List of State of the Union addresses
{{Short description|Annual report by the president of the United States}}
File:2005 State of the Union (24295931541).jpg during his 2005 State of the Union address.]]
This is a list of State of the Union addresses. The State of the Union is the constitutionally mandated annual report by the president of the United States, the head of the U.S. federal executive departments, to the United States Congress, the U.S. federal legislative body.{{Cite web |title=U.S. Senate: About Traditions & Symbols {{!}} State of the Union |url=https://www.senate.gov/about/traditions-symbols/state-of-the-union.htm |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=www.senate.gov}}
William Henry Harrison (1841) and James A. Garfield (1881) died in their first year in office without delivering a State of the Union.
Before 1933, the State of the Union was delivered at the end of the calendar year. The ratification of the 20th Amendment in 1933 changed the opening of Congress from early March to early January, affecting the delivery of the annual message. There was none in 1933, and since 1934, it has been in January, February, or March.{{Cite web |title=The Speech: Where and When |url=https://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/Where-When/ |website=History, Art & Archives}}
Starting in 1981, new presidents have been invited to address a joint session of Congress shortly after their inauguration. These have reflected the style of a State of the Union address. However, the addresses are not officially titled "State of the Union" but "Address to Joint Session of Congress" or like that instead.{{Cite web |date=2009-02-24 |title=Remarks of President Barack Obama -- Address to Joint Session of Congress |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-address-joint-session-congress |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=White House |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=House |first=The White |date=2021-04-29 |title=Remarks by President Biden in Address to a Joint Session of Congress |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/04/29/remarks-by-president-biden-in-address-to-a-joint-session-of-congress/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The White House |language=en-US}} Since 1989, the opposition party has offered a response.{{cite book |title=The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications |publisher=Congressional Research Service |page=2 |date=January 24, 2014 |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40132.pdf }} There were unofficial addresses by incoming presidents in 1981, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2009, 2017, 2021, and 2025.
List
class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! President ! Format ! Date |
Jan 1790
| rowspan="8" | George Washington | rowspan="8" | Spoken | Jan. 8 | 1,089 | rowspan="12" | Unknown |
Dec 1790
| Dec. 8 | 1,401 |
1791
| Oct. 25 | 2,302 |
1792
| Nov. 6 | 2,101 |
1793
| Dec. 3 | 1,968 |
1794
| Nov. 19 | 2,918 |
1795
| Dec. 8 | 1,989 |
1796
| Dec. 7 | 2,871 |
1797
| rowspan="4" | John Adams | rowspan="4" | Spoken | Nov. 22 | 2,063 |
