Honestly, if you try to name every single US president in order at a dinner party, you’re probably going to hit a wall somewhere around Millard Fillmore. Don't feel bad. Most people do. We talk about the "Founding Fathers" or the "Great Emancipator," but the actual list of who are the presidents of the United States is a lot messier, more human, and frankly, more bizarre than the history books usually let on.
As of early 2026, we are looking at a very specific historical milestone. We have had 45 different men serve in the office, but the "official" count says we are on the 47th presidency. Why the math doesn't add up? Blame Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump. Cleveland served as the 22nd and 24th president (he’s the only one to lose an election and then come back for a second non-consecutive term... well, until recently). Donald Trump is now both the 45th and the 47th.
It’s a weird quirk of American history. One person, two numbers.
The Current State of the Union in 2026
Right now, Donald Trump is serving as the 47th President of the United States. He took the oath of office for the second time on January 20, 2025. It’s a setup that has completely reframed how we look at presidential legacies. Usually, a president’s story is a straight line—they win, they serve, they leave. This "interrupted" timeline is something we haven't dealt with since the late 1800s.
Before this current term, we had Joe Biden (the 46th), who navigated the post-pandemic era and significant global shifts. But the office itself? It’s way bigger than just whoever is sitting in the Oval Office today. It’s a continuous thread that started back in 1789 with a guy who didn't even want the job all that much.
The Heavy Hitters You Actually Know
When people ask "who are the presidents of the United States," they usually mean the faces on the money.
- George Washington: The guy who set the "two-term" rule that everyone followed until FDR broke it (and then they made it a law so nobody could break it again).
- Abraham Lincoln: Saved the Union, ended slavery, and somehow managed to keep his sanity while the country literally tore itself apart.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: The only person to win four elections. He saw the US through the Great Depression and World War II. He basically built the modern version of the presidency.
The Ones History Sorta Forgot
Kinda wild how we just skip over entire decades of leaders. There’s a whole string of "bearded presidents" in the late 19th century—guys like Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur. If you asked the average person what Chester A. Arthur did, they'd probably guess he invented a brand of sneakers.
🔗 Read more: When Does Joe Biden's Term End: What Actually Happened
Actually, Arthur was a "machine politician" who surprised everyone by becoming a champion of civil service reform. He proved that sometimes the office changes the man.
Then you have the "tragic" ones. William Henry Harrison gave a two-hour inauguration speech in the freezing rain without a coat, caught pneumonia, and died 31 days later. Shortest term ever. Then there’s Zachary Taylor, who supposedly died from eating too many cherries and iced milk at a July 4th celebration. The presidency is a dangerous gig, and not always for the reasons you'd think.
What People Get Wrong About the Job
There’s this massive misconception that the President is a king who can just "fix" everything with a signature.
They can't.
The U.S. government is built on friction. The Founders—Madison, Hamilton, and that crowd—were terrified of a single person having too much power. So, they gave the President the "Veto" power, but they also gave Congress the power of the purse. If the President wants to build a giant monument to themselves, they still have to beg Congress for the cash.
Most "great" presidents weren't actually liked while they were in office. Lincoln was hated by a huge chunk of the North, not just the South. Harry Truman left office with some of the lowest approval ratings in history, yet today, historians rank him as one of the best for his "The Buck Stops Here" attitude and his handling of the post-WWII world.
💡 You might also like: Fire in Idyllwild California: What Most People Get Wrong
The Evolution of "The President"
The role has changed a ton. In the beginning, the President was mostly a figurehead for foreign policy. Domestically, Congress ran the show. But over time—especially after the Civil War and the World Wars—the power shifted.
- The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt realized that because everyone listens to the President, he could use that "pulpit" to force change, even if he didn't have the legal authority to do it.
- The TV Era: John F. Kennedy changed the game. Suddenly, how you looked on camera mattered as much as what you said.
- The Digital Age: From Obama’s grassroots social media campaigns to Trump’s direct-to-the-people communication style, the way we interact with the "Commander in Chief" is now 24/7.
Who Are the Presidents of the United States? (The Full List)
If you're looking for the actual roster, here is how the timeline breaks down. It's not just a list of names; it's the story of the country's growth, from 13 colonies to a global superpower.
The Founding Era
George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe. These guys were the architects. They were figuring it out as they went.
The Sectional Crisis & Civil War
This is where it gets rocky. John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson (the first real "populist"), Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan. Buchanan is often called the worst because he basically sat on his hands while the Civil War started. Then, Lincoln.
The Reconstruction & Gilded Age
Andrew Johnson (who was impeached), Ulysses S. Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Cleveland again.
The Progressive & World War Era
William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft (who later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court!), Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and FDR.
📖 Related: Who Is More Likely to Win the Election 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
The Cold War & Modern Era
Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon (the only one to resign), Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and back to Donald Trump.
Why This Matters to You Today
Knowing who these people were helps you spot patterns. History doesn't repeat, but it definitely rhymes. When you see a modern president struggling with a divided Congress, you can look back at Andrew Johnson or Harry Truman and realize we’ve been here before.
The presidency is a mirror of the American people at any given moment. Sometimes we want a hero, sometimes we want a "boring" administrator, and sometimes we want a disruptor.
Actionable Insights for the History-Curious
If you want to actually understand the presidency beyond just memorizing names, here’s how to do it:
- Visit the Libraries: Every president since Hoover has a dedicated Presidential Library. They aren't just dusty book rooms; they are massive museums filled with the actual documents and artifacts from their time.
- Read the "Opposing" Biographies: Don't just read a book about why Reagan was great or why FDR was a genius. Read the critiques. Real history lives in the gray areas.
- Follow the Money: Look at the economic state of the country when each president took office versus when they left. It tells a much more honest story than their speeches do.
- Check the National Archives: You can actually view digitized versions of executive orders and private letters online. Seeing a president's actual handwriting makes the whole thing feel a lot more real.
The list of who are the presidents of the United States is still being written. Whether you're a fan of the current administration or a critic, you're watching a new chapter of a very old, very strange story.
To deepen your understanding, start by picking one "obscure" president—like James K. Polk or James Garfield—and spend 20 minutes looking into why their short time in office actually changed the map of the country. You'll be surprised at how much of our current world was decided by people whose names we barely remember.