Who Are the Youngest Presidents Ever Elected?

When you think of any president in U.S. history, you’ll probably wind up picturing someone who would easily qualify for a senior discount at the movies.

If that’s the case, rest assured that you aren’t the only one who associates the Oval Office with gray hairs. A lot of people think recent presidents have been too old: A DOJ report released earlier this year indicated that 59 percent of Americans thought both of the leading presidential candidates at the time—then Donald Trump and Joe Biden—were too old to be running for office.

The median age for U.S. presidents on their inauguration day is 55 years old. But a number of men have actually been sworn in while they were quite a few years younger than that. Here’s a look at some of the youngest U.S. presidents.

The 10 Youngest Presidents in U.S. History

Interestingly, despite being slightly older than Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy was actually the youngest president ever to enter office by election. This is because TR’s first term began after the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley.

And even though the above presidents are on the younger end of the spectrum, you won’t find any spring chickens on the list. Here’s why.

Why do presidents have to be at least 35 years old?

Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution states that all presidents must be at least 35 years old. Nowadays, people who celebrate that birthday are just entering early middle age. But the average lifespan was a lot shorter in the 1700s, so 35 wasn’t all that “young” back then.

Other branches of the U.S. government have age restrictions, too. Senators must be at least 30 years old, and representatives in the House need to be at least 25 years old. And though history has seen senators in their thirties and representatives in their twenties, there has yet to be a president younger than 42. 

The age limit is not the only requirement people must meet to run for president. As well as being at least 35 years old, a presidential candidate must be a natural-born citizen of the U.S. and have lived in the country for at least 14 years.

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