The Oldest President of the U.S. Is a Repeat Record-holder

The previous record holder was former president Joe Biden. The former senator of Delaware also served as vice president for two consecutive terms of the Obama administration between 2009 and 2017.

Before Biden was sworn in, President Trump held the record when he was sworn in for his first term in 2017 at the age of 74.

Leading the nation is a difficult task that results in unique timelines. Therefore, the following list of the oldest U.S. Presidents will be based on their ages when they left office instead of their age during the first day of their presidential election.

1. Ronald Reagan (73 Years, 11 Months)

Before Biden and Trump, the oldest president to be inaugurated was Ronald Reagan, who was just shy of 74 years on his second inauguration day in 1984.

This Californian Republican nominee and former actor took office during the Lebanese hostage crisis, following the inaction of the previous administration. Although beloved by conservatives, Reagan's back-to-back terms were marred with controversy.

Reagan's administration supplied weapons to both sides of the Iran-Iraq War, illegally supported Nicaraguan Contras rebels, supported South African Apartheid policies and developed a failing "trickle-down" economic scheme with effects that still linger today.

2. Dwight D. Eisenhower (70 Years)

Dwight D. Eisenhower, at the end of his second term in 1961, was the first president to be over 70 years old. During his two terms, the former World War II general upheld one of few examples of proper executive privilege as he continued New Deal policies and put an end to anti-communist "McCarthyism."

3. Andrew Jackson (69 Years, 11 Months)

The seventh president, better known by his nickname "Old Hickory" and the face of the 20-dollar bill, left office at age 69. Jackson is remembered for developing the foundation of the Democratic Party but then went on to mandate harsh racial policies against Black slaves and displaced Indigenous Americans.

4. James Buchanan (69 Years, 10 Months)

President Buchanan was elected in 1856, winning the job over John C. Fremont and Millard Fillmore. His most notable contribution to history is his intervention to ensure the Supreme Court's racist ruling on the pro-slavery decision of the Dredd-Scott case in 1857.

5. Harry S. Truman (68 Years, 8 Months)

Following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (fifth cousin of former President Theodore Roosevelt), Harry S. Truman took the stage in the final days of World War II.

His decision to drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have been the final nail in the coffin of the already-surrendering Japan, but it showcased American military might before the establishment of the United Nations.

6. George H.W. Bush (68 Years, 7 Months)

George H.W. Bush was a vice president and CIA director before he was elected to the Oval Office in 1989. During his one term, Bush oversaw the country during monumental historic transitions, including the fall of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Persian Gulf War.

7. William Henry Harrison (68 Years)

The ninth President of the United States is best known for holding the record for the shortest time in office. Roughly a month after his inauguration in March 1841, Harrison succumbed to a common cold and died.

8. James Monroe (66 Years)

James Monroe left office at the age of 66 after two terms. Between 1817 and 1825, President Monroe pushed through both slavery and expansion legislation, including the Monroe Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise and the Annexation of Florida.

Visit the White House Historical Association to learn more about every U.S. president and his impact on government and policy. The site goes into great detail on presidential history and the story of the iconic building they lived in.