List of United States Supreme Court justices by time in office - wikipedia List of United States Supreme Court justices by time in office A total of 113 people have served on the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest judicial body in the United States, since it was established in 1789. Supreme Court justices have life tenure, and so they serve until they die, resign or retire, or are impeached and removed from office. For the 105 non-incumbent justices, the average length of service was 6,203 days ( 16 years, 359 days ). Their length of service ranges from William O. Douglas 's 13,358 days ( 7004133580000000000 ♠ 36 years, 209 days ) on the Court to the 163 - day tenure of Thomas Johnson. Among the current members of the Court, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is the longest - serving justice, with a tenure of 7003980700000000000 ♠ 9,807 days ( 7003980700000000000 ♠ 26 years, 310 days ) as of August 29, 2018. The table below ranks all United States Supreme Court Justices by time in office. For five individuals confirmed for associate justice, and later confirmed for chief justice separately -- Charles Evans Hughes, William Rehnquist, John Rutledge, Harlan F. Stone, and Edward Douglass White -- their cumulative length of service on the Court is measured. The basis of the ranking is the difference between dates ; if counted by number of calendar days all the figures would be one greater, with the exception of Charles Evans Hughes and John Rutledge, who would receive two days, as each served on the Court twice ( their service as associate justice and as chief justice was separated by a period of years off the Court ). The start date given for each justice is the day he or she took the prescribed oath of office, with the end date being the date of the justice 's death, resignation, or retirement. A highlighted row indicates a justice currently serving on the Court. Contents 1 Justices by time in office 2 Notes 3 See also 4 References Justices by time in office Longest Supreme Court tenure William O. Douglas 13,358 days ( 1939 -- 1975 ) Stephen Johnson Field 12,614 days ( 1863 -- 1897 ) Shortest Supreme Court tenure James F. Byrnes 452 days ( 1941 -- 1942 ) Thomas Johnson 163 days ( 1792 -- 1793 ) Rank Justice Length in days Start date End date William O. Douglas 7004133580000000000 ♠ 13,358 April 17, 1939 November 12, 1975 Stephen Johnson Field 7004126140000000000 ♠ 12,614 May 20, 1863 December 1, 1897 John Paul Stevens 7004126110000000000 ♠ 12,611 December 19, 1975 June 29, 2010 John Marshall ( CJ ) 7004125700000000000 ♠ 12,570 February 4, 1801 July 6, 1835 Hugo Black 7004124470000000000 ♠ 12,447 August 19, 1937 September 17, 1971 6 John Marshall Harlan 7004123600000000000 ♠ 12,360 December 10, 1877 October 14, 1911 7 William J. Brennan Jr. 7004123300000000000 ♠ 12,330 October 16, 1956 July 20, 1990 8 William Rehnquist ( CJ ) 7004122930000000000 ♠ 12,293 January 7, 1972 September 26, 1986 September 26, 1986 September 3, 2005 9 Joseph Story 7004122730000000000 ♠ 12,273 February 3, 1812 September 10, 1845 10 James Moore Wayne 7004118600000000000 ♠ 11,860 January 14, 1835 July 5, 1867 11 John McLean 7004114060000000000 ♠ 11,406 January 11, 1830 April 4, 1861 12 Byron White 7004113960000000000 ♠ 11,396 April 16, 1962 June 28, 1993 13 Bushrod Washington 7004112520000000000 ♠ 11,252 February 4, 1799 November 26, 1829 