| Year | US Chess Champion | |
| 1840-1845 | Rousseau | |
| 1845-1850 | Stanley | defeated Rousseau in New Orleans |
| 1850-1857 | Stanley | defeated John Turner in Washington DC |
| 1857-1871 | Morphy | won 1st American Congress, NY |
| 1871-1874 | Mackenzie | won 2nd American Conress, Cleveland |
| 1874-1880 | Mackenzie | won 3rd American Congress, Chicago |
| 1880-1886 | Mackenzie | won 5th American Congess, NY |
| 1886-1889 | Mackenzie | drew Lipschutz in a match in New Orleans |
| 1889 | Lipschutz | top American at New York 1889 |
| 1890 | Showalter | Showalter beat Lipschutz in Louisville |
| 1892 | Lipschutz | Lipschultz beat Showalter in NY |
| 1894 | Showalter | Showalte beat Hodges in NY |
| 1894 | Hodges | Hodges beat Showalter in NY |
| 1895 | Showalter | Showalter beat Lipschutz in NY |
| 1896 | Showalter | Showalter bet Kemeny and Barry in matches |
| 1897-1906 | Pillsbury | Pillsbury beat Showalter in NY |
| 1909-1936 | Marshall | Marshall defeated Showalter in Kentucky |
| 1936 | Reshevsky | considered the first US Championship |
| 1938 | Reshevsky | |
| 1940 | Reshevsky | |
| 1941 | Reshevsky | Reshevsky beat Horowitz in a match |
| 1942 | Reshevsky, Kashdan | Reshevsky beat Kashdan in the play-off |
| 1944 | Denker | |
| 1946 | Denker | Denker defeated Steiner in Loas Angeles |
| 1946 | Reshevsky | Scored 16 points; most scored in US Ch play |
| 1948 | Steiner | |
| 1951 | Evans | |
| 1952 | Evans | Evans beat Steiner in a match |
| 1954 | Bisguier | |
| 1957/58 | Fischer | youngest at age 14 |
| 1958/59 | Fischer | |
| 1959/60 | Fischer | |
| 1960/61 | Fischer | |
| 1961/62 | Evans | |
| 1962/63 | Fischer | |
| 1963/64 | Fischer | |
| 1965 | Fischer | |
| 1966/67 | Fischer | Fischer wins for the 8th time |
| 1968 | Evans | |
| 1969 | Reshevsky | |
| 1972 | Reshevsky, R Byrne, Kavalek | Reshevsky wins for the 8th time |
| 1973 | Kavalek, Grefe | |
| 1974 | Browne | |
| 1975 | Browne | |
| 1977 | Browne | |
| 1978 | Kavalek | |
| 1980 | Browne, Evans, Christiansen | |
| 1981 | Browne, Seirawan | |
| 1983 | Browne, Christiansen, Dzindziashvili | |
| 1984 | Alburt | |
| 1985 | Alburt | |
| 1986 | Seirawan | |
| 1987 | Benjamin, deFirmian | |
| 1988 | Wilder | |
| 1989 | Seirawan, Dzindziashvili, Rachels | |
| 1990 | Alburt | |
| 1991 | Kamsky | |
| 1992 | Wolff | |
| 1993 | Shabalov, Yermolinksy | |
| 1994 | Gulko | |
| 1995 | Wolff, deFirmian, A Ivanov | |
| 1996 | Yermolinsky | |
| 1997 | Benjamin | |
| 1998 | deFirmian | |
| 1999 | Gulko | |
| 2000 | Benjamin, Seirawan, Shabalov | |
| 2002 | Christiansen, deFirmian | |
| 2003 | Shabalov | |
| 2004 | Shabalov | |
| 2005 | Nakamura | 2nd youngest at age 16 |