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105.3k voters

The Greatest U.S. Presidents Of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated January 20, 2021 855.5k votes 105.3k voters 1.1m views45 items

List RulesOnly former U.S. Presidents. Vote based on their entire time in office.

The Greatest United States Presidents in history, ranked from best to worst. Who's the greatest U.S. president? Anyone can vote on or make their own version of this collaborative list of the men who shaped American policy - a fascinating insight into all the US Presidents and how their presidencies were perceived. Who were the best presidents? We expect this list of the Chief Executives to change over time as history's perceptions also change.

And be sure to check out Ranker's ultimate list of the Worst-Ever US Presidents as well, for comparison's sake.

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35,414
6,023
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin
Birthplace: Kentucky, Hodgenville, United States of America, United States, with Territories
Presidency: 16
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2
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6,904
George Washington
John Adams
Birthplace: Popes Creek, Colony of Virginia, British America
Presidency: 1
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3
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Thomas Jefferson
Aaron Burr, George Clinton
Birthplace: Shadwell, Colony of Virginia, British America
Presidency: 3
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4
21,406
5,946
Theodore Roosevelt
Charles W. Fairbanks
Birthplace: New York City, Manhattan, Area code 917, Contiguous United States, New York
Presidency: 26
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5
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Franklin D. Roosevelt
John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace
Birthplace: New York City, Hyde Park, New York, USA
Presidency: 32
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6
23,520
12,832
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
Presidency: 35
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Dwight D. Eisenhower
Richard Nixon
Birthplace: Denison, Texas, USA
Presidency: 34
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Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Birthplace: Tampico, Illinois, USA
Presidency: 40
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9
10,565
8,072
James Madison
Elbridge Gerry, George Clinton
Birthplace: Port Conway, Colony of Virginia, British America
Presidency: 4
10
12,087
7,592
Harry Truman
Alben W. Barkley
Birthplace: Lamar, Missouri, United States of America
Presidency: 33
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11
10,279
6,488
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts Bay, British America
Presidency: 2
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12
7,614
7,460
James Monroe
Daniel D. Tompkins
Birthplace: Monroe Hall, Virginia, British America
Presidency: 5
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13
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30,271
Barack Obama
Joe Biden
Birthplace: Area code 808, Honolulu County, Hawaiian Islands, United States of America, United States
Presidency: 44
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14
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7,717
Ulysses S. Grant
Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson
Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio, United States of America
Presidency: 18
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15
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John Quincy Adams
John C. Calhoun
Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts Bay, British America
Presidency: 6
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16
5,306
7,456
James K. Polk
George M. Dallas
Birthplace: Pineville, Mecklenburg County, United States of America, United States, with Territories
Presidency: 11
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17
16,089
22,411
Bill Clinton
Al Gore
Birthplace: Hope, Arkansas, United States of America
Presidency: 42
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George H. W. Bush
Dan Quayle
Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States of America
Presidency: 41
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19
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Woodrow Wilson
Thomas R. Marshall
Birthplace: Staunton, Virginia, United States of America
Presidency: 28
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20
5,667
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Calvin Coolidge
Charles G. Dawes
Birthplace: Plymouth Notch, Vermont, United States of America
Presidency: 30
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21
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Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren, John C. Calhoun
Birthplace: Waxhaw Settlement between North Carolina and South Carolina, British America
Presidency: 7
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William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt, Garret Hobart
Birthplace: Niles, Ohio, United States of America
Presidency: 25
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23
4,053
6,323
Grover Cleveland
Adlai Stevenson I, Thomas A. Hendricks
Birthplace: Essex County, Contiguous United States, United States of America, United States, with Territories
Presidency: 22, 24
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24
7,545
12,490
Lyndon Johnson
Hubert Humphrey
Birthplace: Texas, Contiguous United States, Edwards Plateau, United States of America, United States
Presidency: 36
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James A. Garfield
Chester A. Arthur
Birthplace: Moreland Hills, Ohio, United States of America
Presidency: 20
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