14 Anthony Kennedy 7004111210000000000 ♠ 11,121 February 18, 1988 July 31, 2018 15 William Johnson 7004110460000000000 ♠ 11,046 May 7, 1804 August 4, 1834 16 Antonin Scalia 7004107320000000000 ♠ 10,732 September 26, 1986 February 13, 2016 17 Oliver Wendell Holmes 7004106270000000000 ♠ 10,627 December 8, 1902 January 12, 1932 18 Roger B. Taney ( CJ ) 7004104250000000000 ♠ 10,425 March 28, 1836 October 12, 1864 19 Samuel Freeman Miller 7004103110000000000 ♠ 10,311 July 21, 1862 October 13, 1890 20 John Catron 7004102560000000000 ♠ 10,256 May 1, 1837 May 30, 1865 21 Samuel Nelson 7004101360000000000 ♠ 10,136 February 27, 1845 November 28, 1872 22 Edward Douglass White ( CJ ) 7003992900000000000 ♠ 9,929 March 12, 1894 December 19, 1910 December 19, 1910 May 19, 1921 23 Joseph McKenna 7003984000000000000 ♠ 9,840 January 26, 1898 January 5, 1925 24 Clarence Thomas 7003980700000000000 ♠ 9,807 October 23, 1991 Incumbent 25 Willis Van Devanter 7003964700000000000 ♠ 9,647 January 3, 1911 June 2, 1937 26 James Clark McReynolds 7003960800000000000 ♠ 9,608 October 12, 1914 January 31, 1941 27 Ruth Bader Ginsburg 7003915000000000000 ♠ 9,150 August 10, 1993 Incumbent 28 Sandra Day O'Connor 7003889400000000000 ♠ 8,894 September 25, 1981 January 31, 2006 29 Harry Blackmun 7003882100000000000 ♠ 8,821 June 9, 1970 August 3, 1994 30 Stephen Breyer 7003879200000000000 ♠ 8,792 August 3, 1994 Incumbent 30 Thurgood Marshall 7003876500000000000 ♠ 8,765 October 2, 1967 October 1, 1991 32 Felix Frankfurter 7003861100000000000 ♠ 8,611 January 30, 1939 August 28, 1962 33 Nathan Clifford 7003858600000000000 ♠ 8,586 January 21, 1858 July 25, 1881 34 Robert Cooper Grier 7003857500000000000 ♠ 8,575 August 10, 1846 January 31, 1870 35 Gabriel Duvall 7003845300000000000 ♠ 8,453 November 23, 1811 January 14, 1835 36 Potter Stewart 7003829800000000000 ♠ 8,298 October 14, 1958 July 3, 1981 37 Louis Brandeis 7003828800000000000 ♠ 8,288 June 5, 1916 February 13, 1939 38 Joseph P. Bradley 7003797500000000000 ♠ 7,975 March 23, 1870 January 22, 1892 39 Melville Fuller ( CJ ) 7003793800000000000 ♠ 7,938 October 8, 1888 July 4, 1910 40 Harlan F. Stone ( CJ ) 7003772100000000000 ♠ 7,721 March 2, 1925 July 3, 1941 July 2, 1941 April 22, 1946 41 Horace Gray 7003755300000000000 ♠ 7,553 January 9, 1882 September 15, 1902 42 William Cushing 7003752700000000000 ♠ 7,527 February 2, 1790 September 13, 1810 43 Smith Thompson 7003741300000000000 ♠ 7,413 September 1, 1823 December 18, 1843 44 David Josiah Brewer 7003738500000000000 ♠ 7,385 January 6, 1890 March 28, 1910 45 William R. Day 7003719600000000000 ♠ 7,196 March 2, 1903 November 13, 1922 46 Stanley Forman Reed 7003696500000000000 ♠ 6,965 January 31, 1938 February 25, 1957 47 Noah Haynes Swayne 7003693700000000000 ♠ 6,937 January 27, 1862 January 24, 1881 48 Thomas Todd 7003685400000000000 ♠ 6,854 May 4, 1807 February 7, 1826 49 David Souter 7003683800000000000 ♠ 6,838 October 9, 1990 June 29, 2009 50 Peter Vivian Daniel 7003671600000000000 ♠ 6,716 January 10, 1842 May 31, 1860 51 Tom C. Clark 7003650100000000000 ♠ 6,501 August 24, 1949 June 12, 1967 52 Warren E. Burger ( CJ ) 7003630400000000000 ♠ 6,304 June 23, 1969 September 26, 1986 53 Charles Evans Hughes ( CJ ) 7003621400000000000 ♠ 6,214 October 10, 1910 February 24, 1930 June 10, 1916 June 30, 1941 54 Pierce Butler 7003616200000000000 ♠ 6,162 January 2, 1923 November 16, 1939 55 John