Served: 1825–1829
Son of John Adams; served one term.
Andrew Jackson
Served: 1829–1837
Won the 1828 election and served two terms.
Martin Van Buren
Served: 1837–1841
Served one term and lost the 1840 election.
William Henry Harrison
Served: 1841
Died on 4 April 1841, 31 days after taking office, the shortest presidency.
John Tyler
Served: 1841–1845
First vice president to become president on the death of a president.
James K. Polk
Served: 1845–1849
Presided over the Mexican–American War.
Zachary Taylor
Served: 1849–1850
War hero who died in office in July 1850.
Millard Fillmore
Served: 1850–1853
Succeeded Taylor and signed the Compromise of 1850.
Franklin Pierce
Served: 1853–1857
Signed the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854.
James Buchanan
Served: 1857–1861
Led the country as the Civil War approached.
Abraham Lincoln
Served: 1861–1865
Led the Union through the Civil War; assassinated in April 1865.
Andrew Johnson
Served: 1865–1869
Impeached by the House in 1868 and acquitted by the Senate.
Ulysses S. Grant
Served: 1869–1877
Civil War general who served two terms.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Served: 1877–1881
Won the disputed 1876 election and served one term.
James A. Garfield
Served: 1881
Shot in July 1881 and died in September, after about six months in office.
Chester A. Arthur
Served: 1881–1885
Succeeded Garfield.
Grover Cleveland
Served: 1885–1889, 1893–1897
Elected to two non-consecutive terms; counted as both the 22nd and 24th president.
Benjamin Harrison
Served: 1889–1893
Grandson of William Henry Harrison; served between Cleveland's two terms.
William McKinley
Served: 1897–1901
Assassinated in September 1901.
Theodore Roosevelt
Served: 1901–1909
Youngest president, at 42, after succeeding McKinley.
William Howard Taft
Served: 1909–1913
Later became Chief Justice of the United States.
Woodrow Wilson
Served: 1913–1921
Led the country through World War I.
Warren G. Harding
Served: 1921–1923
Died in office in August 1923.
Calvin Coolidge
Served: 1923–1929
Succeeded Harding and won the 1924 election.
Herbert Hoover
Served: 1929–1933
In office at the start of the Great Depression.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Served: 1933–1945
Led through the Great Depression and World War II; the only president elected four times.
Harry S. Truman
Served: 1945–1953
Succeeded Roosevelt and ordered the use of atomic bombs on Japan in 1945.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Served: 1953–1961
Supreme Allied Commander in Europe in World War II; served two terms.
John F. Kennedy
Served: 1961–1963
Assassinated on 22 November 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Served: 1963–1969
Succeeded Kennedy and signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Richard Nixon
Served: 1969–1974
Resigned on 9 August 1974.
Gerald Ford
Served: 1974–1977
Became president after Nixon's resignation; the only person to serve as president without being elected as president or vice president.
Jimmy Carter
Served: 1977–1981
Served one term.
Ronald Reagan
Served: 1981–1989
Served two terms.
George H. W. Bush
Served: 1989–1993
Former vice president who served one term.
Bill Clinton
Served: 1993–2001
Served two terms; impeached by the House in 1998 and acquitted by the Senate in 1999.
George W. Bush
Served: 2001–2009
Served two terms; president during the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Barack Obama
Served: 2009–2017
First Black president; signed the Affordable Care Act.
Donald Trump
Served: 2017–2021, 2025–present
Served a first term, then returned to office on 20 January 2025.
Joe Biden
Served: 2021–2025
Served one term between Trump's two.
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Frequently asked questions about the presidents of United States
Who is the current president of United States?
The current head of state of United States is Donald Trump, in office since 2025.
Who were the previous presidents of United States?
The presidents and heads of state of United States listed on this page, in order, are: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden.
Who was the first president of United States?
George Washington was the first president of United States, in office 1789–1797.
Sources: Wikipedia, List of presidents of the United States; presidentsusa.net; White House and National Archives lists (checked Nov 2026). Forty-five individuals have served in 47 presidencies; Cleveland and Trump each served two non-consecutive terms.. Last reviewed November 2026.