List of international trips made by United States secretaries of state

This is a list of international visits undertaken by United States secretaries of state. The list includes both private travel and official state visits. The list includes only foreign travel which the secretaries of state have made during their tenure in the position.

The first secretary of state who made a trip abroad was William H. Seward, who visited the Danish West Indies in 1866. In the early years, most secretary of state visits took place in the North, Central, and South American countries and in the Caribbean. John Hay was the first secretary of state to visit Europe. Philander C. Knox was the first to go to Asia. Cordell Hull was the first to go to Africa. Dean Rusk was the first to go to Oceania. John Kerry was the first to complete all 7 continents by visiting Antarctica.

William H. Seward

William H. Seward (in office 1861–1869)

CountryLocationsDetailsDates Danish West IndiesSaint Thomas, St. Croix, Frederiksted, ChristianstedMet with Danish colonial officials during a working vacation. Also met with former Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna. Departed from Washington January 1.January 9–12, 1866Santo DomingoMet with President Buenaventura Báez and his Cabinet.January 14, 1866Port-au-PrinceMet with President Fabre Geffrand and his Cabinet.January 16–17, 1866 Spanish CubaHavanaMet with Spanish colonial officials. Returned to U.S. January 28.January 20–23, 1866

John Hay

John Hay (in office: 1898–1905)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesGenoa, NerviVacation trip for health reasons.April 3–29, 1905Bad NauheimApril 30 – May 21, 1905ParisMay 22 – June 1, 1905London, LiverpoolJune 2–7, 1905

Elihu Root

Elihu Root (in office 1905–1909)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesNewfoundland, LabradorGathered information on the fisheries question during a vacation trip.August 1–31, 1905Pará, Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, SantosAttended Third International Conference of American States. Left U.S. July 4.July 17 – August 7, 1906MontevideoMet with President Jose Batlle y Ordóñez and Foreign Minister Romeu; delivered several public addressesAugust 10–13, 1906Buenos Aires, Bahía BlancaMet with President Figueroa and Foreign Minister Montes; delivered several public addressesAugust 14–21, 1906Lota, Santiago, ValparaísoMet with President Germán Riesco and Foreign Minister Jorge Huneeus Gana; delivered several public addresses.August 31 – September 4, 1906Callao, LimaMet with President José Pardo y Barreda and Foreign Minister Prado; delivered several public addresses.September 10–16, 1906Panama CityMet with President Manuel Amador Guerrero and addressed the National Assembly.September 20–21, 1906CartagenaMet with Foreign Minister Alfredo Vázquez-Cobo.September 24, 1906Montreal, OttawaOfficial visit at the invitation of Governor-General Lord Grey. January 18 – 22, 1907Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Puebla, Orizaba, Guadalajara, Potosí.Met with President Porfirio Díaz, Foreign Minister Ignacio Mariscal, and governors of several Mexican States. Delivered several public addresses Left Washington September 26.September 29 – October 16, 1907

Philander C. Knox

Philander C. Knox (in office 1909–1913)

CountryLocationsDetailsDates1Colón, Panama CityMet with President Rodolfo Chiari and Foreign Minister Arjona. Left U.S. February 23.February 27–29, 1912Limón, San José, PuntarenasMet with President Jiménez and Foreign Minister Castro Quesada.March 1–4, 1912Corinto, ManaguaMet with President Adolfo Díaz and Foreign Minister Chamorro; addressed the National Assembly.March 5–7, 1912AmapalaMet with Foreign Minister Vásquez.March 8–9, 1912Acajutla, San SalvadorMet with President Manuel Enrique Araujo and Foreign Minister Castro Ramírez.March 10–13, 1912Puerto San José, Guatemala City, Quirigua, Puerto BarriosMet with President Manuel Estrada Cabrera and Foreign Minister Toledo Herrarte; addressed the Legislature.March 14–17, 1912La Guaira, Caracas, Puerto CabelloMet with President Juan Vincente Gómez and Foreign Minister Manuel Antonio Matos; delivered several public addresses.March 22–25, 19122Santo DomingoMet with President Eladio Victoria.March 27–28, 1912 Danish West IndiesSaint ThomasMet with Danish colonial (Virgin Islands) officials.March 30, 19123Port-au-PrinceMet with President Cincinnatus Leconte and Foreign Minister Jacques Nicolas Léger.April 3–4, 1912Guantánamo, Santiago, HavanaMet with President José Miguel Gómez and secretary of state Sanguily; returned to U.S. April 16.April 5–13, 1912Kingston, Port AntonioMet with British colonial officials during unofficial (Jamaica) visit.April 8, 19124TokyoAttended funeral ceremony for Emperor Mutsuhito; left U.S. August 22; returned October 11.September 9–22, 1912

Robert Lansing

Robert Lansing (in office 1915–1920)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesParisAccompanied President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. Left U.S. December 4, 1918; returned July 22, 1919.December 14, 1918 – July 14, 1919

Bainbridge Colby

Bainbridge Colby (in office 1920–1921)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesBarbadosBridgetownMet with British colonial officials during a refueling stop en route to South America. Left U.S. December 4.December 10, 1920Rio de JaneiroOfficial visit; repaid visit by President Epitácio PessoaDecember 21–24, 1920MontevideoOfficial visit; repaid 1918 visit by President (then Foreign Minister) Baltasar Brum.December 28–31, 1920Buenos AiresOfficial visit.January 1–4, 1921Trinidad and TobagoPort-of-SpainMet with British colonial (Trinidad) officials while returning from South America. Returned to U.S. January 26.January 19–21, 1921