1798
| Dec. 8 | 2,218 |
1799
| Dec. 3 | 1,505 |
1800
| Nov. 22 | 1,372 |
1801
| rowspan="8" | Thomas Jefferson | rowspan="8" | Written | Dec. 8 | 3,224 | {{n/a}} |
1802
| Dec. 15 | 2,197 | {{n/a}} |
1803
| Oct. 17 | 2,263 | {{n/a}} |
1804
| Nov. 8 | 2,096 | {{n/a}} |
1805
| Dec. 3 | 2,927 | {{n/a}} |
1806
| Dec. 2 | 2,860 | {{n/a}} |
1807
| Oct. 27 | 2,384 | {{n/a}} |
1808
| Nov. 8 | 2,675 | {{n/a}} |
1809
| rowspan="8" | James Madison | rowspan="8" | Written | Nov. 29 | 1,831 | {{n/a}} |
1810
| Dec. 5 | 2,446 | {{n/a}} |
1811
| Nov. 5 | 2,273 | {{n/a}} |
1812
| Nov. 4 | 3,242 | {{n/a}} |
1813
| Dec. 7 | 3,257 | {{n/a}} |
1814
| Sep. 20 | 2,111 | {{n/a}} |
1815
| Dec. 5 | 3,146 | {{n/a}} |
1816
| Dec. 3 | 3,364 | {{n/a}} |
1817
| rowspan="8" | James Monroe | rowspan="8" | Written | Dec. 12 | 4,418 | {{n/a}} |
1818
| Nov. 16 | 4,376 | {{n/a}} |
1819
| Dec. 7 | 4,702 | {{n/a}} |
1820
| Nov. 14 | 3,446 | {{n/a}} |
1821
| Dec. 3 | 5,814 | {{n/a}} |
1822
| Dec. 3 | 4,723 | {{n/a}} |
1823
| Dec. 2 | 6,358 | {{n/a}} |
1824
| Dec. 7 | 8,400 | {{n/a}} |
1825
| rowspan="4" | John Quincy Adams | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 6 | 8,985 | {{n/a}} |
1826
| Dec. 5 | 7,705 | {{n/a}} |
1827
| Dec. 4 | 6,917 | {{n/a}} |
1828
| Dec. 2 | 7,282 | {{n/a}} |
1829
| rowspan="8" | Andrew Jackson | rowspan="8" | Written | Dec. 8 | 10,525 | {{n/a}} |
1830
| Dec. 6 | 15,114 | {{n/a}} |
1831
| Dec. 6 | 7,178 | {{n/a}} |
1832
| Dec. 4 | 7,863 | {{n/a}} |
1833
| Dec. 3 | 7,877 | {{n/a}} |
1834
| Dec. 1 | 13,411 | {{n/a}} |
1835
| Dec. 7 | 10,825 | {{n/a}} |
1836
| Dec. 5 | 12,367 | {{n/a}} |
1837
| rowspan="4" | Martin Van Buren | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 5 | 11,449 | {{n/a}} |
1838
| Dec. 3 | 11,488 | {{n/a}} |
1839
| Dec. 2 | 13,431 | {{n/a}} |
1840
| Dec. 5 | 8,991 | {{n/a}} |
{{n/a}}
| {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |
1841
| rowspan="4" | John Tyler | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 7 | 8,241 | {{n/a}} |
1842
| Dec. 6 | 8,417 | {{n/a}} |
1843
| Dec. 5 | 8,036 | {{n/a}} |
1844
| Dec. 3 | 9,318 | {{n/a}} |
1845
| rowspan="4" | James K. Polk | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 2 | 16,111 | {{n/a}} |
1846
| Dec. 8 | 18,222 | {{n/a}} |
1847
| Dec. 7 | 16,414 | {{n/a}} |
1848
| Dec. 5 | 21,309 | {{n/a}} |
1849
| rowspan="1" | Zachary Taylor | rowspan="1" | Written | Dec. 4 | 7,617 | {{n/a}} |
1850
| rowspan="3" | Millard Fillmore | rowspan="3" | Written | Dec. 2 | 8,322 | {{n/a}} |
1851
| Dec. 2 | 13,244 | {{n/a}} |
1852
| Dec. 6 | 9,929 | {{n/a}} |
1853
| rowspan="4" | Franklin Pierce | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 5 | 9,590 | {{n/a}} |
1854
| Dec. 4 | 10,139 | {{n/a}} |
1855
| Dec. 31 | 11,612 | {{n/a}} |
1856
| Dec. 2 | 10,486 | {{n/a}} |
1857
| rowspan="4" | James Buchanan | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 8 | 13,655 | {{n/a}} |
1858
| Dec. 6 | 16,349 | {{n/a}} |
1859
| Dec. 19 | 12,336 | {{n/a}} |
1860
| Dec. 3 | 14,049 | {{n/a}} |
1861
| rowspan="4" | Abraham Lincoln | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 3 | 6,987 | {{n/a}} |
1862
| Dec. 1 | 8,385 | {{n/a}} |
1863
