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Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is part of the United States Intelligence Community. He reports to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The Director is assisted by the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Under Title 10,403 of the U.S. Code, the Director is nominated by the President of the United States and is confirmed by the United States Senate. The statute does not specifically include active military personnel from being nominated for the position nor does it exclude them.

Before April 21, 2005, the Director headed both the Intelligence Community and the Central Intelligence Agency as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). In addition he served as an advisor to the President of the United States on intelligence matters and was the statutory intelligence advisor to the National Security Council (NSC). On April 21, 2005, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) took on the roles as head of the Intelligence Community and principal intelligence advisor to the President and the NSC.

The post of DCI was established in 1946 by President Truman; it thus predates the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency (created by the National Security Act of 1947). After the end of World War II, the Office of Strategic Services was dismantled and its functions were split between the Departments of State and War (now Defense). President Truman soon recognized the inefficiency of this arrangement and created the Central Intelligence Group, which could be considered a smaller precursor to the National Security Council. The following year the National Security Act of 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Council, while formally defining the duties of the Director of Central Intelligence. The duties of the DCI had been further defined over the years by tradition, congressional acts, and Executive Orders.

What follows is a list of Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency (in chronological order).