# List of ambassadors of Spain to the United States

The Ambassador from Spain to the United States is Spain's foremost diplomatic representative in the United States, and in charge of the Spain's diplomatic mission in the United States.

## History

The ambassador is appointed to the Council of Ministers, they direct the work of all the offices that depend on the embassy, based in Washington, D.C. Likewise, it informs the Spanish Government about the evolution of events in the United States, negotiates on behalf of Spain, can sign or ratify agreements, observes the development of bilateral relations in all fields and ensures the protection of Spanish interests and its citizens in the United States.

## Heads of mission (1785-2025)

| Mission Start | Mission End | Name | Title | Appointed By | Accredited Before |
| 21 May 1785 | 3 October 1789 | Diego de Gardoqui | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Charles III | United States Congress |
| 3 October 1789 | 1 December 1791 | José Ignacio de Viar | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Charles IV | George Washington |
| 1 December 1791 | 3 May 1794 | José Ignacio de Viar José de Jáudenes y Nebot | Charges d'Affaires ad interim | Charles IV | George Washington |
| 25 April 1796 | 1 August 1796 | José Ignacio de Viar | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Charles IV | George Washington |
| 25 August 1796 | 7 July 1807 | Carlos Martínez de Irujo | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Charles IV | George Washington |
| 7 July 1807 | 7 October 1809 | Valentin de Foronda | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Charles IV | Thomas Jefferson |
| 7 October 1809 | 10 May 1819 | Luis de Onís | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Ferdinand VII | James Madison |
| 10 May 1819 | 12 April 1820 | Mateo de la Serna | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Ferdinand VII | James Monroe |
| 12 April 1820 | 30 September 1821 | Francisco Dionisio Vives | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Ferdinand VII | James Monroe |
| 30 October 1821 | 31 October 1821 | Francisco Hilario Rivas y Salmon | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Ferdinand VII | James Monroe |
| 31 October 1821 | 11 November 1833 | Joaquín de Anduaga | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Ferdinand VII | James Monroe |
| 15 March 1825 | 25 July 1827 | Francisco Hilario Rivas y Salmon | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Ferdinand VII | James Monroe |
| 11 November 1833 | 30 June 1835 | Francisco Tacon y Rosique | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Regency of María Cristina | Andrew Jackson |
| 30 June 1835 | 7 December 1835 | Manuel Tacon | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Regency of María Cristina | Andrew Jackson |
| 7 December 1835 | 1836 | Ángel Calderón de la Barca y Belgrano | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Regency of María Cristina | Andrew Jackson |
| 4 October 1837 | 28 April 1838 | Manuel Tacon | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Regency of María Cristina | Martin Van Buren |
| 26 September 1839 | 2 January 1844 | Pedro Aloantara Argaiz | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Regency of Baldomero Espartero | Martin Van Buren |
| 2 January 1844 | 5 August 1844 | Fidencio Beurman | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Ramón María Narváez | John Tyler (until 1845) James K. Polk (1845–1849) Zachary Taylor (1849–1850) Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| 5 August 1844 | 2 August 1853 | Ángel Calderón de la Barca y Belgrano | Minister resident | Ramón María Narváez | John Tyler (until 1845) James K. Polk (1845–1849) Zachary Taylor (1849–1850) Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| 2 August 1853 | 30 May 1854 | Jose Maria Magallon | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Ramón María Narváez | Franklin Pierce |
| 30 May 1854 | 14 July 1855 | Leopoldo Augusto de cueto | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Luis José Sartorius | Franklin Pierce |
| 1 October 1855 | 11 September 1856 | Alfonso Escalante | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Baldomero Espartero | Franklin Pierce |
| 11 November 1856 | 21 February 1857 | Jose Maria Magallon | Secretary of legation; acted as Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Baldomero Espartero | Franklin Pierce |
| 21 February 1857 | 7 April 1867 | Gabriel García y Tassura | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Leopoldo O'Donnell | James Buchanan (until 1861) Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) Andrew Johnson (from 1865) |
| 7 April 1867 | 15 December 1868 | Facundo Geni | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Ramon Maria Narvaez | James Buchanan (until 1861) Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) Andrew Johnson (from 1865) |
| 19 March 1869 | 20 March 1872 | Mauricio López Róberts | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Francisco Serrano | Ulysses S. Grant |
| 5 April 1872 | 1 July 1874 | José Polo de Bernabé | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Ulysses S. Grant |
