# List of secretaries of state of the United States

This is a list of secretaries of state of the United States.

## Secretaries of foreign affairs (1781–1789)

On January 10, 1780, the Congress of the Confederation created the Department of Foreign Affairs.
On August 10, 1781, Congress selected Robert R. Livingston, a delegate from New York, as the first Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Livingston was unable to take office until October 20, 1781. He served until June 4, 1783, and was succeeded by John Jay on December 21, 1784, who served until March 4, 1789, when the government under the Articles of Confederation gave way to the government under the Constitution.
The office of Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs were reinstated by a law signed by George Washington on July 27, 1789. John Jay retained the post on an interim basis, pending the return of Thomas Jefferson from France.
Secretaries of foreign affairs (1781–1789) :
| No. | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Robert R. Livingston | New York | October 20, 1781 | June 4, 1783 |
| 2 | John Jay | New York | December 21, 1784 | March 4, 1789 |
| — | John Jay Acting | New York | July 27, 1789 | September 15, 1789 |

## Secretaries of state

On September 15, 1789, before Jefferson could return to take the post, Washington signed into law another act which changed the name of the office from Secretary of Foreign Affairs to Secretary of State, changed the name of the department to the Department of State, and added several domestic powers and responsibilities to both the office of secretary and the department. Thomas Jefferson took office as the first secretary of state on March 22, 1790.

### 18th and 19th Centuries

List of Secretaries of State from September 15, 1789 to September 29, 1898
| N° | Secretary | Secretary | Party | Party | Vote | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | State | President(s) | President(s) |
| N° | Portrait | Name | Party | Party | Vote | Took office | Left office | Term Length | State | President(s) | President(s) |
| – | | John Jay (1745–1829) | | Federalist | – | September 15, 1789 | March 22, 1790 | 188 days | New York | | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 1 | | Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) | | Democratic- Republican | – | March 22, 1790 | December 31, 1793 | 3 years, 284 days | Virginia | | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 2 | | Edmund Randolph (1753–1813) | | Federalist | – | January 2, 1794 | August 20, 1795 | 1 year, 232 days | Virginia | | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 3 | | Timothy Pickering (1745–1829) | | Federalist | – | August 20, 1795 | December 10, 1795 | 4 years, 265 days | Pennsylvania | | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 3 | | Timothy Pickering (1745–1829) | | Federalist | – | December 10, 1795 | May 12, 1800 | 4 years, 265 days | Pennsylvania | | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 3 | | Timothy Pickering (1745–1829) | | Federalist | – | December 10, 1795 | May 12, 1800 | 4 years, 265 days | Pennsylvania | | John Adams (1797–1801) |
| – | | Charles Lee (1758–1815) | | Federalist | – | May 13, 1800 | June 5, 1800 | 23 days | Virginia | | John Adams (1797–1801) |
| 4 | | John Marshall (1755–1835) | | Federalist | – | June 13, 1800 | February 4, 1801 | 264 days | Virginia | | John Adams (1797–1801) |
| 4 | | John Marshall (1755–1835) | | Federalist | – | February 4, 1801 | March 4, 1801 | 264 days | Virginia | | John Adams (1797–1801) |
| – | | Levi Lincoln Sr. (1749–1820) | | Democratic- Republican | – | March 5, 1801 | May 1, 1801 | 57 days | Massachusetts | | Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809) |
| 5 | | James Madison (1751–1836) | | Democratic- Republican | – | May 2, 1801 | March 3, 1809 | 7 years, 305 days | Virginia | | Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809) |
| 6 | | Robert Smith (1757–1842) | | Democratic- Republican | – | March 6, 1809 | April 1, 1811 | 2 years, 26 days | Maryland | | James Madison (1809–1817) |
| 7 | | James Monroe (1758–1831) | | Democratic- Republican | 30–0 | April 2, 1811 | September 30, 1814 | 5 years, 335 days | Virginia | | James Madison (1809–1817) |
| 7 | | James Monroe (1758–1831) | | Democratic- Republican | 30–0 | October 1, 1814 | February 28, 1815 | 5 years, 335 days | Virginia | | James Madison (1809–1817) |
