List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress

This is a list of United States congressmen who have set records for longevity of service since the United States 1st Congress in 1789. It is divided up into several categories.

Uninterrupted time

Senate and House

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1807 John Brown Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		Virginia/Kentucky March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (S, H) 5,842 dd
March 3, 1807 November 13, 1892 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (S, H) 13,769 dd
November 13, 1892 December 28, 1950 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (S, H) 16,005 dd
December 28, 1950 October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 (H) 16,684 dd
October 24, 1957 November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (S, H) 20,773 dd
November 18, 2009 June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (S, H) 20,995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H) 21,571 dd

Senate

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 June 6, 1802 James Gunn Anti-Administration/
Federalist 		Georgia March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4,381 dd
John Langdon Pro-Administration/
Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		New Hampshire
June 6, 1802 December 6, 1808 Theodore Foster Pro-Administration/
Federalist/
Democratic-Republican 		Rhode Island June 7, 1790 - March 3, 1803 4,651 dd
December 6, 1808 December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 5,202 dd
December 25, 1811 May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 6,366 dd
May 12, 1822 March 5, 1841 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 7,752 dd
March 5, 1841 December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844 8,889 dd
December 11, 1845 September 24, 1896 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 10,797 dd
September 24, 1896 December 29, 1904 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/
Republican 		Vermont March 4, 1867 - December 28, 1898 11,622 dd
December 29, 1904 August 3, 1944 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 12,936 dd
August 3, 1944 November 17, 1952 Ellison D. Smith Democratic South Carolina March 4, 1909 - November 17, 1944 13,042 dd
November 17, 1952 January 3, 1963 Kenneth McKellar Democratic Tennessee March 4, 1917 - January 3, 1953 13,089 dd
January 3, 1963 September 9, 1998 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 15,281 dd
September 9, 1998 February 28, 2005 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican 		South Carolina November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003 16,858 dd
February 28, 2005 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 18,804 dd

House

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1803 George Thatcher Pro-Administration/
Federalist 		Massachusetts March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4,381 dd
March 3, 1803 December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 9,049 dd
December 12, 1825 March 9, 1908 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830 10,597 dd
March 9, 1908 March 21, 1940 Henry H. Bingham Republican Pennsylvania March 4, 1879 - March 22, 1912 12,071 dd
March 21, 1940 October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 16,684 dd
October 24, 1957 July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 17,789 dd
July 18, 1963 January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 18,324 dd
January 5, 1992 February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 19,418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 21,571 dd

Interrupted time

Senate and House

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1807 John Brown Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		Virginia/Kentucky March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (S, H) 5,842 dd
March 3, 1807 October 15, 1831 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (S, H) 13,769 dd
October 15, 1831 April 2, 1894 Samuel Smith Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		Maryland March 4, 1793 - March 3, 1815
January 31, 1816 - March 3, 1833 (S, H) 		14,274 dd
April 2, 1894 December 31, 1920 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (S, H) 16,005 dd
December 31, 1920 February 14, 1958 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1891
March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1913
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1923 (H) 		16,797 dd
February 14, 1958 November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (S, H) 20,773 dd
November 18, 2009 June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (S, H) 20,995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H) 21,571 dd

Senate

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 June 6, 1802 James Gunn Anti-Administration/
Federalist 		Georgia March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4,381 dd
John Langdon Pro-Administration/
Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		New Hampshire
June 6, 1802 December 6, 1808 Theodore Foster Pro-Administration/
Federalist/
Democratic-Republican 		Rhode Island June 7, 1790 - March 3, 1803 4,651 dd
December 6, 1808 December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 5,202 dd
December 25, 1811 May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 6,366 dd
May 12, 1822 March 8, 1832 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 7,752 dd
March 8, 1832 February 28, 1842 Samuel Smith Democratic-Republican Maryland March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1815
December 16, 1822 - March 3, 1833 		8,112 dd
February 28, 1842 December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844[1] 8,889 dd
December 11, 1845 October 8, 1894 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 10,797 dd
October 8, 1894 February 20, 1905 John Sherman Republican Ohio March 21, 1861 - March 8, 1877
March 4, 1881 - March 4, 1897 		11,675 dd
February 20, 1905 April 20, 1928 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 12,936 dd
April 20, 1928 March 8, 1964 Francis E. Warren Republican Wyoming November 18, 1890 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1895 - November 24, 1929 		13,519 dd
March 8, 1964 May 30, 1997 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 15,281 dd
May 30, 1997 June 10, 2006 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican 		South Carolina December 24, 1954 - April 4, 1956
November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003 		17,325 dd
June 10, 2006 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 18,804 dd

House

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1803 George Thatcher Pro-Administration/
Federalist 		Massachusetts March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4,381 dd
March 3, 1803 December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 9,049 dd
December 12, 1825 March 11, 1904 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830
March 4, 1831 - March 3, 1833 		11,327 dd
March 11, 1904 November 3, 1908 John H. Ketcham Republican New York March 4, 1865 - March 3, 1873
March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1897 - November 4, 1906 		12,295 dd
November 3, 1908 February 28, 1959 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1891
March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1913
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1923 		16,797 dd
February 28, 1959 July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 17,789 dd
July 18, 1963 January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 18,324 dd
January 5, 1992 February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 19,418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 21,571 dd

References

  1. ^ Also served from July 1, 1848 to December 20, 1852, but Benton surpassed his tenure in 1845.