| 1 July 1874 | 15 September 1874 | Luis de Potestad | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Ulysses S. Grant |
| 15 September 1874 | 14 August 1878 | Antonio Mantilla de los Ríos | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Juan Zavala de la Puente | Ulysses S. Grant |
| 14 August 1878 | 3 February 1879 | Jose Brunetti y Gayeso | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Juan Zavala de la Puente | Rutherford B. Hayes |
| 3 February 1879 | 2 March 1881 | Felipe Mendes de Vigo y Oserio | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Antonio Canovas del Castillo | Rutherford B. Hayes |
| 2 March 1881 | 30 April 1881 | Jose Brunetti y Gayeso | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Antonio Canovas del Castillo | James A. Garfield |
| 30 April 1881 | 29 July 1883 | Francisco Barea del Corral | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Chester A. Arthur |
| 29 July 1883 | 29 January 1884 | Enrique Dupuy de Lôme | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Chester A. Arthur |
| 29 January 1884 | 11 February 1886 | Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | José Posada Herrera | Chester A. Arthur |
| 6 April 1886 | 29 October 1890 | Emilio de Muruaga | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Grover Cleveland |
| 14 November 1890 | 28 November 1891 | Miguel Saurez Guanes | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Antonio Canovas del Castillo | Grover Cleveland |
| 28 November 1891 | 30 September 1892 | Jose Felipe Sagrario | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Antonio Canovas del Castillo | Benjamin Harrison |
| 30 September 1892 | 31 January 1893 | Enrique Dupuy de Lôme | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Antonio Canovas del Castillo | Benjamin Harrison |
| 2 March 1893 | 16 April 1895 | Emilio de Muruaga | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Grover Cleveland |
| 16 April 1895 | 6 May 1895 | Jose Felipe Sagrario | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Grover Cleveland |
| 6 May 1895 | 11 February 1898 | Enrique Dupuy de Lôme | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Grover Cleveland |
| 11 February 1898 | 20 April 1898 | Juan du Besu | First secretary; Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | William McKinley |
| 20 April 1898 | 25 April 1898 | Luis Polo de Bernabé | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | William McKinley |
| Rupture of relations due to the Spanish–American War from May 1898 to May 1899 ||||||
| 3 June 1899 | 22 November 1901 | Jose Brunetti y Gayeso, Duke of Arcos | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Francisco Silvela | William McKinley |
| 22 November 1901 | 22 July 1902 | Juan Riaño y Gayangos | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Francisco Silvela | Theodore Roosevelt |
| 22 July 1902 | 20 March 1905 | Emilio de Ojeda y Perpiñán | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Praxedes Mateo Sagasta | Theodore Roosevelt |
| 11 April 1905 | 30 April 1905 | Manuel Walls y Merino | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Francisco Silvela | Theodore Roosevelt |
| 30 April 1905 | June 1905 | Luis Pastor | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Francisco Silvela | Theodore Roosevelt |
| June 1905 | 12 January 1907 | Bernardo Jacinto de Cólogan | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Francisco Silvela | Theodore Roosevelt |
| 13 March 1907 | 19 May 1909 | Ramón Piña y Millet | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Antonio Aguilar y Correa | Theodore Roosevelt |
| 24 June 1909 | 19 May 1909 | Luis Pastor | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Antonio Maura William Howard Taft |
| 19 May 1909 | 1 February 1910 | Rodrigo de Saavedra y Vinent, 2nd Marquess of Villalobar | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Antonio Maura William Howard Taft | William Howard Taft |
| 10 February 1910 | 24 May 1910 | Francisco de Zea Bermudes | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Antonio Maura William Howard Taft | William Howard Taft |
| 24 May 1910 | 1 December 1913 | Juan Riaño y Gayangos | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | Jose Canalejas | William Howard Taft |
| Legation became an embassy on 1 December 1913 ||||||
| 1 December 1913 | 31 July 1926 | Juan Riaño y Gayangos | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Jose Canalejas | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 23 August 1926 | 21 September 1926 | Mariano de Amoedo y Galarmendi | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Jose Canalejas | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 21 September 1926 | 11 October 1926 | Eduardo Garcia Comin | Consular of Embassy | Jose Canalejas | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 11 October 1926 | 7 June 1931 | Alejandro Padilla y Bell | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Miguel Primo de Rivera | Calvin Coolidge (until 1929) Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 15 April 1931 | 30 June 1931 | Count de Montefuerte | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Miguel Primo de Rivera | Calvin Coolidge (until 1929) Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 