Becoming president of the United States comes with more pressure and scrutiny than any other job in the world. Every decision you make affects the rest of the population, regardless of where they live. It’s commonly believed that the older you are, the wiser you become. This is one of the reasons the minimum age for presidential candidates is 35.
By the age of 35, you’ve developed as a person, you know what you believe in, and you’ve hopefully experienced enough diversity to show compassion to everyone. The older you get, the more mature you are when it comes to something as serious as running the country. As of 2024, the bulk of the people leading the United States are far older than the age rule in the Constitution.
The oldest president in the history of the United States happens to be the one currently in office – Joe Biden. The second oldest president is the man Biden replaced… Donald Trump. Younger people in the United States are pushing for candidates who aren’t as old as these gentlemen to take over.
There’s a fine balance between having enough experience and energy to understand what’s going on actively in the United States and world. Something else most presidents once had was military experience. For more on the 12 presidents who were generals, click here.
To compile the list of oldest U.S. Presidents, 24/7 Tempo reviewed several governmental sources. These include U.S. News & World, WhiteHouse.gov, and The Hill.
Joe Biden
- Time in office: 4 years as of February 2024
- Date of birth: November 20, 1942
- Age assumed office: 78 years old
The oldest president in United States history is Joe Biden. Before becoming president, Biden worked in politics his entire career. He was Barack Obama’s vice president during his time in office. At the time of the 2024 election, Biden will be 82 years old. Odds are, Biden will have to face Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Many voters believe it’ll be interesting to see how the nation looks when it comes to the next leader of the United States.
Donald Trump
- Time in office: 4 years
- Date of birth: June 14, 1946
- Age assumed office: 70 years old
Arguably the most controversial president in the history of the United States was Donald Trump. Unlike plenty of middle of the road leaders, you either passionately love him or hate him with all your might. This level of divide is one of the reasons Trump likely wasn’t elected for a second term after his first was over. Trump made his intentions of running again in 2024 clear. If he wins, he will be 78 when he takes office.
Ronald Reagan
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: February 16, 1911
- Age assumed office: 69 years old
Donald Trump wasn’t the first celebrity to run for office. Before he became president, Ronald Reagan was a movie star. The 40th president grew up in a small town in Illinois, giving him strong roots to look back on. His theory on economics has been studied by professionals ever since he left office. He’s been touted as one of the most beloved presidents ever. The T-shirts with his name on it from the 1980s have become somewhat of a fashion statement.
William Henry Harrison
- Time in office: 1 month
- Date of birth: February 9, 1773
- Age assumed office: 68 years old
The president who served the shortest time in office was William Henry Harrison. Due to the physical and mental strain running for president had on him, Harrison suffered from serious health problems. He walked through town in the cold and rain, which made him sick. One month to the day after taking office, Harrison passed away. He undoubtedly had big plans for the nation when he was elected at 68 years old. John Tyler took the job and ran with it immediately.
James Buchanan
- Time in office: 4 years
- Date of birth: April 23, 1791
- Age assumed office: 65 years old
Before becoming president at age 65, James Buchanan spent time working in politics. He wanted the federal government to have less say in what states do. Buchanan also dealt with repercussions from the War of 1812, when England tried to invade the United States and take them back. The reason they failed was because of a hurricane that hit them and took their troops out. Buchanan is remembered as defending against England again.
George H. W. Bush
- Time in office: 4 years
- Date of birth: June 12, 1924
- Age assumed office: 64 years old
The person who had to take over for the popular Ronald Reagan had big shoes to fill, and that was George H. W. Bush at 64 years old. He tried to do what he could during his time in office for a second term, but he couldn’t make it happen. Bush is known best for guiding the nation through the end of the Cold War. However, years later, his son (George W. Bush) got to fulfill that role and completed eight years as president.
Zachary Taylor
- Time in office: 1 year, 2 months
- Date of birth: November 24, 1784
- Age assumed office: 64 years old
Another president to die while in office was Zachary Taylor. The worst part about his death is that it could have and should have been avoided. Taylor began to feel sick after a July party and passed away on July 9th. There are theories surrounding his death that he might have been killed by people who were pro slavery, which Taylor was against.
Federal agencies, independent investigators, and many other people have done deep research into his death. Part of why it’s so fascinating to history buffs is that it feels like it shouldn’t have happened.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: October 14, 1890
- Age assumed office: 62 years old
Few presidents have accomplished as much as Dwight D. Eisenhower. His biggest successes were helping to integrate schools and creating NASA. The original plan for NASA was to explore the ocean, but they quickly pivoted and moved their attention to space. Part of the motivation was trying to be the first nation to get to the moon. Eisenhower also created the Interstate system, which connected America together. There’s no doubt he would’ve kept getting elected with all he accomplished in his time.
