| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor |
| 1 | | | Peter Hardeman Burnett(1807–1895) | December 20, 1849–January 9, 1851(resigned) | Nonpartisan | 1849 | | John McDougal |
| 2 | | John McDougal(1818–1866) | January 9, 1851–January 8, 1852(did not run) | Nonpartisan | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | | David C. Broderick(acting) |
| 3 | | | John Bigler(1805–1871) | January 8, 1852–January 9, 1856(lost election) | Democratic | 1851 | Samuel Purdy |
| 1853 |
| 4 | | | J. Neely Johnson(1825–1872) | January 9, 1856–January 8, 1858(did not run) | American | 1855 | | Robert M. Anderson |
| 5 | | | John B. Weller(1812–1875) | January 8, 1858–January 9, 1860(did not run) | Democratic | 1857 | | Joseph Walkup |
| 6 | | | | Milton S. Latham(1827–1882) | January 9, 1860–January 14, 1860(resigned) | LecomptonDemocratic | 1859 | John G. Downey |
| 7 | | John G. Downey(1827–1894) | January 14, 1860–January 10, 1862(did not run) | LecomptonDemocratic | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | Isaac N. Quinn(acting)(term ended January 7, 1861) |
| Pablo de la Guerra(acting) |
| 8 | | | Leland Stanford(1824–1893) | January 10, 1862– December 10, 1863(did not run) | Republican | 1861 | | John F. Chellis |
| 9 | | | Frederick Low(1828–1894) | December 10, 1863–December 5, 1867(did not run) | Union | 1863 | | Tim N. Machin |
| 10 | | | Henry Huntly Haight(1825–1878) | December 5, 1867–December 8, 1871(lost election) | Democratic | 1867 | | William Holden |
| 11 | | | Newton Booth(1825–1892) | December 8, 1871–February 27, 1875(resigned) | Republican | 1871 | | Romualdo Pacheco |
| 12 | | Romualdo Pacheco(1831–1899) | February 27, 1875–December 9, 1875(did not run) | Republican | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | | William Irwin(acting) |
| 13 | | | William Irwin(1827–1886) | December 9, 1875–January 8, 1880(did not run) | Democratic | 1875 | James A. Johnson |
| 14 | | | George C. Perkins(1839–1923) | January 8, 1880–January 10, 1883(did not run) | Republican | 1879 | | John Mansfield |
| 15 | | | George Stoneman(1822–1894) | January 10, 1883–January 8, 1887(did not run) | Democratic | 1882 | | John Daggett |
| 16 | | Washington Bartlett(1824–1887) | January 8, 1887–September 12, 1887(died in office) | Democratic | 1886 | | Robert Waterman |
| 17 | | | Robert Waterman(1826–1891) | September 12, 1887–January 8, 1891(did not run) | Republican | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | | Stephen M. White(acting) |
| 18 | | Henry Markham(1840–1923) | January 8, 1891–January 11, 1895(did not run) | Republican | 1890 | | John B. Reddick |
| 19 | | | James Budd(1851–1908) | January 11, 1895–January 4, 1899(did not run) | Democratic | 1894 | Spencer G. Millard(died October 24, 1895) |
| Vacant |
| | William T. Jeter(appointed October 26, 1895) |
| 20 | | | Henry T. Gage(1852–1924) | January 4, 1899–January 7, 1903(lost nomination) | Republican | 1898 | | Jacob H. Neff |
| 21 | | George Pardee(1857–1941) | January 7, 1903–January 9, 1907(lost nomination) | Republican | 1902 | Alden Anderson |
| 22 | | James Gillett(1860–1937) | January 9, 1907–January 3, 1911(did not run) | Republican | 1906 | Warren R. Porter |
| 23 | | Hiram Johnson(1866–1945) | January 3, 1911–March 15, 1917(resigned) | Republican | 1910 | Albert Joseph Wallace |
| | Progressive | 1914 | | John M. Eshleman(died February 28, 1916) |
| Vacant |
| | William Stephens(took office July 22, 1916) |
| 24 | | | William Stephens(1859–1944) | March 15, 1917–January 9, 1923(lost nomination) | Republican | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | Vacant |
| 1918 | | C. C. Young |
| 25 | | Friend Richardson(1865–1943) | January 9, 1923–January 4, 1927(lost nomination) | Republican | 1922 |
| 26 | | C. C. Young(1869–1947) | January 4, 1927–January 6, 1931(lost nomination) | Republican | 1926 | Buron Fitts(resigned November 30, 1928) |
| Vacant |
| | Herschel L. Carnahan(appointed December 4, 1928) |
| 27 | | James Rolph(1869–1934) | January 6, 1931–June 2, 1934(died in office) | Republican | 1930 | Frank Merriam |
| 28 | | Frank Merriam(1865–1955) | June 2, 1934–January 2, 1939(lost election) | Republican | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | Vacant |
| 1934 | | George J. Hatfield |
| 29 | | | Culbert Olson(1876–1962) | January 2, 1939–January 4, 1943(lost election) | Democratic | 1938 | | Ellis E. Patterson |
| 30 | | | Earl Warren(1891–1974) | January 4, 1943–October 4, 1953(resigned) | Republican | 1942 | | Frederick F. Houser |
| 1946 | Goodwin Knight |
| 1950 |
| 31 | | Goodwin Knight(1896–1970) | October 5, 1953–January 5, 1959(did not run) | Republican | Succeeded fromlieutenantgovernor | Harold J. Powers |
| 1954 |
| 32 | | | Pat Brown(1905–1996) | January 5, 1959–January 2, 1967(lost election) | Democratic | 1958 | | Glenn M. Anderson |
| 1962 |
| 33 | | | Ronald Reagan(1911–2004) | January 2, 1967–January 6, 1975(did not run) | Republican | 1966 | | Robert Finch(resigned January 8, 1969) |
| Edwin Reinecke(resigned October 2, 1974) |
