The winner of the shortest State of the Union address goes to George Washington for his first address in 1790.
How long will Trump’s speech be tonight? These are the longest and shortest State of the Union addresses
The State of the Union address, delivered by the US President to Congress, is a momentous annual event. But, not all addresses are created equal. Some are concise and to the point, while others stretch on for an extended period.
The length of State of the Union addresses has evolved over time. Early on, they were generally shorter, but with the advent of television and the desire to connect with the public, addresses have become longer and more elaborate.
The longest State of the Union addresses
Determining the “longest State of the Union address” depends on how we define “address.” If we consider written submissions, then Jimmy Carter’s 1981 address takes the cake at a whopping 33,667 words. This written report, however, wasn’t delivered as a speech, making it an outlier.
This year, several Democrats have announced they will not be attending the ceremony to protest Donald Trump’s policies and his administration’s cover up of the Epstein files.
Tomorrow, I will not be attending the State of the Union.
— Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@RepMaxwellFrost) February 24, 2026
Instead, I’ll be at the People’s State of the Union, because while this administration may desperately try to suppress the opposition and consolidate authoritarian power, it cannot silence the truth or the people… pic.twitter.com/haSmEXNGOZ
For spoken addresses, the record belongs to Bill Clinton. His 2000 address stretched on for 1 hour and 28 minutes, 49 seconds. This marathon speech covered a wide range of topics, from healthcare to education, and remains the longest delivered State of the Union address in history. He also holds the record for most words spoken with a tally of 9,190 in 1995.
The shortest State of the Union addresses
The title of “shortest State of the Union address” goes to George Washington’s inaugural address in 1790. Clocking in at a mere 1,089 words, it was delivered in just 10 minutes. The length of speeches increased after James Monroe became president in the early 19th century.
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