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List of vice presidents of the United States by time in office facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A term of office for a Vice President of the United States usually lasts for four years. This adds up to about 1,461 days. This number comes from counting the days between when they start and end their term, not including the very first day.

Since 1789, 50 different people have taken the oath to become Vice President. Some of them became president during their term (nine VPs did this!). Seven VPs passed away while in office, and two VPs resigned (meaning they quit). If the Vice President's office becomes empty, the President chooses a new person. This person becomes VP after the Congress agrees with the choice. This rule was added with the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1967.

Vice Presidents and Their Time in Office

A Vice President's job is very important. Their time in office can vary for different reasons. Most VPs serve a full four-year term. However, some serve longer if they are re-elected, and others serve shorter terms if they become president, pass away, or resign.

How Long is a Vice President's Term?

A full term for a Vice President is four years. This usually means 1,461 days. This includes three regular years (365 days each) and one leap year (366 days). The number of days is counted from the day after they start their term until the day their term ends.

Vice Presidents Who Served the Longest

Many Vice Presidents have served a full eight years, which means two complete terms. This is the longest time a Vice President can serve if they are re-elected with their President.

The Vice Presidents who served the longest, for two full terms (about 2,922 days), include:

John Nance Garner also served two terms (1933–1941) under Franklin D. Roosevelt. His terms were slightly shorter because the date for the President's inauguration changed during his time.

Vice Presidents Who Served Shorter Terms

Some Vice Presidents served shorter terms for different reasons.

Becoming President

Nine Vice Presidents became President during their term. This usually happened because the President passed away or resigned. When this happens, the Vice President takes over the presidency.

Passing Away in Office

Seven Vice Presidents passed away while serving their term.

  • William R. King (1853) passed away after 1 month and 14 days in office.
  • Thomas A. Hendricks (1885) passed away after 8 months and 21 days in office.
  • Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) passed away after 1 year, 8 months, and 19 days in office.
  • Henry Wilson (1873–1875) passed away after 2 years, 8 months, and 18 days in office.
  • Garret Hobart (1897–1899) passed away after 2 years, 8 months, and 17 days in office.
  • James S. Sherman (1909–1912) passed away after 3 years, 7 months, and 26 days in office.
  • George Clinton (1805–1812) passed away after 3 years, 1 month, and 16 days into his second term.

Resigning from Office

Two Vice Presidents have resigned from their position.

  • Spiro Agnew (1969–1973) resigned 8 months and 20 days into his second term.
  • John C. Calhoun (1825–1832) resigned 3 years, 9 months, and 24 days into his second term.

Current and Future Vice Presidents

Kamala Harris is the current Vice President, serving under Joe Biden. She began her term on January 20, 2021. JD Vance is expected to become the 50th Vice President on January 20, 2025, serving under Donald Trump.

Vice Presidents by Time in Office Table

This table shows how long each Vice President served, from the longest to the shortest terms.

