Which U.S. president became the first to live in the White House?

John Adams became the first U.S. president to live in the White House.

Adams moved into the Executive Mansion in Washington, D.C., on November 1, 1800, near the end of his single presidential term. The building was not yet completely finished, and the capital itself was still developing. Abigail Adams joined him there, making the Adamses the first presidential family to occupy the residence.

George Washington selected the site and oversaw early planning for the new federal city, but he left office before the building was ready. For that reason, Washington is associated with the White House’s creation but was not its first resident president. The building was first known as the President’s House or Executive Mansion; the name “White House” became common later.

British forces burned the building during the War of 1812, in August 1814. It was reconstructed and later became a central symbol of the U.S. presidency. Today, the White House serves as both the president’s official residence and a working government complex.