This article contains the length and list of major conflicts, invasions and wars participated by the United States Armed Forces since its creation in 1775.
War in the context of this list is broadly construed to be a direct armed conflict between organized U.S. military forces and organized forces of (a) belligerent(s).
(Note: Ongoing wars are indicated in bold and with red bars.)
Rank | War | Dates | Duration | Duration (graphical representation) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | War in Afghanistan | 2001 – 2021 [1] | 19.9 years (19 years, 10 months) | |
2 | Vietnam War | 1955 – 1975 [2] [3] [4] [5] [lower-alpha 1] | 19.4 years (19 years, 5 months) | |
3 | Occupation of Haiti | 1915 – 1934 | 19 years | |
4 | Philippine–American War and Moro Rebellion | 1899 – 1913 | 14 years | |
5 | War in North-West Pakistan | 2004 – 2017 | 13 years | |
6 | Northwest Indian War | 1785 – 1795 | 10 years | |
7 | War on ISIS | 2014 – present | 9.7 years (9 years, 8 months) | |
8 | Iraq War | 2003 – 2011 [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] | 8.7 years (8 years, 9 months) | |
9 | American Revolutionary War | 1775 – 1783 | 8.4 years (8 years, 5 months) | |
10 | Second Seminole War | 1835 – 1842 | 6.7 years (6 years, 7 month) | |
11 | First Barbary War | 1801 – 1805 | 4.1 years (4 years, 1 month) | |
12 | American Civil War | 1861 – 1865 | 4.0 years | |
13 | World War II | 1941 – 1945 | 3.7 years (3 years, 8 months) | |
14 | Korean War | 1950 – 1953 | 3.1 years (3 years, 1 month) | |
15 | War of 1812 | 1812 – 1814 | 2.5 years (2 years, 6 months) | |
16 | Red Cloud's War | 1866 – 1868 | 1.8 years (1 year, 9 months) | |
17 | Mexican–American War | 1846 – 1848 | 1.8 years (1 year, 9 months) | |
18 | World War I | 1917 – 1918 | 1.6 years (1 year, 7 months) | |
19 | Russian Civil War | 1918 – 1920 [12] | 1.6 years (1 year, 7 months) | |
20 | Great Sioux War of 1876 | 1876 – 1877 | 1.2 years (1 year, 3 months) | |
21 | Gulf War | 1990 – 1991 [13] [lower-alpha 2] | 0.6 years (7.2 months) | |
22 | Whiskey Rebellion | 1794 – 1794 | 0.4 years (4.8 months) | |
23 | Spanish–American War | 1898 – 1898 | 114 days | |
24 | Kosovo War | 1999 – 1999 [14] | 79 days | |
25 | Invasion of Panama | 1989 – 1990 | 42 days | |
26 | Invasion of Grenada | 1983-10-25 – 1983-10-29 | 4 (3.5) days | |
27 | Bay of Pigs Invasion | 1961-04-19 | 1 day [lower-alpha 3] | |
Sources are found in the main articles of each war, as well as the Associated Press. [17] [18]
The longest war was The Cold War, 40 years.
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