The longest State of the Union addresses in history, ranked

The American Presidency Project has timed presidents' State of the Union speeches since 1964, starting when the president opens with "Mr. Speaker" or "Madam Speaker." The Constitution requires the address, and presidents typically use it to outline their administration's accomplishments and set out a legislative agenda before a joint session of Congress.

Since 1964 the average speech has lasted 56 minutes and 24 seconds. Richard Nixon delivered the shortest recorded State of the Union in 1972 at 28 minutes and 55 seconds. Donald Trump holds the record for the longest joint address, clocking 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 32 seconds in 2025, and he and Bill Clinton together account for eight of the top 10 longest speeches.

A separate tradition begun by Ronald Reagan has presidents give a joint address in their first year; it is not technically a State of the Union but is included in the project's dataset. Trump could top his own record when he delivers the State of the Union on February 24 at 9 p.m.

United States

donald trump, bill clinton, richard nixon, ronald reagan, american presidency, joint address, speech length, longest speeches, 1964, february 24