Charles Evans Hughes

Charles Evans Hughes (in office 1921–1925)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesBermudaVacation. Left U.S. February 15; returned March 6.February 17 – March 4, 1922Rio de JaneiroCommemorating centenary of Brazilian independence. Left U.S. August 24; returned September 23.September 5–12, 1922MontrealAddressed meeting of Canadian Bar Association.September 4–6, 1923LondonAs President of the American Bar Association, attended an international law convention. Left U.S. July 12.July 19–28, 1924ParisVisited with French international lawyers.July 28–31, 1924Brussels, MalinesReceived honorary degrees from the universities of Brussels and Louvain.July 31 – August 2, 1924BerlinMet with President Friedrich Ebert and Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann. Returned to U.S. August 14.August 3–4, 1924

Frank Kellogg

Frank B. Kellogg (in office 1925–1929)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesFort ErieAttended dedication of the "Peace Bridge" between Buffalo, New York and Ft. Erie.August 7, 1927HavanaAttended the Sixth International Conference of American States with President Calvin Coolidge. Left U.S. January 14; returned January 20.January 15–17, 1928OttawaOfficial visit.February 8–10, 1928ParisNegotiated and signed the Treaty on the Renunciation of War (Kellogg–Briand Pact). Left U.S. August 19.August 24–29, 1928Kingstown, DublinOfficial visit while returning from Paris.August 30 – September 3, 1928CherbourgEmbarked for the U.S.; returned September 10.September 4, 1928

Henry L. Stimson

Henry L. Stimson (in office 1929–1933)

CountryLocationsDetailsDatesLondonAttended the London Naval Conference. Left U.S. January 8; returned April 30.January 25 – April 22, 1930TorontoDedicated the Peace Monument during an unofficial visit.June 12–14, 1930RomePrime Minister Benito Mussolini and Foreign Minister Dino Grandi. Left U.S. June 27.July 9–14, 1931ParisMet with Premier Laval and Finance Minister FlandinJuly 15–19, 1931LondonAttended conference on the German economic crisis.July 19–24, 1931BerlinMet with President Paul von Hindenburg and senior German officials.July 25–27, 1931The HagueMet with Dutch officials.July 27, 1931London, RogartMet with Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald; vacationed in Scotland. Returned to U.S. September 3.July 28 – August 28, 1931GenevaChairman of U.S. delegation to Disarmament Conference. Left U.S. April 8; returned May 14.April 16 – May 1, 1932

Cordell Hull

Cordell Hull (in office 1933–1944)

CountryLocationsDetailsDates1LondonChairman of U.S. delegation to the Monetary and Economic Conference. Left U.S. May 31; returned August 1.June 8 – July 27, 19332Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, SantosMet with President Getúlio Vargas and Foreign Minister de Mello Franco en route to Inter-American Conference in Montevideo. Delivered several public addresses. Left U.S. November 17.November 24–25, 1933MontevideoAttended 7th International Conference of American States.November 28 – December 26, 1933Buenos AiresMet with President Agustín Pedro Justo and addressed the American Club. Toured Argentine Lake District en route to Chile.December 27–31, 1933Santiago, Valparaíso, AntofagastaMet with President Jorge Alessandri, addressed the Senate, and delivered several public addresses.January 1–8, 1934Mollendo, Callao, Lima, TalaraMet with President Óscar R. Benavides and Foreign Minister Solon Polo and delivered several public addresses.January 9–13, 1934La Libertad, Manta, Bahía de CaráquezMet with Ecuadorean officials and delivered public addresses.January 13–14, 1934BuenaventuraMet with Colombian officials and delivered public addresses.January 15, 1934Panama CityMet with President Harmodio Arias Madrid and Foreign Minister Arosemena. Returned to U.S. January 19.January 17, 19343Rio de Janeiro, SantosMet with President Vargas and Foreign Minister Macedo Soares en route to Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace. Left U.S. November 7.November 19–21, 1936MontevideoMet with President Gabriel Terra and delivered a public address.November 24, 1936Buenos AiresAttended Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace.November 25 – December 26, 1936Rio de Janeiro, SantosMet with President Vargas and delivered public addresses while returning to U.S.December 29–31, 1936Trinidad and TobagoPort-of-SpainStopped while returning to U.S. Returned January 13, 1937.January 8, 19374TorontoReturned visit by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.October 22–23, 19375Panama CityMet with President Domingo Diaz Arosemena and addressed a conference of Foreign Service officers while en route to conference in Lima. Left U.S. November 25.November 30 – December 1, 1938BuenaventuraDelivered a public address en route to conference in Lima.December 2, 1938GuayaquilDecember 4, 1938Callao, LimaAttended 8th International Conference of American States.December 7–27, 1938GuayaquilDelivered a public address while returning to U.S.December 30, 1938BuenaventuraJanuary 1, 1939Panama CityMet with President Arosemena. Returned to U.S. January 9, 1939.January 3, 19396HavanaAttended Conference of American States. Left U.S. July 19; returned August 1.July 20–30, 19407Quebec CityAttended Quebec Conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden, and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie KingAugust 20–24, 19438 French MoroccoCasablancaDisembarked en route to Moscow Conference. Left U.S. October 7.October 15, 1943AlgiersMet with Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Charles de Gaulle.October 15, 1943CairoMet with King Farouk, King George of Greece and King Peter of Yugoslavia.October 16, 1943TehranMet with Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and with British foreign secretary Eden.October 17, 1943MoscowAttended Moscow Conference with British foreign secretary Eden.and Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov. Returned to U.S. November 10.October 18 – November 3, 1943

Edward Stettinius

Edward Stettinius, Jr. (in office 1944–1945)