If you’re standing in a trivia bar or helping a fifth-grader with their homework, you probably want a quick number. You want to shout out a digit and move on with your life. But honestly, when people ask how many presidents have we had in america, they usually run into a bit of a counting glitch.
We are currently on our 47th presidency. However, we haven’t actually had 47 different human beings serve as Commander in Chief. It’s a quirk of history that trips up almost everyone, from casual history buffs to dedicated political junkies.
The discrepancy comes down to one man: Grover Cleveland.
Because Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms—winning in 1884, losing in 1888, and then roaring back to win again in 1892—he is officially counted as both the 22nd and 24th president. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. If you count the actual individuals who have taken the oath of office, the number is 46. But if you’re looking for the official sequence that leads us to the current administration of Donald Trump, the number is 47.
Why the math gets weird for most people
Most of us assume that one person equals one number. That’s how counting usually works, right? But the State Department and the White House Historical Association use a chronological numbering system. Every time an inauguration happens for a "new" term that isn't a direct continuation of the previous one by the same person, the count moves forward.
Think about it this way. If you leave a job and come back four years later, you're the same guy, but it's a different stint.
This brings us to a total of 46 individuals. If you ever find yourself in a high-stakes debate about how many presidents have we had in america, you have to specify if you mean "people" or "presidencies." It's a nuance that separates the experts from the people who just skimmed a Wikipedia page.
The guys before George Washington
Wait. You might have heard whispers that George Washington wasn't actually the first.
Technically, if we are looking at the period under the Articles of Confederation, there were several "Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled." John Hanson is the name that usually gets tossed around as the "real" first president.
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But let’s be real.
Hanson and his peers didn't have executive power. They were more like glorified presiding officers or moderators of a very messy committee. They couldn't command an army or veto a bill. When we talk about the American presidency as we know it today—defined by Article II of the Constitution—Washington is the undisputed starting point. He set the tone. He decided that "Mr. President" sounded better than "His Mightiness" or "His Highness."
We’ve had 46 people hold that specific, constitutional power.
The tragic side of the tally
The list isn't just a record of elections; it’s a record of survival. Out of the men who have held the office, eight died while serving. Four were assassinated (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, JFK) and four died of natural causes (Harrison, Taylor, Harding, FDR).
William Henry Harrison has a special place in the "how many" conversation because he barely counts in terms of impact. He gave a massive, two-hour-long inaugural address in the freezing rain without a coat. He died 31 days later.
Then you have the "accidental" presidents. These are the Vice Presidents who were thrust into the role because of a death or resignation. John Tyler was the first. People actually called him "His Accidency." They weren't sure if he was actually the President or just an "Acting President." He settled the debate by simply taking the oath and moving into the White House, setting a precedent that remained until the 25th Amendment eventually codified the whole process in 1967.
Breaking down the list by the numbers
If you look at the broad sweep of history, the frequency of turnover has changed. In the early days, two-term presidencies were the goal. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe all served eight years. It gave the young country a sense of terrifyingly necessary stability.
Then came a period of chaos.
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Between Jackson and Lincoln, the White House was basically a revolving door. Nobody could get re-elected. The country was tearing itself apart over slavery, and the presidency reflected that instability.
- Total Presidencies: 47
- Actual Individuals: 46
- Died in Office: 8
- Resigned: 1 (Richard Nixon)
- Served two non-consecutive terms: 1 (Grover Cleveland)
The 2024 Election and the Jump to 47
The most recent shift in the count happened because of the 2024 election. When Donald Trump won his second term after being out of office for four years, he became only the second person in U.S. history to pull off the "Cleveland Maneuver."
This is exactly why the number jumped from 46 to 47 without a new person entering the fray.
Joe Biden was the 46th president. Since Donald Trump had already been the 45th, his return to power makes him the 47th as well. It’s a weird quirk of the American system that we are seeing play out in real-time. For a long time, the Cleveland situation was considered a historical fluke that would never happen again.
Apparently, history likes to repeat its most confusing parts.
Common misconceptions about the count
A lot of people think that if a President is impeached, they are removed from the count. That’s not how it works. Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump were all impeached, but they stayed in office (because they weren't convicted by the Senate) and their place in the numerical order remains unchanged.
Another common error involves the Vice Presidents who finished a term but never won one of their own. Gerald Ford is the ultimate example here. He was never elected President or Vice President by the Electoral College. He was appointed VP when Spiro Agnew resigned, then became President when Nixon resigned. Even though he didn't win a national election, he is still the 38th President.
The count is about the office held, not the votes won.
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The length of service matters too
When we ask how many presidents have we had in america, we sometimes forget that the "how long" varies wildly. Franklin D. Roosevelt is the reason we have term limits today. He won four elections. He served over 12 years.
If he hadn't died in office, he might have stayed even longer.
After FDR, the 22nd Amendment was passed, meaning no one can be elected more than twice. This effectively caps the number of future "presidencies" a single person can hold, though as we've seen with the 47th, they don't have to be back-to-back.
How to remember the current count
If you want to stay updated, the best way is to remember the "Cleveland Gap."
- Take the current number (47).
- Subtract 1 for Grover Cleveland's double count.
- The result (46) is the number of actual human beings who have been president.
It’s a simple formula, but it makes you look like a genius at parties.
Actionable insights for history buffs
If you're interested in the lineage of the American presidency, don't just stop at the number. The "how many" is just the surface. To really understand the evolution of the office, you should look into the transition periods.
- Visit the National Portrait Gallery: They have the "America's Presidents" exhibit, which is the only place outside the White House where you can see portraits of every single person who held the office. It puts a face to the numbers.
- Read "The President is Dead" by Brady Carlson: This book is a fascinating look at the deaths and legacies of the presidents, explaining why some are remembered and others are just a number in a sequence.
- Check the 25th Amendment: If you want to understand how the count stays orderly during a crisis, read up on how power is transferred when a president is incapacitated.
The number will eventually hit 48, 49, and 50. Whether those will be new people or more non-consecutive repeats remains to be seen. For now, the answer to how many presidents have we had in america is 47 presidencies, held by 46 different people. Keep that Cleveland trivia in your back pocket; it's the only way to get the answer right every time.