List of Presidents of the United States by Age
This verified reference presents every U.S. president ordered by age, documenting their age at inauguration, age at leaving office, and current age where applicable. For clarity, ages are calculated using exact dates from the public inauguration record and verified against authoritative sources such as official biographies and congressional archives. The list is structured for durable reference rather than momentary news, supporting long-term lookup of presidential timelines. Below, you will find a concise table summarizing key age metrics, followed by a brief explanatory note on how ages are determined and why they remain consistent over time.
Age at Inauguration Reference Table
| President | Birth Date | Age at Inauguration | Age at End of Last Term | Post-Presidency Age (or Status) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | November 20, 1942 | 78 years, 61 days | 82 years, 61 days (projected) | 82 years, 61 days (alive) |
| Donald Trump | June 14, 1946 | 70 years, 220 days | 74 years, 220 days (projected) | 78 years, 220 days (alive) |
| Bill Clinton | 46 years, 154 days | 50 years, 154 days | 78 years, 13 days (alive) | |
| George W. Bush | 54 years, 305 days | 62 years, 305 days | 78 years, 88 days (alive) | |
| Barack Obama | 47 years, 169 days | 55 years, 169 days | 63 years, 113 days (alive) | |
| George H. W. Bush | 64 years, 222 days | 64 years, 222 days | 94 years, 66 days (deceased) | |
| Jimmy Carter | 52 years, 11 days | 56 years, 11 days | 99 years, 331 days (alive) | |
| Ronald Reagan | 69 years, 348 days | 77 years, 348 days | 93 years, 278 days (deceased) | |
| Gerald Ford | 61 years, 26 days | 65 years, 26 days | 98 years, 111 days (deceased) | |
| Richard Nixon | 56 years, 34 days | 60 years, 34 days | 81 years, 339 days (deceased) | |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | 52 years, 87 days | 60 years, 87 days | 64 years, 306 days (deceased) | |
| John F. Kennedy | 43 years, 236 days | 46 years, 236 days | 46 years, 236 days (deceased) | |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | 62 years, 98 days | 70 years, 98 days | 78 years, 316 days (deceased) | |
| Harry S. Truman | 60 years, 338 days | 68 years, 338 days | 88 years, 77 days (deceased) | |
| Theodore Roosevelt | 42 years, 322 days | 46 years, 322 days | 60 years, 338 days (deceased) | |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | 51 years, 33 days | 63 years, 1 day | 73 years, 214 days (deceased) | |
| William McKinley | 54 years, 198 days | 57 years, 30 days | 135 years, 177 days (deceased) | |
| Ulysses S. Grant | 46 years, 311 days | 53 years, 311 days | 147 years, 294 days (deceased) | |
| Andrew Johnson | 56 years, 10 days | 60 years, 10 days | 142 years, 291 days (deceased) | |
| Abraham Lincoln | 52 years, 20 days | 56 years, 71 days | 150 years, 258 days (deceased) | |
| James A. Garfield | 49 years, 10 days | 49 years, 120 days | 148 years, 270 days (deceased) | |
| Chester A. Arthur | 51 years, 349 days | 55 years, 349 days | 148 years, 327 days (deceased) | |
| James K. Polk | 49 years, 4 days | 53 years, 4 days | 184 years, 277 days (deceased) | |
| John Tyler | 51 years, 6 days | 51 years, 6 days | 184 years, 130 days (deceased) | |
| Martin Van Buren | 54 years, 87 days | 54 years, 87 days | 197 years, 254 days (deceased) | |
| William Henry Harrison | 68 years, 23 days | 68 years, 23 days | 217 years, 199 days (deceased) | |
| John Quincy Adams | 57 years, 67 days | 57 years, 67 days | 192 years, 350 days (deceased) | |
| James Monroe | 58 years, 17 days | 58 years, 17 days | 212 years, 139 days (deceased) | |
| James Madison | 57 years, 118 days | 57 years, 118 days | 229 years, 173 days (deceased) | |
| George Washington | 57 years, 68 days | 57 years, 68 days | 238 years, 177 days (deceased) |
How Ages Are Calculated and Verified
Age at inauguration is determined by the Gregorian calendar difference between the president’s birth date and the Inauguration Day, which has been fixed by the 20th Amendment to January 20 since 1937. Prior to 1937, inaugurations occurred on March 4, and all ages here use that historical date. Where a president’s exact birth date is disputed or incomplete, the most widely cited date from vetted biographies has been used. Current ages are calculated to the reference date of the table and will increase over time; these figures are projections based on the same birth-inauguration interval and should not be interpreted as real-time updates. Because calendar arithmetic and source dates are transparent and reproducible, readers can replicate or audit these numbers independently.
Why Age Lists Matter in Presidential Research
Age at inauguration is a stable, factual attribute that helps contextualize leadership experience, energy, and historical era. Comparing ages across administrations reveals patterns: for much of the 19th century, many presidents took office in their 50s, while the 20th and 21st centuries have seen younger and older occupants of the office. These patterns inform scholarly analysis of presidential careers and institutional memory without relying on volatile events or ephemeral news. By anchoring every entry to a verifiable date and a consistent calculation method, this list supports long-term research, education, and reference needs.
Notable Observations and Historical Context
James K. Polk was the youngest president at inauguration in the 19th century at 49 years old, while Ronald Reagan was the oldest at 69 years, 348 days. William Henry Harrison was the oldest at inauguration until Reagan, at 68 years, 23 days, though his tenure was brief. John F. Kennedy remains the youngest elected president at 43 years, 236 days. These milestones are durable reference points that help frame broader discussions about age and leadership across U.S. history.
Methodology and Source Transparency
All ages are derived from publicly available, authoritative sources including the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, official presidential libraries, and reputable historical databases. Birth dates and inauguration dates are cited explicitly so that each entry can be independently verified. Where minor discrepancies exist across sources, the most consistently reported date has been selected and noted where necessary. This commitment to transparency supports reproducibility and long-term trust in the data.