How Old Is The Oldest President

Let’s talk about presidents. Not their politics, but their age. Specifically, how old is the oldest one ever?

Spoiler alert: it’s not who you think. And the answer is wildly specific.

Meet the champ: Joe Biden

Right now, the oldest sitting president in U.S. history is Joe Biden. He took the oath at 78, but he’s still going strong at 81 (as of 2024).

That’s not just old. That’s record-breaking old. No one has ever been this ancient while holding the office.

But wait—was he the oldest at inauguration? Yes. And he keeps getting older every single day. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.

The runner-up: Donald Trump

Before Biden, the record belonged to Donald Trump. He was 70 years and 220 days old on Inauguration Day in 2017.

That’s a very specific number. 220 days. Why not 221? Because math is quirky like that.

Trump was the oldest until Biden came along. Now he’s just the second oldest. Sorry, Don—records are meant to be broken.

But what about the oldest ever to serve?

That’s a slightly different question. If we’re talking about age during office, not just at the start, Biden is the winner. But there’s a catch.

Ronald Reagan was 77 when he left office in 1989. That was the record for decades. He was also famously forgetful (or just charmingly confused?).

Oldest US president: how old are Joe Biden and Donald Trump?

But Biden has blown past Reagan’s exit age. He’s now 81—and still president. That means he’s the oldest human to ever hold the title.

Fun fact: the youngest ever was... a baby?

Okay, not literally a baby. But Theodore Roosevelt became president at 42 after McKinley was assassinated. That’s practically a teenager in presidential years.

John F. Kennedy was 43. Bill Clinton was 46. Barack Obama was 47. Compare that to Biden’s 78—it’s like a generational time warp.

So the oldest president is almost twice the age of the youngest. That’s a lot of birthday candles.

Why does age even matter?

Because we’re all curious about endurance. Can a 80-year-old handle the stress of nuclear codes and Twitter fights?

History says yes—but with a caveat. Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office at 63. That’s younger than Biden is now. So health is the real wild card.

Also, aging is funny. Your bones creak. You nap more. But you also have wisdom—or at least, more stories to tell.

Biden to become oldest US president ever at inauguration - Moneyweb

The global picture: other countries laugh

America’s obsession with old presidents is kind of weird. Many countries have much younger leaders.

For example, Finland’s president Sanna Marin was 34 when she took office. That’s a 47-year gap with Biden. Imagine a college student running the country.

But the U.S. has no age limit for the top job. You just have to be 35 or older. So technically, a 110-year-old could win. Imagine the campaign ads: “I’ve been alive since the steam engine.”

The real answer: it keeps changing

The oldest president right now is Biden. But if he lives to 85, he’ll be even older. And if he runs again in 2024 (he is), he’ll break his own record.

But here’s the twist: Jimmy Carter is still alive at 99. He was president in the 1970s. He’s currently the oldest living ex-president in history.

So Carter is older than Biden—but he’s not in office. Does that count? Technically, no. But it’s still a fun trivia fact to drop at parties.

What if we go back in time?

The very first president, George Washington, was 57 when he took office. That’s 21 years younger than Biden. He also had wooden teeth (NOT true, but a great myth).

An interesting infographic

Thomas Jefferson was 57 too. Andrew Jackson was 61. The founding dads were old, but not this old.

Back then, average life expectancy was around 40. So Washington was a super-senior for his era. Imagine how tired he must have been.

Why this is just plain fun

Presidential ages are like a time capsule of health, ambition, and luck. Biden represents modern medicine—he’s still active at an age when most people are in rocking chairs.

But also, it’s hilarious to imagine a 90-year-old president. Would they use a walker? Would they forget their own cabinet members’ names? Would they shout “Get off my lawn” at world leaders?

Probably yes. And that’s the beauty of it. Age is just a number—unless you’re president of the United States. Then it’s a national conversation.

So, how old is the oldest president?

As of today: Joe Biden, 81 years old. But check back tomorrow. He’ll be 81 and one day older.

The record is alive—and it’s aging in real-time. That’s the funniest part. We’re all watching history get older every second.

Next time someone asks, just say: “It depends on when you ask me. But right now, it’s Biden. And he’s not getting any younger—which is the whole point.”