- Joe Biden's first speech clocked in at 1 hour 1 minute and 49 seconds.
- Bill Clinton holds the record for the longest State of the Union with his address in 2000.
- Richard Nixon's 1972 speech is the shortest.
President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address was roughly 1 hour 1 minute and 49 seconds, one of the shortest State of the Union addresses in years.
President Bill Clinton delivered the longest speech in 2000 at 1 hour 28 minutes and 49 seconds, according to the American Presidency Project. It was his final address before leaving office after two terms.
President Richard Nixon gave the shortest speech in 1972 at just 28 minutes and 55 seconds.
President Donald Trump's longest speech in 2019 clocked in at 1 hour 22 minutes and 25 seconds. Trump's shortest speech was in 2017 and was also just over an hour.
Biden's joint address last year, which is not officially considered a State of the Union, was one of the shortest speeches in years. Pandemic-related restrictions limited the number of lawmakers who could attend and first lady Jill Biden did not bring any guests. Both of those elements introduce frequent applause breaks that can add time to what can already be lengthy speeches.
Biden's speech tonight had frequent applause breaks. There was also notable chants from both sides of the aisle, including one member who heckled Biden as he praised veterans and spoke about the death of his son Beau Biden, who served in Iraq.