| 7 | | James Monroe (1758–1831) | | Democratic- Republican | 30–0 | February 28, 1815 | March 3, 1817 | 5 years, 335 days | Virginia | | James Madison (1809–1817) |
| – | | John Graham (1774–1820) | | Democratic- Republican | – | March 4, 1817 | March 9, 1817 | 5 days | Kentucky | | James Monroe (1817–1825) |
| – | | Richard Rush (1780–1859) | | Federalist | – | March 10, 1817 | September 22, 1817 | 196 days | Pennsylvania | | James Monroe (1817–1825) |
| 8 | | John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) | | Democratic- Republican | 29–1 | September 22, 1817 | March 3, 1825 | 7 years, 162 days | Massachusetts | | James Monroe (1817–1825) |
| – | | Daniel Brent (1770–1841) | | Democratic- Republican | – | March 4, 1825 | March 7, 1825 | 3 days | Virginia | | John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) |
| 9 | | Henry Clay (1777–1852) | | Democratic- Republican | 27–14 | March 7, 1825 | March 3, 1829 | 3 years, 361 days | Kentucky | | John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) |
| 9 | | Henry Clay (1777–1852) | | National Republican | 27–14 | March 7, 1825 | March 3, 1829 | 3 years, 361 days | Kentucky | | John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) |
| – | | James Alexander Hamilton (1788–1878) | | Democratic | – | March 4, 1829 | March 27, 1829 | 23 days | New York | | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 10 | | Martin Van Buren (1782–1862) | | Democratic | 25–7 | March 28, 1829 | May 23, 1831 | 2 years, 56 days | New York | | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 11 | | Edward Livingston (1764–1836) | | Democratic | – | May 24, 1831 | May 29, 1833 | 2 years, 5 days | Louisiana | | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 12 | | Louis McLane (1786–1857) | | Democratic | | May 29, 1833 | June 30, 1834 | 1 year, 32 days | Delaware | | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 13 | | John Forsyth (1780–1841) | | Democratic | – | July 1, 1834 | March 3, 1841 | 6 years, 245 days | Georgia | | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 13 | | John Forsyth (1780–1841) | | Democratic | – | July 1, 1834 | March 3, 1841 | 6 years, 245 days | Georgia | | Martin Van Buren (1837–1841) |
| – | | Jacob L. Martin (?–1848) | | – | – | March 4, 1841 | March 5, 1841 | 1 day | District of Columbia | | William Henry Harrison (1841) |
| 14 | | Daniel Webster (1782–1852) | | Whig | – | March 6, 1841 | May 8, 1843 | 2 years, 63 days | Massachusetts | | William Henry Harrison (1841) |
| 14 | | Daniel Webster (1782–1852) | | Whig | – | March 6, 1841 | May 8, 1843 | 2 years, 63 days | Massachusetts | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| – | | Hugh S. Legaré (1797–1843) | | Democratic | – | May 9, 1843 | June 20, 1843 | 42 days | South Carolina | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| – | | William S. Derrick (1802–1852) | | – | – | June 21, 1843 | June 23, 1843 | 2 days | Pennsylvania | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| 15 | | Abel P. Upshur (1791–1844) | | Whig | – | June 24, 1843 | July 23, 1843 | 220 days | Virginia | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| 15 | | Abel P. Upshur (1791–1844) | | Whig | – | July 24, 1843 | February 28, 1844 | 220 days | Virginia | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| – | | John Nelson (1791–1860) | | Whig | – | February 29, 1844 | March 31, 1844 | 31 days | Maryland | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| 16 | | John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) | | Democratic | – | April 1, 1844 | March 10, 1845 | 343 days | South Carolina | | John Tyler (1841–1845) |
| 17 | | James Buchanan (1791–1868) | | Democratic | – | March 10, 1845 | March 7, 1849 | 3 years, 362 days | Pennsylvania | | James K. Polk (1845–1849) |
| 18 | | John M. Clayton (1796–1856) | | Whig | – | March 8, 1849 | July 22, 1850 | 1 year, 136 days | Delaware | | Zachary Taylor (1849–1850) |
| 18 | | John M. Clayton (1796–1856) | | Whig | – | March 8, 1849 | July 22, 1850 | 1 year, 136 days | Delaware | | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| 19 | | Daniel Webster (1782–1852) | | Whig | – | July 23, 1850 | October 24, 1852 | 2 years, 93 days | Massachusetts | | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| – | | Charles Magill Conrad (1804–1878) | | Whig | – | October 25, 1852 | November 5, 1852 | 11 days | Louisiana | | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| 20 | | Edward Everett (1794–1865) | | Whig | – | November 6, 1852 | March 3, 1853 | 117 days | Massachusetts | | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| – | | William Hunter (1805–1886) | | – | – | March 4, 1853 | March 7, 1853 | 3 days | Rhode Island | | Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) |
