Presidential burial sites: Where each of the US presidents is laid to rest

WASHINGTON - Former President Jimmy Carter died on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100, prompting a state funeral in Washington and burial plans in his beloved hometown of Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center announced.

As the nation prepares to honor its 39th president, Carter's death adds another chapter to the rich history of presidential burial sites that spans from Mount Vernon to modern presidential libraries.

FILE - Mourners view the casket of former President Jimmy Carter as he lies in repose at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum on Jan. 6, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)

Legacy of presidential burials

The backstory: The burial places of U.S. presidents have evolved over time, reflecting changes in tradition and how we memorialize our nation's leaders.

Early presidents often chose to be laid to rest on their family estates, a practice started by George Washington at Mount Vernon and followed by fellow Virginians Thomas Jefferson at Monticello and James Madison at Montpelier.

However, the 20th century saw a shift towards presidential libraries as the preferred final resting places for modern presidents, beginning with Herbert Hoover in West Branch, Iowa. These institutions serve as both document repositories and museums, celebrating the lives and legacies of the leaders they honor.

Today, presidents have the choice of being buried at their presidential libraries, historic family estates, or private family plots, each option offering a unique way to remember and honor their contributions to the nation.

By the numbers:

• 13 presidents buried at presidential libraries, museums, centers or memorials
• 9 presidents buried at private family plots, cemeteries or homesteads
• 8 presidents buried at public cemeteries (including Arlington National Cemetery)
• 6 presidents buried at church cemeteries or burial grounds
• 3 presidents entombed in grand public memorials or mausoleums
• 5 presidents are still alive as of January 2025 (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden)

Complete list of presidential burial sites

Early Presidents (1-10):

• George Washington - Mount Vernon Estate, Virginia
• John Adams - United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts
• Thomas Jefferson - Monticello Estate, Virginia
• James Madison - Montpelier Estate, Virginia
• James Monroe - Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
• John Quincy Adams - United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts
• Andrew Jackson - The Hermitage Estate, Nashville, Tennessee
• Martin Van Buren - Kinderhook Reformed Church Cemetery, New York
• William Henry Harrison - Harrison Tomb State Memorial, Ohio
• John Tyler - Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

Mid-19th Century Presidents (11-20)

• James K. Polk - Tennessee State Capitol grounds, Nashville, Tennessee
• Zachary Taylor - Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky
• Millard Fillmore - Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York
• Franklin Pierce - Old North Cemetery, Concord, New Hampshire
• James Buchanan - Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Abraham Lincoln - Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois
• Andrew Johnson - Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, Tennessee
• Ulysses S. Grant - Grant's Tomb National Memorial, New York City
• Rutherford B. Hayes - Spiegel Grove Estate, Fremont, Ohio
• James A. Garfield - Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio

Late 19th-Early 20th Century Presidents (21-30)

• Chester Arthur - Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, New York
• Grover Cleveland - Princeton Cemetery, New Jersey
• Benjamin Harrison - Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana
• William McKinley - McKinley National Memorial, Canton, Ohio
• Theodore Roosevelt - Youngs Memorial Cemetery, Oyster Bay, New York
• William Howard Taft - Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
• Woodrow Wilson - Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
• Warren G. Harding - Harding Memorial, Marion, Ohio
• Calvin Coolidge - Plymouth Notch Cemetery, Vermont
• Herbert Hoover - Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, West Branch, Iowa

Modern Era Presidents (31-39)

• Franklin D. Roosevelt - Springwood Estate, Hyde Park, New York
• Harry S. Truman - Truman Library, Independence, Missouri
• Dwight Eisenhower - Eisenhower Presidential Library, Abilene, Kansas
• John F. Kennedy - Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
• Lyndon B. Johnson - LBJ Ranch, Johnson City, Texas
• Richard Nixon - Nixon Presidential Library, Yorba Linda, California
• Gerald Ford - Gerald R. Ford Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Ronald Reagan - Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California
• George H.W. Bush - Bush Presidential Library, College Station, Texas