| Dec. 8 | 6,114 | {{n/a}} |
1864
| Dec. 6 | 5,865 | {{n/a}} |
1865
| rowspan="4" | Andrew Johnson | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 4 | 9,232 | {{n/a}} |
1866
| Dec. 3 | 7,134 | {{n/a}} |
1867
| Dec. 3 | 12,002 | {{n/a}} |
1868
| Dec. 9 | 9,834 | {{n/a}} |
1869
| rowspan="8" | Ulysses S. Grant | rowspan="8" | Written | Dec. 6 | 7,706 | {{n/a}} |
1870
| Dec. 5 | 8,743 | {{n/a}} |
1871
| Dec. 4 | 6,459 | {{n/a}} |
1872
| Dec. 2 | 10,102 | {{n/a}} |
1873
| Dec. 1 | 10,026 | {{n/a}} |
1874
| Dec. 7 | 9,819 | {{n/a}} |
1875
| Dec. 7 | 12,211 | {{n/a}} |
1876
| Dec. 5 | 6,799 | {{n/a}} |
1877
| rowspan="4" | Rutherford B. Hayes | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 3 | 10,724 | {{n/a}} |
1878
| Dec. 2 | 7,879 | {{n/a}} |
1879
| Dec. 1 | 11,635 | {{n/a}} |
1880
| Dec. 6 | 13,347 | {{n/a}} |
{{n/a}}
| {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |
1881
| rowspan="4" | Chester A. Arthur | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 6 | 13,321 | {{n/a}} |
1882
| Dec. 4 | 10,274 | {{n/a}} |
1883
| Dec. 4 | 8,363 | {{n/a}} |
1884
| Dec. 1 | 8,917 | {{n/a}} |
1885
| rowspan="4" | Grover Cleveland | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 8 | 19,960 | {{n/a}} |
1886
| Dec. 6 | 15,285 | {{n/a}} |
1887
| Dec. 6 | 5,290 | {{n/a}} |
1888
| Dec. 3 | 13,226 | {{n/a}} |
1889
| rowspan="4" | Benjamin Harrison | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 1 | 13,004 | {{n/a}} |
1890
| Dec. 1 | 11,522 | {{n/a}} |
1891
| Dec. 9 | 16,306 | {{n/a}} |
1892
| Dec. 6 | 13,680 | {{n/a}} |
1893
| rowspan="4" | Grover Cleveland | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 4 | 12,282 | {{n/a}} |
1894
| Dec. 3 | 15,892 | {{n/a}} |
1895
| Dec. 2 | 14,670 | {{n/a}} |
1896
| Dec. 7 | 15,453 | {{n/a}} |
1897
| rowspan="4" | William McKinley | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 6 | 12,113 | {{n/a}} |
1898
| Dec. 5 | 20,224 | {{n/a}} |
1899
| Dec. 5 | 22,831 | {{n/a}} |
1900
| Dec. 3 | 19,142 | {{n/a}} |
1901
| rowspan="8" | Theodore Roosevelt | rowspan="8" | Written | Dec. 3 | 19,616 | {{n/a}} |
1902
| Dec. 5 | 9,782 | {{n/a}} |
1903
| Dec. 7 | 14,943 | {{n/a}} |
1904
| Dec. 6 | 17,415 | {{n/a}} |
1905
| Dec. 5 | 25,071 | {{n/a}} |
1906
| Dec. 3 | 23,609 | {{n/a}} |
1907
| Dec. 3 | 27,397 | {{n/a}} |
1908
| Dec. 8 | 19,411 | {{n/a}} |
1909
| rowspan="4" | William Howard Taft | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 7 | 13,901 | {{n/a}} |
1910
| Dec. 6 | 27,651 | {{n/a}} |
1911
| Dec. 5 | 23,744{{efn|In 1911 President Taft submitted his written message in four parts on Dec. 5, Dec. 7, Dec. 20, and Dec. 21. This word count includes all four parts.}} | {{n/a}} |
1912
| Dec. 3 | 25,161{{efn|In 1912 President Taft submitted his written message in three parts on Dec. 3, Dec. 6, and Dec. 19. This word count includes all three parts.}} | {{n/a}} |
1913
| rowspan="8" | Woodrow Wilson | rowspan="6" | Spoken | Dec. 2 | 3,553 | rowspan="6" | Unknown |
1914
| Dec. 8 | 4,537 |
1915
| Dec. 7 | 7,687 |
1916
| Dec. 5 | 2,118 |
1917
| Dec. 4 | 3,913 |
1918
| Dec. 2 | 5,463 |
1919
| rowspan="2" | Written | Dec. 2 | 4,756 | {{n/a}} |
1920
| Dec. 7 | 2,706 | {{n/a}} |
