# List of longest-serving governors of U.S. states

This list contains the 50 governors of states in the United States who have served for the longest years, consecutively or otherwise. Pre-statehood territorial and colonial governors are not included.
By time in office :
| # | Governor | State | Time in office | Took office | Left office | Party |
| 1 | Terry Branstad | Iowa | 8,169 days | January 14, 1983 | January 15, 1999 | Republican |
| 1 | Terry Branstad | Iowa | 8,169 days | January 14, 2011 | May 24, 2017 | Republican |
| 2 | George Clinton | New York | 7,641 days | July 30, 1777 | June 30, 1795 | Democratic-Republican |
| 2 | George Clinton | New York | 7,641 days | July 1, 1801 | June 30, 1804 | Democratic-Republican |
| 3 | George Wallace | Alabama | 5,848 days | January 14, 1963 | January 16, 1967 | Democratic |
| 3 | George Wallace | Alabama | 5,848 days | January 18, 1971 | January 15, 1979 | Democratic |
| 3 | George Wallace | Alabama | 5,848 days | January 17, 1983 | January 19, 1987 | Democratic |
| 4 | Jerry Brown | California | 5,847 days | January 6, 1975 | January 3, 1983 | Democratic |
| 4 | Jerry Brown | California | 5,847 days | January 3, 2011 | January 7, 2019 | Democratic |
| 4 | Bill Janklow | South Dakota | 5,847 days | January 1, 1979 | January 6, 1987 | Republican |
| 4 | Bill Janklow | South Dakota | 5,847 days | January 7, 1995 | January 3, 2003 | Republican |
| 6 | Jim Rhodes | Ohio | 5,840 days | January 14, 1963 | January 11, 1971 | Republican |
| 6 | Jim Rhodes | Ohio | 5,840 days | January 13, 1975 | January 10, 1983 | Republican |
| 6 | Jim Hunt | North Carolina | 5,840 days | January 8, 1977 | January 5, 1985 | Democratic |
| 6 | Jim Hunt | North Carolina | 5,840 days | January 9, 1993 | January 6, 2001 | Democratic |
| 8 | Edwin Edwards | Louisiana | 5,784 days | May 9, 1972 | March 10, 1980 | Democratic |
| 8 | Edwin Edwards | Louisiana | 5,784 days | March 12, 1984 | March 14, 1988 | Democratic |
| 8 | Edwin Edwards | Louisiana | 5,784 days | January 13, 1992 | January 8, 1996 | Democratic |
| 9 | Arthur Fenner | Rhode Island | 5,642 days | May 5, 1790 | October 15, 1805 | Country |
| 10 | Albert Ritchie | Maryland | 5,475 days | January 14, 1920 | January 9, 1935 | Democratic |
| 11 | Nelson Rockefeller | New York | 5,466 days | January 1, 1959 | December 18, 1973 | Republican |
| 12 | Rick Perry | Texas | 5,144 days | December 21, 2000 | January 20, 2015 | Republican |
| 13 | Tommy Thompson | Wisconsin | 5,142 days | January 5, 1987 | February 1, 2001 | Republican |
| 14 | Cecil Andrus | Idaho | 5,132 days | January 4, 1971 | January 23, 1977 | Democratic |
| 14 | Cecil Andrus | Idaho | 5,132 days | January 5, 1987 | January 2, 1995 | Democratic |
| 15 | John Taylor Gilman | New Hampshire | 5,119 days | June 5, 1794 | June 6, 1805 | Federalist |
| 15 | John Taylor Gilman | New Hampshire | 5,119 days | June 3, 1813 | June 6, 1816 | Federalist |
| 16 | Jim Thompson | Illinois | 5,118 days | January 10, 1977 | January 14, 1991 | Republican |
| 17 | Robert D. Ray | Iowa | 5,112 days | January 16, 1969 | January 14, 1983 | Republican |
| 18 | William Milliken | Michigan | 5,093 days | January 22, 1969 | January 1, 1983 | Republican |
| 19 | George W. P. Hunt | Arizona | 5,090 days | February 14, 1912 | January 1, 1917 | Democratic |
| 19 | George W. P. Hunt | Arizona | 5,090 days | December 25, 1917 | January 6, 1919 | Democratic |
| 19 | George W. P. Hunt | Arizona | 5,090 days | January 1, 1923 | January 7, 1929 | Democratic |
| 19 | George W. P. Hunt | Arizona | 5,090 days | January 5, 1931 | January 2, 1933 | Democratic |
| 20 | William Livingston | New Jersey | 5,077 days | August 31, 1776 | July 25, 1790 | Federalist |
| 21 | James Fenner | Rhode Island | 4,749 days | May 6, 1807 | May 1, 1811 | Democratic-Republican, Law and Order |
| 21 | James Fenner | Rhode Island | 4,749 days | May 5, 1824 | May 4, 1831 | Democratic-Republican, Law and Order |
| 21 | James Fenner | Rhode Island | 4,749 days | May 2, 1843 | May 6, 1845 | Democratic-Republican, Law and Order |
