Republican President-elect Donald Trump pledged to be the "President to all Americans" as he stunned the world by defeating heavily favoured Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House, ending eight years of Democratic rule and sending the United States on a new, uncertain path.
Trump also said he had spoken to Clinton and that she "had congratulated us". He said he congratulated her on a very very hard fought campaign.
The president-elect, addressing cheering supporters at his victory party, asked the nation to come together, and promised to "represent every citizen of our land".
READ: Donald Trump shocks pundits to win US election
He said that it was "time for America to bind the wounds of division" and promised that his administration will be a time of "national growth and renewal".
Mr Trump said "America will no longer settle for anything but the best" and that the nation will "dream big and bold and daring".
A wealthy real-estate developer and former reality TV host, Trump rode a wave of anger toward Washington insiders to defeat Clinton, whose gold-plated establishment resume includes stints as a first lady, US senator and secretary of state.
READ: How world leaders reacted to Trump's victory
Worried a Trump victory could cause economic and global uncertainty, investors were in full flight from risky assets such as stocks. In overnight trading, S&P 500 index futures fell five per cent to hit their so-called limit down levels, indicating they would not be permitted to trade any lower until regular US stock market hours today.
The Associated Press and Fox News projected that Trump had collected just enough of the 270 state-by-state electoral votes needed to win a four-year term that starts on January 20, taking battleground states where presidential elections are traditionally decided.
A short time earlier, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta told supporters at her election rally in New York to go home. "Several states are too close to call so we're not going to have anything more to say tonight," he said.
'Economic issues weighed heavily' - US Ambassador Kathleen Hill
US Ambassador to Malta Kathleen Hill predicted Mr Trump's conciliatory tone would prevail from here on forward.
"He's got to be president for the whole United States and he knows that," Ambassador Hill said. "You'll see a reconciliatory tone coming from him and his people."
Ambassador Hill felt economic issues had weighed heavily on voters' minds. "I think those economic questions had a huge impact on the election," she said.
"We knew this was going to be a tight race," she said, "though I don't think anyone predicted it would be this close."