1921
| rowspan="2" | Warren G. Harding | rowspan="2" | Spoken | Dec. 6 | 5,606 | rowspan="3" | Unknown |
1922
| Dec. 8 | 5,748 |
1923
| rowspan="6" | Calvin Coolidge | Spoken | Dec. 6 | 6,706 |
1924
| rowspan="5" | Written | Dec. 3 | 6,968 | {{n/a}} |
1925
| Dec. 8 | 10,848 | {{n/a}} |
1926
| Dec. 7 | 10,305 | {{n/a}} |
1927
| Dec. 6 | 8,777 | {{n/a}} |
1928
| Dec. 4 | 8,061 | {{n/a}} |
1929
| rowspan="4" | Herbert Hoover | rowspan="4" | Written | Dec. 3 | 10,994 | {{n/a}} |
1930
| Dec. 5 | 4,536 | {{n/a}} |
1931
| Dec. 8 | 5,682 | {{n/a}} |
1932
| Dec. 6 | 4,201 | {{n/a}} |
1933
| {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |
1934
| rowspan="12" | Franklin D. Roosevelt | rowspan="10" | Spoken | Jan. 3 | 2,230 | rowspan="2" | Unknown |
1935
| Jan. 4 | 3,525 |
1936
| Jan. 3 | 3,826 |
1937
| Jan. 6 | 2,732 | rowspan="4" | Unknown |
1938
| Jan. 3 | 4,697 |
1939
| Jan. 4 | 3,768 |
1940
| Jan. 3 | 3,196 |
1941
| Jan. 6 | 3,312 |
1942
| Jan. 6 | 3,511 | rowspan="2" |Unknown |
1943
| Jan. 7 | 4,588 |
1944
| rowspan="2" | Written | Jan. 11 | 3,805 | {{n/a}} |
1945
| Jan. 6 | 8,211 | {{n/a}} |
1946
| rowspan="8" | Harry S. Truman | rowspan="1" | Written | Jan. 21 | 27,465 | {{n/a}} |
1947
| rowspan="6" | Spoken | Jan. 6 | 6,028 | rowspan="6" | Unknown |
1948
| Jan. 7 | 5,094 |
1949
| Jan. 5 | 3,401 |
1950
| Jan. 4 | 5,130 |
1951
| Jan. 8 | 3,994 |
1952
| Jan. 9 | 5,369 |
1953
| rowspan="1" | Written | Jan. 7 | 9,683 | {{n/a}} |
1953
| rowspan="9" | Dwight D. Eisenhower | rowspan="3" | Spoken | Feb. 2 | 6,973 |
1954
| Jan. 7 | 5,985 |
1955
| Jan. 6 | 7,250 |
1956
| Written | Jan. 5 | 8,265 | {{n/a}} |
1957
| rowspan="4" | Spoken | Jan. 10 | 4,137 |
1958
| Jan. 9 | 4,915 |
1959
| Jan. 9 | 4,933 |
1960
| Jan. 7 | 5,633 |
1961
| Written | Jan. 12 | 6,210 | {{n/a}} |
1961
| rowspan="3" | John F. Kennedy | rowspan="3" | Spoken | Jan. 30 | 5,274 |
1962
| Jan. 11 | 6,569 |
1963
| Jan. 14 | 5,470 |
1964
| rowspan="6" | Lyndon B. Johnson | rowspan="6" | Spoken | Jan. 8 | 3,168 | 41 |
1965
| Jan. 4 | 4,399 | 47 |
1966
| Jan. 12 | 5,542 | 51 |
1967
| Jan. 10 | 7,195 | 71 |
1968
| Jan. 17 | 4,914 | 50 |
1969
| Jan. 14 | 4,115 | 44 |
1970
| rowspan="5" | Richard Nixon | rowspan="3" | Spoken | Jan. 22 | 4,457 | 37 |
1971
| Jan. 22 | 4,508 | 33 |
1972
| Jan. 20 | 3,976 | 29 |
1973
| Written | Feb. 2 | 27,147{{efn|In 1973 President Nixon delivered a series of six written State of the Union messages to Congress from Feb. 2 to Mar. 14. One message was an overview, followed by five additional messages each of which focused on a specific public policy theme. This word count includes all six messages.{{cite web|title=Annual Messages to Congress on the State of the Union (Washington 1790 - the present)|first1=Gerhard|last1=Peters|first2=John T.|last2=Woolley|date=2024|access-date=March 13, 2024|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union#nixon1973}}}} | {{n/a}} |
1974
| Spoken | Jan. 30 | 5,144 | 43 |
1975
| rowspan="3" | Gerald Ford | rowspan="3" | Spoken | Jan. 15 | 4,126 | 41 |
1976
| Jan. 19 | 4,948 | 51 |
1977
| Jan. 12 | 4,727 | 45 |
1978
| rowspan="4" | Jimmy Carter | rowspan="3" | Spoken | Jan. 19 | 4,580 | 46 |
1979