Rank Vice President Length
in days		 Order of vice presidency President served under Number of terms
1
tie		 Daniel D. Tompkins 2922 6th • March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825 James Monroe Two full terms
Thomas R. Marshall 2922 28th • March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921 Woodrow Wilson Two full terms
Richard Nixon 2922 36th • January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower Two full terms
George H. W. Bush 2922 43rd • January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989 Ronald Reagan Two full terms
Al Gore 2922 45th • January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton Two full terms
Dick Cheney 2922 46th • January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009 George W. Bush Two full terms
Joe Biden 2922 47th • January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017 Barack Obama Two full terms
8 John Nance Garner 2879 32nd • March 4, 1933 – January 20, 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt Two full terms
9 John Adams 2874 1st • April 21, 1789 – March 4, 1797 George Washington Two full terms
10 John C. Calhoun 2856 7th • March 4, 1825 – December 28, 1832 John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson One full term; resigned 3 years, 9 months and 24 days into second term
11 George Clinton 2594 4th • March 4, 1805 – April 20, 1812 Thomas Jefferson and James Madison One full term; died 3 years, 1 month and 16 days into second term
12 Spiro Agnew 1724 39th • January 20, 1969 – October 10, 1973 Richard Nixon One full term; resigned 8 months and 20 days into second term
13
tie		 Aaron Burr 1461 3rd • March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1805 Thomas Jefferson One full term
Martin Van Buren 1461 8th • March 4, 1833 – March 4, 1837 Andrew Jackson One full term
Richard Johnson 1461 9th • March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841 Martin Van Buren One full term
George M. Dallas 1461 11th • March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 James K. Polk One full term
John C. Breckinridge 1461 14th • March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861 James Buchanan One full term
Hannibal Hamlin 1461 15th • March 4, 1861 – March 4, 1865 Abraham Lincoln One full term
Schuyler Colfax 1461 17th • March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1873 Ulysses S. Grant One full term
William A. Wheeler 1461 19th • March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881 Rutherford B. Hayes One full term
Levi P. Morton 1461 22nd • March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893 Benjamin Harrison One full term
Adlai E. Stevenson 1461 23rd • March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897 Grover Cleveland One full term
Charles W. Fairbanks 1461 26th • March 4, 1905 – March 4, 1909 Theodore Roosevelt One full term
Charles G. Dawes 1461 30th • March 4, 1925 – March 4, 1929 Calvin Coolidge One full term
Charles Curtis 1461 31st • March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933 Herbert Hoover One full term
Henry A. Wallace 1461 33rd • January 20, 1941 – January 20, 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt One full term
Alben W. Barkley 1461 35th • January 20, 1949 – January 20, 1953 Harry S. Truman One full term
Hubert Humphrey 1461 38th • January 20, 1965 – January 20, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson One full term
Walter Mondale 1461 42nd • January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter One full term
Dan Quayle 1461 44th • January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush One full term
Mike Pence 1461 48th • January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 Donald Trump One full term
Kamala Harris 1461 49th • January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025 Joe Biden One full term
33 Thomas Jefferson 1460 2nd • March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801 John Adams One full term
34 James S. Sherman 1336 27th • March 4, 1909 – October 30, 1912 William Howard Taft Died 3 years, 7 months and 26 days into term
35 Lyndon B. Johnson 1037 37th • January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy Succeeded to presidency 2 years, 10 months and 2 days into term
36 Henry Wilson 994 18th • March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875 Ulysses S. Grant Died 2 years, 8 months and 18 days into term
37 Garret Hobart 993 24th • March 4, 1897 – November 21, 1899 William McKinley Died 2 years, 8 months and 17 days into term
38 Calvin Coolidge 882 29th • March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923 Warren G. Harding Succeeded to presidency 2 years, 4 months and 29 days into term
39 Nelson Rockefeller 763 41st • December 19, 1974 – January 20, 1977 Gerald Ford One partial term (2 years, 1 month and 1 day)
40 Elbridge Gerry 629 5th • March 4, 1813 – November 23, 1814 James Madison Died 1 year, 8 months and 19 days into term
41 Millard Fillmore 492 12th • March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850 Zachary Taylor Succeeded to presidency 1 year, 4 months and 5 days into term
42 Thomas A. Hendricks 266 21st • March 4 – November 25, 1885 Grover Cleveland Died 8 months and 21 days into term
43 Gerald Ford 247 40th • December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974 Richard Nixon Succeeded to presidency 8 months and 3 days into partial term
44 Chester A. Arthur 199 20th • March 4 – September 19, 1881 James A. Garfield Succeeded to presidency 6 months and 15 days into term
45 Theodore Roosevelt 195 25th • March 4 – September 14, 1901 William McKinley Succeeded to presidency 6 months and 10 days into term
46 Harry S. Truman 82 34th • January 20 – April 12, 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt Succeeded to presidency 2 months and 23 days into term
47 William R. King 45 13th • March 4 – April 18, 1853 Franklin Pierce Died 1 month and 14 days into term
48 Andrew Johnson 42 16th • March 4 – April 15, 1865 Abraham Lincoln Succeeded to presidency 1 month and 11 days into term
49 John Tyler 31 10th • March 4 – April 4, 1841 William Henry Harrison Succeeded to presidency 31 days into term
50 JD Vance (Future) 50th • January 20, 2025 – Incumbent Donald Trump Currently serving

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List of vice presidents of the United States by time in office Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.