30 June 1931 | 23 December 1931 | Salvador de Madariaga | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora | Calvin Coolidge (until 1929) Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 10 January 1932 | 8 April 1934 | Juan Francisco de Cárdenas | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora | Calvin Coolidge (until 1929) Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 8 April 1934 | 10 September 1936 | Luis Calderón y Martín | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| 11 September 1936 | 20 October 1936 | Enrique de la Casa | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| 20 October 1936 | March 1939 | Fernando de los Ríos | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Manuel Azaña | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| The Embassy was closed in April 1939; the National (Franco) government was recognized on 1 April 1939, and the embassy reopened in May 1939 ||||||
| 3 April 1939 | 6 June 1939 | Juan Francisco de Cárdenas | Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Francisco Franco | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| 6 June 1939 | 1947 | Juan Francisco de Cárdenas | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| 19 August 1946 | 20 September 1949 | German Baraibar | Minister Plenipotentiary; Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Francisco Franco | Harry S. Truman |
| 20 September 1949 | 5 January 1951 | Eduardo Propper de Callejón | Minister Plenipotentiary; Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Francisco Franco | Harry S. Truman |
| 5 January 1951 | 10 August 1954 | José Félix de Lequerica | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | Harry S. Truman |
| 2 November 1954 | 7 July 1960 | Jose Maria Areilza, Count of Motrico | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 4 August 1960 | 5 April 1962 | Mariano Yturralde y Orbegoso | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 1 June 1962 | 13 February 1964 | Antonio Garrigues Díaz-Cañabate | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | John F. Kennedy |
| 21 April 1964 | 19 December 1969 | Alfonso Merry del Val y Alzola, Marquess of Merry del Val | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| 19 December 1969 | 4 February 1972 | Santiago Argüelles Armada | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Francisco Franco | Richard Nixon |
| 7 March 1972 | 6 May 1974 | Ángel Sagaz Zubelzu | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Carlos Arias Navarro | Richard Nixon |
| 6 May 1974 | 7 August 1974 | Joaquin Cervino | Minister Counselor; Charge d'Affaires ad interim | Carlos Arias Navarro | Gerald Ford |
| 7 August 1974 | 8 October 1976 | Jaime Alba Delibes | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Carlos Arias Navarro | Gerald Ford |
| 8 October 1976 | 8 June 1978 | José Rovira y Sánchez-Herrero | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Adolfo Suarez | Gerald Ford |
| 27 July 1978 | 24 July 1982 | Jose Llado y Fernandez-Urrutia | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Adolfo Suarez | Jimmy Carter |
| 20 September 1982 | 16 February 1983 | Nuño Aguirre de Carcer y Lopez de Sagredo | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Felipe González | Ronald Reagan |
| 31 March 1983 | 6 March 1987 | Gabriel Mañueco de Lecea | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Felipe González | Ronald Reagan |
| 31 March 1987 | 2 March 1990 | Julián Santamaría Ossorio | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Felipe González | Ronald Reagan |
| 17 April 1990 | 28 June 1996 | Jaime de Ojeda y Eiseley | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Felipe González | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 28 August 1996 | 30 June 2000 | Antonio de Oyarzabal | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | José María Aznar | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 2 August 2000 | 25 June 2004 | Francisco Javier Ruperez Rubio | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | José María Aznar | Bill Clinton (until 2001) George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 12 August 2004 | 18 July 2008 | Carlos Westendorp | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero | Bill Clinton (until 2001) George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 21 August 2008 | 13 April 2012 | Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero | Barack Obama |
| 5 June 2012 | 24 March 2017 | Ramon Gil-Casares Satrustegui | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Mariano Rajoy | Barack Obama |
| 24 March 2017 | 7 September 2018 | Pedro Morenés | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Mariano Rajoy | Donald Trump (until 2021; from 2025) Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 7 September 2018 | 17 January 2024 | Santiago Cabanas | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Pedro Sanchez | Donald Trump (until 2021; from 2025) Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 16 January 2024 | 20 January 2025 | Ángeles Moreno Bau | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Pedro Sanchez | Donald Trump (until 2021; from 2025) Joe Biden (2021–2025) |