Length of Marriage at Inauguration

  • William Henry Harrison and his wife, Anna, had been married the longest when he was sworn-in at 45 years, 102 days.
  • John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, had been married for the shortest period when he was inaugurated at 7 years 130 days, unless you count...
  • ...Grover Cleveland and his wife, Frances, who married during his first term. For his second of two non-consecutive inaugurations they had been married for 6 years 275 days.
  • Four presidents were widowers when they took office.
  • John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson became widowers during their terms and remarried before leaving office.
  • Benjamin Harrison became a widower while in office and remarried after leaving office.
  • James Buchanan never married.

Rank#PresidentLength of Marriage at Inauguration
19William Henry Harrison45 years 134 days
241George H. W. Bush44 years 14 days
346Joe Biden43 years 217 days
412Zachary Taylor38 years 256 days
517Andrew Johnson37 years 334 days
634Dwight D. Eisenhower36 years 203 days
723Benjamin Harrison35 years 135 days
82John Adams32 years 130 days
95James Monroe31 years 16 days
1039Jimmy Carter30 years 197 days
111George Washington30 years 114 days
1231Herbert Hoover30 years 22 days
1329Warren G. Harding29 years 239 days
1436Lyndon B. Johnson29 years 5 days
1540Ronald Reagan28 years 322 days
1637Richard M. Nixon28 years 213 days
1710John Tyler28 years 165 days
1832Franklin D. Roosevelt27 years 352 days
1928Woodrow Wilson27 years 253 days
206John Quincy Adams27 years 221 days
2125William McKinley26 years 38 days
2238Gerald R. Ford25 years 298 days
2333Harry S. Truman25 years 289 days
2413Millard Fillmore24 years 154 days
2519Rutherford B. Hayes24 years 64 days
2643George W. Bush23 years 76 days
2727William H. Taft22 years 258 days
2820James A. Garfield22 years 113 days
2911James K. Polk21 years 63 days
3018Ulysses S. Grant20 years 194 days
3116Abraham Lincoln18 years 120 days
3214Franklin Pierce18 years 105 days
3330Calvin Coolidge17 years 302 days
3442Bill Clinton17 years 101 days
3544Barack Obama16 years 110 days
3626Theodore Roosevelt14 years 286 days
374James Madison14 years 171 days
3845Donald J. Trump11 years 363 days
3935John F. Kennedy7 years 130 days
4024Grover Cleveland6 years 275 days
-3Thomas JeffersonWidowed
-7Andrew JacksonWidowed
-8Martin Van BurenWidowed
-21Chester A. ArthurWidowed
-15James BuchananUnmarried
-22Grover ClevelandUnmarried

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