Marshall Harlan II 7003602300000000000 ♠ 6,023 March 28, 1955 September 23, 1971 56 Henry Brockholst Livingston 7003590100000000000 ♠ 5,901 January 20, 1807 March 18, 1823 57 Earl Warren ( CJ ) 7003574000000000000 ♠ 5,740 October 5, 1953 June 23, 1969 58 Lewis Franklin Powell 7003564900000000000 ♠ 5,649 January 7, 1972 June 26, 1987 59 Henry Billings Brown 7003562100000000000 ♠ 5,621 January 5, 1891 May 28, 1906 60 Samuel Chase 7003561300000000000 ♠ 5,613 February 4, 1796 June 19, 1811 61 George Sutherland 7003558600000000000 ♠ 5,586 October 2, 1922 January 17, 1938 62 Owen Roberts 7003553800000000000 ♠ 5,538 June 2, 1930 July 31, 1945 63 John McKinley 7003530500000000000 ♠ 5,305 January 9, 1838 July 19, 1852 64 Henry Baldwin 7003520700000000000 ♠ 5,207 January 18, 1830 April 21, 1844 65 David Davis 7003519800000000000 ♠ 5,198 December 10, 1862 March 4, 1877 66 Morrison Waite ( CJ ) 7003513300000000000 ♠ 5,133 March 4, 1874 March 23, 1888 67 Rufus Wheeler Peckham 7003503900000000000 ♠ 5,039 January 6, 1896 October 24, 1909 68 William Paterson 7003492900000000000 ♠ 4,929 March 11, 1793 September 9, 1806 69 Robert H. Jackson 7003483800000000000 ♠ 4,838 July 11, 1941 October 9, 1954 70 Harold Hitz Burton 7003476000000000000 ♠ 4,760 October 1, 1945 October 13, 1958 71 John Roberts ( CJ ) 7003471700000000000 ♠ 4,717 September 29, 2005 Incumbent 72 Samuel Alito 7003459300000000000 ♠ 4,593 January 31, 2006 Incumbent 73 Samuel Blatchford 7003411300000000000 ♠ 4,113 April 3, 1882 July 7, 1893 74 Mahlon Pitney 7003394000000000000 ♠ 3,940 March 18, 1912 December 31, 1922 75 William Strong 7003392800000000000 ♠ 3,928 March 14, 1870 December 14, 1880 76 George Shiras Jr. 7003378700000000000 ♠ 3,787 October 10, 1892 February 23, 1903 77 Frank Murphy 7003345200000000000 ♠ 3,452 February 5, 1940 July 19, 1949 78 James Iredell 7003344800000000000 ♠ 3,448 May 12, 1790 October 20, 1799 79 Sonia Sotomayor 7003330800000000000 ♠ 3,308 August 8, 2009 Incumbent 80 Ward Hunt 7003330500000000000 ♠ 3,305 January 9, 1873 January 27, 1882 81 James Wilson 7003324200000000000 ♠ 3,242 October 5, 1789 August 21, 1798 82 William Howard Taft ( CJ ) 7003312900000000000 ♠ 3,129 July 11, 1921 February 3, 1930 83 Salmon P. Chase ( CJ ) 7003306500000000000 ♠ 3,065 December 15, 1864 May 7, 1873 84 Elena Kagan 7003294400000000000 ♠ 2,944 August 7, 2010 Incumbent 85 John Archibald Campbell 7003294100000000000 ♠ 2,941 April 11, 1853 April 30, 1861 86 Stanley Matthews 7003286600000000000 ♠ 2,866 May 17, 1881 March 22, 1889 87 Fred M. Vinson ( CJ ) 7003263300000000000 ♠ 2,633 June 24, 1946 September 8, 1953 88 Edward Terry Sanford 7003257400000000000 ♠ 2,574 February 19, 1923 March 8, 1930 89 Sherman Minton 7003256000000000000 ♠ 2,560 October 12, 1949 October 15, 1956 90 Wiley Blount Rutledge 7003239900000000000 ♠ 2,399 February 15, 1943 September 10, 1949 91 William Burnham Woods 7003232000000000000 ♠ 2,320 January 5, 1881 May 14, 1887 92 Benjamin N. Cardozo 7003230800000000000 ♠ 2,308 March 14, 1932 July 9, 1938 93 Benjamin Robbins Curtis 7003218200000000000 ♠ 2,182 October 10, 1851 September 30, 1857 94 Levi Woodbury 7003217200000000000 ♠ 2,172 September 23, 1845 September 4, 1851 95 John Hessin Clarke 7003217000000000000 ♠ 2,170 October 9, 1916 September 18, 1922 96 John Blair 7003209100000000000 ♠ 2,091 February 2, 1790 October 25, 1795 97 John Jay ( CJ ) 7003207900000000000 ♠ 2,079 