America's 10 Tallest and Shortest Presidents

When it comes to getting elected president of the United States, height is a bigger factor than you may think. The average height of the men who held the nation's highest office is 5 feet 10 inches—roughly an inch taller than the average American male. That number seems to suggest the country's voters prefer a slightly taller-than-average president, but there have been plenty of outliers over the decades.

According to Business Insider, America's tallest president has held that title for more than 150 years. Abraham Lincoln stood 6 feet and 4 inches tall, and that was before he donned his iconic 7-to-8-inch top hat. His stature was especially impressive during the Civil War, when the average height of the soldiers was around 5.64 inches.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is James Madison. The fourth president measured a full foot shorter than Lincoln at 5 feet 4 inches. He was also the only president that (to our knowledge) was shorter than his first lady. Dolly Madison stood three inches over her husband at 5 feet 7 inches.

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You can view the lists of the shortest and tallest presidents below, and when you're done, check out more odd facts about America's commanders-in-chief.

America's 10 Tallest Presidents

1. Abraham Lincoln


2. Lyndon B. Johnson


3. Thomas Jefferson


4. Donald Trump


5. George Washington


6. Chester A. Arthur


7. Franklin D. Roosevelt


8. George H.W. Bush


9. Bill Clinton


10. Andrew Jackson

America's 10 Shortest Presidents

1. James Madison


2. Benjamin Harrison


3. Martin Van Buren


4. William McKinley


5. John Adams


6. John Quincy Adams


7. Ulysses S. Grant


8. Zachary Taylor


9. James K. Polk


10. William Henry Harrison