As of now, there have been a total of 3 U.S. presidents who were not born in the continental United States. These presidents are:
- Martin Van Buren – Born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was actually born after the United States had been founded, but he is of Dutch descent, and the land he was born on belonged to the United States.
- Chester A. Arthur – There has been much debate regarding Arthur’s birthplace. Some reports suggest he was born in Vermont, while others claim he was born in Canada. The controversy primarily revolves around his family’s origins and the documentation available at the time.
- Herbert Hoover – Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa. However, it is essential to note that both Arthur and Hoover’s cases often lead to misunderstandings regarding their place of birth and subsequent eligibility.
It’s important to clarify the requirement for presidency: the U.S. Constitution states that to be eligible, one must be a natural-born citizen, which can include individuals born to American parents abroad. Therefore, even if a president was born outside the present U.S. borders, if they meet the natural-born citizen requirement, they are eligible to hold the office.