Andrew Jackson
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: March 15, 1767
- Age assumed office: 61 years old
Another controversial president in American history happens to be Andrew Jackson. He took office at 61 years old. While the other leaders before him mistreated Native Americans and other minorities, Jackson took it to the extreme. He helped the United States grow in land area, but his methods aren’t what Americans wish them to have been. History buffs who reflect on his methods now label him as callous and heartless for his treatment of Indigenous human beings.
John Adams
circa 1800: Portrait of John Adams (1735-1826), second President of the United States, who served in office from 1797 to 1801. Adams, from Massachusetts, played a pivotal role in negotiating a peace treaty with England in 1783. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
- Time in office: 4 years
- Date of birth: October 30, 1735
- Age assumed office: 61 years old
Following George Washington as leader of our nation isn’t a simple task many people dream of. After all, it’s hard to follow the first act. John Adams did what he could and had the support and mentorship of Washington. Unlike Washington, Adams was voted out after only four years. Adams is still known and respected for helping start the United States after getting elected at 61 years old.
Gerald Ford
- Time in office: 2 years and six months
- Date of birth: July 14, 1913
- Age assumed office: 61 years old
Cleaning up the mess Richard Nixon so publicly made wasn’t going to be an easy feat for anyone. Gerald Ford, Nixon’s running mate, was tasked with doing so. While he wasn’t impeached, Nixon left a bad taste in the nation’s mouth with the Watergate Scandal. Ford did what he could for two and a half years, but that’s as long as he was in office for as the country’s 38th president.
Harry S. Truman
- Time in office: 7 years and eight months
- Date of birth: May 8, 1884
- Age assumed office: 60 years old
Another president who stepped up and took over after the death of someone else was Harry Truman. He followed Franklin Roosevelt, who served as the longest tenured president in history. The American people seemed to like and respect Truman as well. He got elected into office again after he took over. He was 60 years old when he was first sworn in.
James Monroe
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: April 28, 1758
- Age assumed office: 58 years old
The last official Founding Father to serve as president was James Monroe. After becoming president at the age of 58, Monroe helped guide the nation with the Louisiana Purchase. This helped the size of the country double, giving America more land to harvest crops and area to live.
James Madison
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: March 16, 1751
- Age assumed office: 57 years old
James Madison rose quickly in popularity among U.S. citizens since he was the one who helped write the Constitution. This document is still around today. It’s heavily considered what our country runs its principles on. Being the one who wrote this document helped Madison remain in office for eight years.
Thomas Jefferson
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: April 13, 1743
- Age assumed office: 57 years old
Not many names ring as famous in United States history like Thomas Jefferson’s. He led America in the Revolutionary War, oversaw the formation of the government, and offered countless other benefits to America as a new country. Jefferson was the first secretary of state and he was also an ambassador to France.
America needed to start off on the right foot with other nations, since they were so new, which Jefferson assisted with. When he eventually could, he ran for president. It’s a title he kept for eight years.
John Quincy Adams
- Time in office: 4 years
- Date of birth: July 11, 1767
- Age assumed office: 57 years old
Ironically, the first two presidents to only serve four years were both named John Adams. John Quincy Adams (the second one) got his start after being the secretary of state. Adams had huge shoes to fill, since all the presidents before him were beloved Founding Fathers. He was elected at 57 years old.
George Washington
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: February 22, 1732
- Age assumed office: 57 years old
Is there anyone more noteworthy in the history of the United States than George Washington? While society comfortably looks back on him a certain way, nobody knew how the revolution was going to go. It could have gone poorly and Washington would’ve had to take the blame.
One of the most important things Washington did was immediately have a plan of what to do once America wasn’t under control anymore. The nation could have quickly fallen apart without the plans Washington and the other Founding Fathers had. Without Washington, the world simply wouldn’t look how it does today.
Andrew Johnson
- Time in office: 4 years
- Date of birth: December 29, 1808
- Age assumed office: 56 years old
Following Abraham Lincoln wasn’t going to be an easy task for Andrew Johnson. There was a target on his back the second he stepped up at 56 years old. He constantly had to look over his shoulder since his former president was shot. Johnson did well in office for someone stepping into such big shoes.
Woodrow Wilson
- Time in office: 8 years
- Date of birth: December 28, 1856
- Age assumed office: 56 years old
Being the person who helped create the international League of Nations is one of the reasons Woodrow Wilson is remembered as fondly as he is. At 56 years old, he was officially sworn into office. Wilson also was one of the people who helped change the economic policies of the United States. He was also the first person from the South to win a presidential election since 1848.
Richard Nixon
- Time in office: 5 years, 8 months
- Date of birth: January 9, 1913
- Age assumed office: 56 years old
Richard Nixon was almost the first and only president to be fully impeached for political reasons. While he was a good president, he will always be overshadowed by the Watergate scandal. To ensure he’d win his second term, it’s believed Nixon taped wires at the Democratic war room.
This wasn’t found out until a year after the second term win. Rather than go through the judicial process, Nixon just stepped down from the position. He wanted to save face and avoid being remembered for being kicked out. For more presidential coverage, click here for the 35 best fictional presidents in movies and TV.