| 21 | | William L. Marcy (1786–1857) | | Democratic | – | March 7, 1853 | March 6, 1857 | 3 years, 364 days | New York | | Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) |
| 22 | | Lewis Cass (1782–1866) | | Democratic | – | March 6, 1857 | December 14, 1860 | 3 years, 283 days | Michigan | | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
| – | | William Hunter (1805–1886) | | – | – | December 15, 1860 | December 16, 1860 | 1 day | Rhode Island | | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
| 23 | | Jeremiah S. Black (1810–1883) | | Democratic | – | December 17, 1860 | March 5, 1861 | 78 days | New York | | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
| 24 | | William H. Seward (1801–1872) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1861 | March 4, 1869 | 7 years, 364 days | New York | | Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) |
| 24 | | William H. Seward (1801–1872) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1861 | March 4, 1869 | 7 years, 364 days | New York | | Andrew Johnson (1865–1869) |
| 25 | | Elihu B. Washburne (1816–1887) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1869 | March 16, 1869 | 11 days | Illinois | | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
| 26 | | Hamilton Fish (1808–1893) | | Republican | – | March 17, 1869 | March 12, 1877 | 7 years, 360 days | New York | | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
| 27 | | William M. Evarts (1818–1901) | | Republican | 44–2 | March 12, 1877 | March 7, 1881 | 3 years, 360 days | New York | | Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881) |
| 28 | | James G. Blaine (1830–1893) | | Republican | – | March 7, 1881 | December 19, 1881 | 287 days | Maine | | James A. Garfield (1881) |
| 28 | | James G. Blaine (1830–1893) | | Republican | – | March 7, 1881 | December 19, 1881 | 287 days | Maine | | Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
| 29 | | Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (1817–1885) | | Republican | – | December 19, 1881 | March 6, 1885 | 3 years, 77 days | New Jersey | | Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
| 30 | | Thomas F. Bayard (1828–1898) | | Democratic | – | March 7, 1885 | March 6, 1889 | 3 years, 364 days | Delaware | | Grover Cleveland (1885–1889) |
| 31 | | James G. Blaine (1830–1893) | | Republican | – | March 7, 1889 | June 4, 1892 | 3 years, 89 days | Maine | | Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) |
| – | | William F. Wharton (1847–1919) | | Republican | – | June 4, 1892 | June 29, 1892 | 25 days | Massachusetts | | Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) |
| 32 | | John W. Foster (1836–1917) | | Republican | – | June 29, 1892 | February 23, 1893 | 239 days | Indiana | | Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) |
| – | | William F. Wharton (1847–1919) | | Republican | – | February 24, 1893 | March 6, 1893 | 10 days | Massachusetts | | Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) |
| – | | William F. Wharton (1847–1919) | | Republican | – | February 24, 1893 | March 6, 1893 | 10 days | Massachusetts | | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
| 33 | | Walter Q. Gresham (1832–1895) | | Democratic | – | March 7, 1893 | May 28, 1895 | 2 years, 82 days | Illinois | | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
| – | | Edwin F. Uhl (1841–1901) | | Democratic | – | May 28, 1895 | June 9, 1895 | 12 days | Michigan | | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
| 34 | | Richard Olney (1835–1917) | | Democratic | – | June 10, 1895 | March 5, 1897 | 1 year, 268 days | Massachusetts | | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
| 35 | | John Sherman (1823–1900) | | Republican | – | March 6, 1897 | April 27, 1898 | 1 year, 52 days | Ohio | | William McKinley (1897–1901) |
| 36 | | William R. Day (1849–1923) | | Republican | – | April 28, 1898 | September 16, 1898 | 141 days | Ohio | | William McKinley (1897–1901) |
| – | | Alvey A. Adee (1842–1924) | | Independent | – | September 17, 1898 | September 29, 1898 | 12 days | New York | | William McKinley (1897–1901) |

### 20th and 21st Centuries

List of Secretaries of State from September 30, 1898 to the present.
