Emboldened Republicans have claimed a mandate for President-elect Donald Trump after his astonishing election triumph, while an emotional Hillary Clinton told crestfallen supporters the GOP victor deserved a "chance to lead."
President Barack Obama has pledged a smooth transition of power.
"We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country," the president said of the president-elect, the man who spent years questioning Obama's birthplace and challenging the legitimacy of his presidency.
Obama, who had declared Trump unfit for the presidency, will meet with him at the White House on Thursday, US time.
Trump was uncharacteristically quiet in the aftermath of his triumph and made no public appearances on Wednesday. He huddled with jubilant, sleep-deprived advisers at his eponymous skyscraper in Manhattan, beginning the daunting task of setting up an administration that will take power in just over two months.
He also met with Vice President-elect Mike Pence and took calls from supporters, family and friends, according to spokeswoman Hope Hicks.
In Washington, Trump's scant transition team sprang into action, culling through personnel lists for top jobs and working through handover plans for government agencies.
Trump was expected to consider several loyal supporters for top jobs, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for attorney general.
Trump will take office in January with Congress fully in his party's control, giving him strength to try to pass his agenda and turn the Supreme Court in a conservative direction.
Clinton's emotions were raw as she addressed a crowd of supporters, eyes wet with tears, who gathered in a New York ballroom. She said the crushing loss was "painful and it will be for a long time" and acknowledged that the nation was "more divided than we thought."
Still, Clinton was gracious in defeat, declaring that "Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead."
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