https://longeviquest.com/2026/01/luis-cano-americas-oldest-man/

Luis Cano: America’s Oldest Man

Linden, New Jersey, United States – At 111 years old, Luis Cano is the oldest known living man in the United States. The Colombian-born supercentenarian is also the 12^th oldest man globally. His age was validated by LongeviQuest in December 2025. This weekend, we visited the home of America’s oldest man to celebrate his distinction.

Born in 1914 in the mountainous Colombian countryside, Mr. Cano spent much of his early life engaged in rigorous physical activity. Lacking a formal education, he joined the Colombian Army in 1937. He promptly earned a reputation as a crack shot, ranking second in target-shooting practice among his battalion. (When asked this Saturday if he could still shoot well at age 111, he confidently said yes.) After serving in the military, he owned and operated a fleet of buses shuttling passengers between underserved rural villages. As a business owner, he became proficient enough at math to perform all calculations mentally.

Luis Cano after regaling his family with traditional Colombian poetry.

Growing up, Mr. Cano was one of ten children. He and his wife Alicia went on to have ten children of their own. They moved to the United States in 1990 and today, much of his family is scattered across the New York metro area. Together, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and in-laws keep his days active and engaging. His granddaughter, Leidy Gomez, makes the roughly hourlong drive to see him every week or two, often taking her grandfather on long car rides around town. “Seeing him enjoy the ride makes me so happy,” says Ms. Gomez.

Aside from his family in the United States, Mr. Cano also counts descendants in his home country of Colombia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. He keeps up with most of them using Facetime and was recently excited by the births of his first two great-great-grandchildren. It is clear Mr. Cano loves his family, and his happiness was evident when members of his local family gathered together this past Saturday to celebrate his status as America’s oldest man.

At first glance, the city of Linden, New Jersey seems an unlikely place to associate with longevity. An industrial inner suburb of New York City, the cityscape is full of refineries, highways, and rows upon rows of houses. Along one of its busy streets, from a house just off the road, Mr. Cano spends much of each day observing the passersby and ongoings of his community. His family lovingly refers to him as a chismoso (Spanish for “gossip”) as he frequently reports what he sees to his family members in the house.

Despite Linden’s gritty exterior, the local community warmly celebrates their oldest resident. His family reports that passersby frequently honk or wave when they see the “Happy Birthday” signs outside of his home, always accompanied by his three-digit age. Most notably, Mr. Cano has been frequently visited by the city’s leader, Mayor Derek Armstead. On this day, Mayor Armstead brought a newly issued proclamation honoring Mr. Cano which recounted his life in admiring detail. The mayor took his time catching up with Mr. Cano and his family, mere hours before the arrival of an impending snowstorm.

Luis Cano, America’s oldest man, with his daughter Damaris and Linden, NJ Mayor Derek Armstead holding city proclamation and LongeviQuest trophy.

Mr. Cano’s longevity advice is practical: he swears by healthy, all natural food, especially avocado. He also advocates a healthy lifestyle. He never smoked or drank alcohol, and maintained a high level of physical activity well into his centenarian years. Prior to contracting the coronavirus in 2020, Mr. Cano would spend most summer days tending to his garden. His family showed us video of him at 104 rebuffing his son’s pleas to rest, angrily slamming his rake into the dirt as if to make a point about his vitality. Even now, Mr. Cano is awake and alert most of the day, though he does enjoy a regular siesta.

Surrounded by his family, honored by his city’s mayor, comfortably seated on his favorite recliner overlooking the street, it’s easy to see that Luis Cano is a happy man. We wish him years of continued health and happiness, and we thank him and his family for their generous hospitality.

Luis Cano, America’s oldest known living man, holding his LongeviQuest trophy.

Linden, New Jersey Mayor Derek Armstead honoring Luis Cano, America’s oldest man, with a proclamation.