| N° | Secretary | Secretary | Party | Party | Vote | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | State | President(s) | President(s) |
| N° | Portrait | Name | Party | Party | Vote | Took office | Left office | Term | State | President(s) | President(s) |
| 37 | | John Hay (1838–1905) | | Republican | – | September 30, 1898 | July 1, 1905 | 6 years, 274 days | District of Columbia |
| 37 | | John Hay (1838–1905) | | Republican | – | September 30, 1898 | July 1, 1905 | 6 years, 274 days | District of Columbia | | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| – | | Francis B. Loomis (1861–1948) | | Republican | – | July 1, 1905 | July 18, 1905 | 17 days | Ohio | | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 38 | | Elihu Root (1845–1937) | | Republican | – | July 19, 1905 | January 27, 1909 | 3 years, 192 days | New York | | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 39 | | Robert Bacon (1860–1919) | | Republican | – | January 27, 1909 | March 5, 1909 | 37 days | New York | | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 40 | | Philander C. Knox (1853–1921) | | Republican | – | March 6, 1909 | March 5, 1913 | 3 years, 364 days | Pennsylvania | | William Howard Taft (1909–1913) |
| 41 | | William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925) | | Democratic | – | March 5, 1913 | June 9, 1915 | 2 years, 96 days | Nebraska | | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| 42 | | Robert Lansing (1864–1928) | | Democratic | – | June 9, 1915 | June 24, 1915 | 4 years, 249 days | New York | | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| 42 | | Robert Lansing (1864–1928) | | Democratic | – | June 24, 1915 | February 13, 1920 | 4 years, 249 days | New York | | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| – | | Frank Polk (1871–1943) | | Democratic | – | February 14, 1920 | March 14, 1920 | 29 days | New York | | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| 43 | | Bainbridge Colby (1869–1950) | | Democratic | – | March 23, 1920 | March 4, 1921 | 346 days | New York | | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| 44 | | Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1921 | March 4, 1925 | 3 years, 364 days | New York | | Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) |
| 44 | | Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1921 | March 4, 1925 | 3 years, 364 days | New York | | Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 45 | | Frank B. Kellogg (1856–1937) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1925 | March 28, 1929 | 4 years, 23 days | Minnesota | | Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 45 | | Frank B. Kellogg (1856–1937) | | Republican | – | March 5, 1925 | March 28, 1929 | 4 years, 23 days | Minnesota | | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 46 | | Henry L. Stimson (1867–1950) | | Republican | – | March 28, 1929 | March 4, 1933 | 3 years, 341 days | New York | | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 47 | | Cordell Hull (1871–1955) | | Democratic | – | March 4, 1933 | November 30, 1944 | 11 years, 271 days | Tennessee | | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
| 48 | | Edward Stettinius Jr. (1900–1949) | | Democratic | 68–1 | December 1, 1944 | June 27, 1945 | 208 days | Virginia | | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
| 48 | | Edward Stettinius Jr. (1900–1949) | | Democratic | 68–1 | December 1, 1944 | June 27, 1945 | 208 days | Virginia | | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| – | | Joseph Grew (1880–1965) | | Independent | – | June 28, 1945 | July 3, 1945 | 5 days | New Hampshire | | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 49 | | James F. Byrnes (1882–1972) | | Democratic | – | July 3, 1945 | January 21, 1947 | 1 year, 202 days | South Carolina | | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 50 | | George C. Marshall (1880–1959) | | Independent | – | January 21, 1947 | January 20, 1949 | 1 year, 365 days | Pennsylvania | | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 51 | | Dean Acheson (1893–1971) | | Democratic | 83–6 | January 21, 1949 | January 20, 1953 | 3 years, 365 days | Maryland | | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| – | | H. Freeman Matthews (1899–1986) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1953 | January 21, 1953 | 1 day | Maryland | | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 52 | | John Foster Dulles (1888–1959) | | Republican | – | January 21, 1953 | April 22, 1959 | 6 years, 91 days | New York | | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 53 | | Christian Herter (1895–1966) | | Republican | 93–0 | April 22, 1959 | January 20, 1961 | 1 year, 273 days | Massachusetts | | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| – | | Livingston T. Merchant (1903–1976) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1961 | January 21, 1961 | 1 day | District of Columbia | | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 54 | | Dean Rusk (1909–1994) | | Democratic | – | January 21, 1961 | January 20, 1969 | 7 years, 365 days | New York | | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 54 | | Dean Rusk (1909–1994) | | Democratic | – | January 21, 1961 | January 20, 1969 | 7 years, 365 days | New York | | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| – | | Charles E. Bohlen (1904–1974) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1969 | January 22, 1969 | 2 days | District of Columbia | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 55 | | William P. Rogers (1913–2001) | | Republican | – | January 22, 1969 | September 3, 1973 | 4 years, 224 days | Maryland | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| – | | Kenneth Rush (1910–1994) | | Republican | – | September 3, 1973 | September 22, 1973 | 19 days | Florida | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 56 | | Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) | | Republican | 78–7 | September 22, 1973 | January 20, 1977 | 3 years, 120 days | District of Columbia | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 56 | | Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) | | Republican | 78–7 | September 22, 1973 | January 20, 1977 | 3 years, 120 days | District of Columbia | | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| – | | Philip Habib (1920–1992) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1977 | January 23, 1977 | 3 days | California | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 57 | | Cyrus Vance (1917–2002) | | Democratic | Voice | January 23, 1977 | April 28, 1980 | 3 years, 96 days | New York | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| – | | Warren Christopher (1925–2011) | | Democratic | – | April 28, 1980 | May 2, 1980 | 4 days | California | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| – | | David D. Newsom (1918–2008) | | Independent | – | May 2, 1980 | May 3, 1980 | 1 day | California | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| – | | Richard N. Cooper (1934–2020) | | Independent | – | May 3, 1980 | May 3, 1980 | 0 days | Connecticut | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| – | | David D. Newsom (1918–2008) | | Independent | – | May 3, 1980 | May 4, 1980 | 1 day | California | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| – | | Warren Christopher (1925–2011) | | Democratic | – | May 4, 1980 | May 8, 1980 | 4 days | California | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 58 | | Edmund Muskie (1914–1996) | | Democratic | 94–2 | May 8, 1980 | January 18, 1981 | 255 days | Maine | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| – | | David D. Newsom (1918–2008) | | Independent | – | January 18, 1981 | January 22, 1981 | 4 days | California | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 59 | | Alexander Haig (1924–2010) | | Republican | 93–6 | January 22, 1981 | July 5, 1982 | 1 year, 164 days | Connecticut | | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| – | | Walter J. Stoessel Jr. (1920–1986) | | Independent | – | July 5, 1982 | July 16, 1982 | 11 days | California | | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 60 | | George Shultz (1920–2021) | | Republican | 97–0 | July 16, 1982 | January 20, 1989 | 6 years, 188 days | California | | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| – | | Michael Armacost (1937–2025) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1989 | January 25, 1989 | 5 days | Maryland | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 61 | | James Baker (b. 1930) | | Republican | 99–0 | January 25, 1989 | August 23, 1992 | 3 years, 211 days | Texas | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 62 | | Lawrence Eagleburger (1930–2011) | | Republican | – | August 23, 1992 | December 8, 1992 | 150 days | Florida | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 62 | | Lawrence Eagleburger (1930–2011) | | Republican | Recess | December 8, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | 150 days | Florida | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| – | | Arnold Kanter (1945–2010) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1993 | January 20, 1993 | 0 days | District of Columbia | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| – | | Frank G. Wisner (1938–2025) | | Independent | – | January 20, 1993 | January 20, 1993 | 0 days | District of Columbia | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 63 | | Warren Christopher (1925–2011) | | Democratic | Voice | January 20, 1993 | January 17, 1997 | 3 years, 363 days | California | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 64 | | Madeleine Albright (1937–2022) | | Democratic | 99–0 | January 23, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | 3 years, 363 days | District of Columbia | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 65 | | Colin Powell (1937–2021) | | Republican | Voice | January 20, 2001 | January 26, 2005 | 4 years, 6 days | Virginia | | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 66 | | Condoleezza Rice (b. 1954) | | Republican | 85–13 | January 26, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | 3 years, 360 days | California | | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| – | | Bill Burns (b. 1956) | | Independent | – | January 20, 2009 | January 21, 2009 | 1 day | District of Columbia | | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 67 | | Hillary Clinton (b. 1947) | | Democratic | 94–2 | January 21, 2009 | February 1, 2013 | 4 years, 11 days | New York | | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 68 | | John Kerry (b. 1943) | | Democratic | 94–3 | February 1, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | 3 years, 354 days | Massachusetts | | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | | Tom Shannon (b. 1958) | | Republican | – | January 20, 2017 | February 1, 2017 | 12 days | Minnesota | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 69 | | Rex Tillerson (b. 1952) | | Republican | 55–43 | February 1, 2017 | March 31, 2018 | 1 year, 58 days | Texas | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | | John Sullivan (b. 1959) | | Republican | – | April 1, 2018 | April 26, 2018 | 25 days | Massachusetts | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 70 | | Mike Pompeo (b. 1963) | | Republican | 57–42 | April 26, 2018 | January 20, 2021 | 2 years, 269 days | Kansas | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | | Daniel Bennett Smith (b. 1956) | | Independent | – | January 20, 2021 | January 26, 2021 | 6 days | Virginia | | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 71 | | Antony Blinken (b. 1962) | | Democratic | 78–22 | January 26, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | 3 years, 360 days | New York | | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| – | | Lisa Kenna (b. 1965) | | Independent | – | January 20, 2025 | January 21, 2025 | 1 day | Vermont | | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
| 72 | | Marco Rubio (b. 1971) | | Republican | 99–0 | January 21, 2025 | present | 51 days | Florida | | Donald Trump (2025–present) |

## List of secretaries of state by time in office

* 11 years, 271 days Cordell Hull from 1933 to 1944
* 7 years, 364 days Dean Rusk from 1961 to 1969
* 7 years, 364 days William H. Seward from 1861 to 1869
* 43 days Lawrence Eagleburger from 1992 to 1993
* 37 days Robert Bacon in 1909
* 11 days Elihu B. Washburne in 1869
This is a list of United States secretaries of state by time in office. This is based on the difference between dates; if counted by number of calendar days all the figures would be one greater. Cordell Hull is the only person to have served as secretary of state for more than eight years. Daniel Webster and James G. Blaine are the only secretaries of state to have ever served non-consecutive terms. Warren Christopher served very briefly as acting secretary of state non-consecutively with his later tenure as full-fledged secretary of state. Elihu B. Washburne served as secretary of state for less than two weeks before becoming ambassador to France.