October 19, 1789 June 29, 1795 98 ( tie ) Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar 7003183200000000000 ♠ 1,832 January 18, 1888 January 23, 1893 Charles Evans Whittaker 7003183200000000000 ♠ 1,832 March 25, 1957 March 31, 1962 100 Joseph Rucker Lamar 7003182500000000000 ♠ 1,825 January 3, 1911 January 2, 1916 101 Philip Pendleton Barbour 7003175000000000000 ♠ 1,750 May 12, 1836 February 25, 1841 102 Oliver Ellsworth ( CJ ) 7003174200000000000 ♠ 1,742 March 8, 1796 December 15, 1800 103 Horace Harmon Lurton 7003165100000000000 ♠ 1,651 January 3, 1910 July 12, 1914 104 William Henry Moody 7003143400000000000 ♠ 1,434 December 17, 1906 November 20, 1910 105 Alfred Moore 7003137500000000000 ♠ 1,375 April 21, 1800 January 26, 1804 106 Abe Fortas 7003131800000000000 ♠ 1,318 October 4, 1965 May 14, 1969 107 Arthur Goldberg 7003102800000000000 ♠ 1,028 October 1, 1962 July 25, 1965 108 Howell Edmunds Jackson 7002887000000000000 ♠ 887 March 4, 1893 August 8, 1895 109 Robert Trimble 7002801000000000000 ♠ 801 June 16, 1826 August 25, 1828 110 John Rutledge ( CJ ) 7002563000000000000 ♠ 563 February 15, 1790 July 1, 1795 March 5, 1791 December 28, 1795 111 Neil Gorsuch 7002506000000000000 ♠ 506 April 10, 2017 Incumbent 112 James F. Byrnes 7002452000000000000 ♠ 452 July 8, 1941 October 3, 1942 113 Thomas Johnson 7002163000000000000 ♠ 163 August 6, 1792 January 16, 1793 Notes Jump up ^ Average tenure in office has increased significantly over the past half - century. In 1970, the average tenure in office ( for the 89 justices who had left the Court prior to 1970 ) was about fifteen years. Jump up ^ A nominee who was confirmed by the United States Senate but declined to serve, such as Robert H. Harrison, or who died before taking the necessary steps toward becoming a member of the Court, such as Edwin M. Stanton, is not considered to have served as a justice, and thus is not included on this list. Jump up ^ Length of tenure includes 5376 days service as associate justice and 6917 days as chief justice. Jump up ^ Length of tenure includes 6125 days service as associate justice and 3804 days as chief justice. ^ Jump up to : As of August 29, 2018 Jump up ^ Length of tenure includes 5966 days service as associate justice and 1754 days as chief justice. Jump up ^ Length of tenure includes 2070 days service as associate justice and 4144 days as chief justice. Jump up ^ Length of tenure includes 383 days service as associate justice and 180 days as chief justice. See also List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States List of law schools attended by United States Supreme Court Justices List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States by seat References Jump up ^ Wellford, Rachel ( July 9, 2018 ). `` More than 2 centuries of Supreme Court justices, in 18 numbers ''. PBS NewsHour. Arlington County, Virginia : NewsHour Productions ( WETA - TV ). Retrieved August 3, 2018. Jump up ^ Cramton, Roger C. ( Fall 2007 ). `` Reforming the Supreme Court ''. California Law Review. 95 : 1313 -- 1334 ( at p. 1316 ). Retrieved August 3, 2018 -- via Cornell Law Faculty Publications. ^ Jump up to : `` Justices 1789 to Present ''. Washington, D.C. : Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2018. 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Question: who is the longest sitting supreme court justice
Answer: William O. Douglas