All the U.S. Presidents, in Order of How Long They Served
The length of a U.S. president’s term can vary widely; many have served for two full terms while others’ time in office was cut short by circumstance or tragedy. From the shortest term of just one month, held by William Henry Harrison, to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented 12 years in office, each presidency reflects the challenges of its era. This list of how long every U.S. president spent in office offers a unique view of the continuity and change in American leadership.
More Than Two Terms
Only one U.S. president has ever served for more than two full terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unique tenure was driven by the extraordinary challenges of his time. Elected initially in 1932, Roosevelt led the country through the Great Depression, implementing the ambitious economic and social reforms known as the New Deal to address widespread poverty and unemployment. He ran for reelection in 1936 and won in a landslide victory as the public continued to support his efforts to address the economic crisis. In 1940, with World War II looming, he successfully ran for a third term. He was reelected yet again in 1944 with the country at war, though he died less than three months after being inaugurated for his fourth term. The 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951, limiting future presidents to two terms, effectively preventing any future leader from serving as long as FDR did.
– Franklin D. Roosevelt: 12 years, 1 month (4,422 days)
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Two Full Terms
The following presidents served two full terms, each holding office for eight years. Before the 22nd Amendment formally established term limits for the role, most presidents chose to follow the precedent set by George Washington, who stepped down voluntarily after two terms to uphold democratic principles. Between 1796 and 1940, only four two-term presidents attempted to pursue a third term — Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt — but they were unsuccessful in gaining their party’s support.
- Thomas Jefferson: 8 years (2,922 days)
- James Madison: 8 years (2,922 days)
- James Monroe: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Andrew Jackson: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Ulysses S. Grant: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Grover Cleveland: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Woodrow Wilson: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Ronald Reagan: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Bill Clinton: 8 years (2,922 days)
- George W. Bush: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Barack Obama: 8 years (2,922 days)
- George Washington: 8 years (2,865 days)
More Than One Term
Some presidents served more than four years, but did not complete two full terms due to a variety of circumstances. Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley were assassinated during their second terms, while Harry S. Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Lyndon B. Johnson initially assumed the presidency midterm after the deaths of their predecessors, and were later elected to another term. Richard Nixon, on the other hand, resigned during his second term amid the Watergate scandal, making him the only president to voluntarily step down from office.
- Harry S. Truman: 7 years, 9 months (2,840 days)
- Theodore Roosevelt: 7 years, 5 months (2,728 days)
- Calvin Coolidge: 5 years, 7 months (2,041 days)
- Richard Nixon: 5 years, 6 months (2,027 days)
- Lyndon B. Johnson: 5 years, 2 months (1,886 days)
- William McKinley: 4 years, 6 months (1,654 days)
- Abraham Lincoln: 4 years, 1 month (1,503 days)
One Full Term
These presidents completed a single four-year term in office, but did not serve a second term, whether by choice or defeat. Their time in office was often marked by the political challenges of those four years, or they faced strong opposition to their reelection bids. Some presidents, such as John Quincy Adams, who served nine terms in Congress after his presidency, and Jimmy Carter, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to humanitarian work, are remembered for their post-presidential contributions as much as their time in the Oval Office. For each of these one-term presidents, the brevity of their tenure left a distinct mark, highlighting the unpredictable nature of American politics.
- John Quincy Adams: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Martin Van Buren: 4 years (1,461 days)
- James K. Polk: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Franklin Pierce: 4 years (1,461 days)
- James Buchanan: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Rutherford B. Hayes: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Benjamin Harrison: 4 years (1,461 days)
- William Howard Taft: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Herbert Hoover: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Jimmy Carter: 4 years (1,461 days)
- George H.W. Bush: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Donald Trump: 4 years (1,461 days; will begin a second, nonconsecutive term in January 2025)
- John Adams: 4 years (1,460 days)
- Joe Biden: 4 years (currently serving; will be 1,461 days at the end of term)
Less Than One Term
These presidents served less than a full term due to a range of circumstances, including assassination, fatal illness, resignation, or unsuccessful efforts to secure their own term after assuming office following the death or resignation of their predecessor. Despite their brief service, they all made notable contributions during their time in office, and those who stepped in for a predecessor helped maintain the stability and continuity of the nation’s leadership during times of sudden transition.
- John Tyler: 3 years, 11 months (1,430 days)
- Andrew Johnson: 3 years, 10 months (1,419 days)
- Chester A. Arthur: 3 years, 5 months (1,262 days)
- John F. Kennedy: 2 years, 10 months (1,036 days)
- Millard Fillmore: 2 years, 7 months (969 days)
- Gerald Ford: 2 years, 5 months (895 days)
- Warren G. Harding: 2 years, 4 months (881 days)
- Zachary Taylor: 1 year, 4 months (492 days)
- James A. Garfield: 6 months, 15 days (199 days)
- William Henry Harrison: 1 month (31 days)