| No. in office | Secretary | Length of service (days) | Rank |
| 47 | Cordell Hull | 4289 | 1 |
| 54 | Dean Rusk | 2921 | 2 |
| 24 | William H. Seward | 2921 | 2 |
| 26 | Hamilton Fish | 2917 | 4 |
| 5 | James Madison | 2862 | 5 |
| 8 | John Quincy Adams | 2719 | 6 |
| 37 | John Hay | 2465 | 7 |
| 13 | John Forsyth | 2437 | 8 |
| 60 | George Shultz | 2380 | 9 |
| 52 | John Foster Dulles | 2282 | 10 |
| 7 | James Monroe | 2011 | 11 |
| 42 | Robert Lansing | 1695 | 12 |
| 55 | William P. Rogers | 1685 | 13 |
| 14/19 | Daniel Webster | 1617 | 14 |
| 3 | Timothy Pickering | 1614 | 15 |
| 45 | Frank B. Kellogg | 1484 | 16 |
| 28/31 | James G. Blaine | 1472 | 17 |
| 67 | Hillary Clinton | 1472 | 17 |
| 65 | Colin Powell | 1467 | 19 |
| 51 | Dean Acheson | 1460 | 20 |
| 21 | William L. Marcy | 1460 | 20 |
| 30 | Thomas F. Bayard Sr. | 1460 | 20 |
| 40 | Philander C. Knox | 1460 | 20 |
| 44 | Charles Evans Hughes | 1460 | 20 |
| 63 | Warren Christopher | 1458 | 25 |
| 64 | Madeleine Albright | 1458 | 25 |
| 17 | James Buchanan | 1458 | 25 |
| 9 | Henry Clay | 1457 | 28 |
| 27 | William M. Evarts | 1456 | 29 |
| 66 | Condoleezza Rice | 1455 | 30 |
| 71 | Antony Blinken | 1455 | 30 |
| 68 | John Kerry | 1449 | 32 |
| 46 | Henry L. Stimson | 1437 | 33 |
| 1 | Thomas Jefferson | 1380 | 34 |
| 22 | Lewis Cass | 1379 | 35 |
| 61 | James Baker | 1306 | 36 |
| 38 | Elihu Root | 1288 | 37 |
| 56 | Henry Kissinger | 1216 | 38 |
| 57 | Cyrus Vance | 1191 | 39 |
| 29 | Frederick T. Frelinghuysen | 1173 | 40 |
| 70 | Mike Pompeo | 1000 | 41 |
| 41 | William Jennings Bryan | 826 | 42 |
| 33 | Walter Q. Gresham | 812 | 43 |
| 10 | Martin Van Buren | 786 | 44 |
| 6 | Robert Smith | 756 | 45 |
| 11 | Edward Livingston | 736 | 46 |
| 50 | George C. Marshall | 730 | 47 |
| 53 | Christian Herter | 639 | 48 |
| 34 | Richard Olney | 634 | 49 |
| 2 | Edmund Randolph | 595 | 50 |
| 49 | James F. Byrnes | 567 | 51 |
| 59 | Alexander Haig | 529 | 52 |
| 18 | John M. Clayton | 501 | 53 |
| 69 | Rex Tillerson | 423 | 54 |
| 35 | John Sherman | 417 | 55 |
| 12 | Louis McLane | 397 | 56 |
| 43 | Bainbridge Colby | 346 | 57 |
| 16 | John C. Calhoun | 343 | 58 |
| 4 | John Marshall | 264 | 59 |
| 58 | Edmund Muskie | 257 | 60 |
| 32 | John W. Foster | 239 | 61 |
| 15 | Abel P. Upshur | 219 | 62 |
| 48 | Edward Stettinius Jr. | 208 | 63 |
| 36 | William R. Day | 141 | 64 |
| 20 | Edward Everett | 117 | 65 |
| 23 | Jeremiah S. Black | 78 | 66 |
| 72 | Marco Rubio | 51 | 67 |
| 62 | Lawrence Eagleburger | 43 | 68 |
| 39 | Robert Bacon | 37 | 69 |
| 25 | Elihu B. Washburne | 11 | 70 |