| Jan. 25 | 3,257 | 33 |
1980
| Jan. 21 | 3,412 | 32 |
1981
| Written | Jan. 16 | 33,667 | {{n/a}} |
1981{{Efn|Starting in 1981, new presidents have been invited to address a joint session of Congress shortly after their inauguration. These have reflected the style of a State of the Union address but are not officially titled as a "State of the Union." Since 1989 the opposition party has offered a response.{{cite book |title=The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications |publisher=Congressional Research Service |page=2 |date=January 24, 2014 |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40132.pdf }}|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="8" | Ronald Reagan | rowspan="8" | Spoken | Feb. 18 | 4,446 | 33 |
1982
| Jan. 26 | 5,154 | 40 |
1983
| Jan. 25 | 5,554 | 46 |
1984
| Jan. 25 | 4,931 | 43 |
1985
| Feb. 6 | 4,214 | 40 |
1986
| Feb. 4 | 3,514 | 31 |
1987
| Jan. 27 | 3,847 | 35 |
1988
| Jan. 25 | 4,955 | 44 |
1989{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="4" | George H. W. Bush | rowspan="4" | Spoken | Feb. 9 | 4,811 | 48 |
1990
| Jan. 31 | 3,777 | 36 |
1991
| Jan. 29 | 3,823 | 47 |
1992
| Jan. 28 | 5,012 | 51 |
1993{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="8" | Bill Clinton | rowspan="8" | Spoken | Feb. 17 | 7,003 | 66 |
1994
| Jan. 25 | 7,432 | 64 |
1995
| Jan. 24 | 9,190 | 85 |
1996
| Jan. 23 | 6,317 | 67 |
1997
| Feb. 4 | 6,774 | 64 |
1998
| Jan. 27 | 7,303 | 77 |
1999
| Jan. 19 | 7,514 | 79 |
2000
| Jan. 27 | 7,452 | 89 |
2001{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="8" | George W. Bush | rowspan="8" | Spoken | Feb. 27 | 4,362 | 49 |
2002
| Jan. 29 | 3,878 | 48 |
2003
| Jan. 28 | 5,413 | 60 |
2004
| Jan. 20 | 5,229 | 54 |
2005
| Feb. 2 | 5,096 | 53 |
2006
| Jan. 31 | 5,323 | 51 |
2007
| Jan. 23 | 5,590 | 49 |
2008
| Jan. 28 | 5,760 | 53 |
2009{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="8" | Barack Obama | rowspan="8" | Spoken | Feb. 24 | 5,902 | 52 |
2010
| Jan. 27 | 7,304 | 69 |
2011
| Jan. 25 | 6,878 | 62 |
2012
| Jan. 24 | 7,059 | 65 |
2013
| Feb. 12 | 6,775 | 60 |
2014
| Jan. 28 | 6,989 | 65 |
2015
| Jan. 20 | 6,718 | 60 |
2016
| Jan. 12 | 6,044 | 59 |
2017{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="4" | Donald Trump | rowspan="4" | Spoken | Feb. 28 | 5,006 | 60 |
2018
| Jan. 30 | 5,839 | 81 |
2019
| Feb. 5 | 5,540 | 82 |
2020
| Feb. 4 | 6,217 | 78 |
2021{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="4" | Joe Biden | rowspan="4" | Spoken | Apr. 28 | 8,003 | 65 |
2022
| Mar. 1 | 7,705 | 62 |
2023
| Feb. 7 | 9,216 | 73 |
2024
| Mar. 7 | 8,078 | 67 |
2025{{Efn|name=First Address}}
| rowspan="1" | Donald Trump | rowspan="1" | Spoken | Mar. 4 | 9,831 | 100 |
Notes
{{Notelist}}
See also
- {{slink|Article Two of the United States Constitution|Section 3: Presidential responsibilities}}
- List of joint sessions of the United States Congress
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Wikisource|Portal:State of the Union}}
- [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union#Table%20of%20SOTU American Presidency Project (UCSB.edu) - Table of all States of the Union]
{{State of the Union}}