| 22 | Isaac Halstead Williamson | New Jersey | 4,650 days | February 6, 1817 | October 30, 1829 | Democratic-Republican |
| 23 | John Kitzhaber | Oregon | 4,428 days | January 9, 1995 | January 13, 2003 | Democratic |
| 23 | John Kitzhaber | Oregon | 4,428 days | January 10, 2011 | February 18, 2015 | Democratic |
| 24 | William Carroll | Tennessee | 4,395 days | October 1, 1821 | October 1, 1827 | Democratic-Republican, Democratic |
| 24 | William Carroll | Tennessee | 4,395 days | October 1, 1829 | October 12, 1835 | Democratic-Republican, Democratic |
| 25 | Arch A. Moore Jr. | West Virginia | 4,391 days | January 13, 1969 | January 17, 1977 | Republican |
| 25 | Arch A. Moore Jr. | West Virginia | 4,391 days | January 14, 1985 | January 16, 1989 | Republican |
| 26 | Butch Otter | Idaho | 4,390 days | January 1, 2007 | January 7, 2019 | Republican |
| 27 | Bruce King | New Mexico | 4,386 days | January 1, 1971 | January 1, 1975 | Democratic |
| 27 | Bruce King | New Mexico | 4,386 days | January 1, 1979 | January 1, 1983 | Democratic |
| 27 | Bruce King | New Mexico | 4,386 days | January 1, 1991 | January 1, 1995 | Democratic |
| 28 | Arthur B. Langlie | Washington | 4,384 days | January 15, 1941 | January 10, 1945 | Republican |
| 28 | Arthur B. Langlie | Washington | 4,384 days | January 12, 1949 | January 16, 1957 | Republican |
| 28 | G. Mennen Williams | Michigan | 4,384 days | January 1, 1949 | January 1, 1961 | Democratic |
| 28 | Michael Dukakis | Massachusetts | 4,384 days | January 2, 1975 | January 4, 1979 | Democratic |
| 28 | Michael Dukakis | Massachusetts | 4,384 days | January 6, 1983 | January 3, 1991 | Democratic |
| 28 | John Engler | Michigan | 4,384 days | January 1, 1991 | January 1, 2003 | Republican |
| 32 | Thomas E. Dewey | New York | 4,383 days | January 1, 1943 | December 31, 1954 | Republican |
| 32 | Robert E. Smylie | Idaho | 4,383 days | January 3, 1955 | January 2, 1967 | Republican |
| 32 | Orval Faubus | Arkansas | 4,383 days | January 11, 1955 | January 10, 1967 | Democratic |
| 32 | John A. Burns | Hawaii | 4,383 days | December 3, 1962 | December 2, 1974 | Democratic |
| 32 | Cal Rampton | Utah | 4,383 days | January 4, 1965 | January 3, 1977 | Democratic |
| 32 | Daniel J. Evans | Washington | 4,383 days | January 13, 1965 | January 12, 1977 | Republican |
| 32 | George Ariyoshi | Hawaii | 4,383 days | December 2, 1974 | December 1, 1986 | Democratic |
| 32 | Edgar Herschler | Wyoming | 4,383 days | January 6, 1975 | January 5, 1987 | Democratic |
| 32 | Richard Lamm | Colorado | 4,383 days | January 14, 1975 | January 13, 1987 | Democratic |
| 32 | Mario Cuomo | New York | 4,383 days | January 1, 1983 | December 31, 1994 | Democratic |
| 32 | Roy Romer | Colorado | 4,383 days | January 13, 1987 | January 12, 1999 | Democratic |
| 32 | George Pataki | New York | 4,383 days | January 1, 1995 | December 31, 2006 | Republican |
| 32 | Jay Inslee | Washington | 4,383 days | January 16, 2013 | January 15, 2025 | Democratic |
| 45 | William L. Guy | North Dakota | 4,382 days | January 4, 1961 | January 2, 1973 | Democratic–Nonpartisan League |
| 46 | Bill Clinton | Arkansas | 4,366 days | January 9, 1979 | January 19, 1981 | Democratic |
| 46 | Bill Clinton | Arkansas | 4,366 days | January 11, 1983 | December 12, 1992 | Democratic |
| 47 | William A. Egan | Alaska | 4,351 days | January 3, 1959 | December 5, 1966 | Democratic |
| 47 | William A. Egan | Alaska | 4,351 days | December 7, 1970 | December 2, 1974 | Democratic |
| 48 | John Marshall Stone | Mississippi | 4,305 days | March 29, 1876 | January 2, 1882 | Democratic |
| 48 | John Marshall Stone | Mississippi | 4,305 days | January 13, 1890 | January 20, 1896 | Democratic |
| 49 | Jonathan Trumbull Jr. | Connecticut | 4,267 days | December 1, 1797 | August 7, 1809 | Federalist |
| 50 | John Sevier | Tennessee | 4,193 days | March 30, 1796 | September 23, 1801 | Democratic-Republican |
| 50 | John Sevier | Tennessee | 4,193 days | September 23, 1803 | September 20, 1809 | Democratic-Republican |