Data: USDA; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios
Illinois is far and away America's pumpkin-growing king.
By the numbers: The Midwest state produced 485.1 million pounds of pumpkins in 2024, according to USDA data.
- Indiana (about 159.8 million pounds), Pennsylvania (108.8 million), California (105.8 million) and Michigan (104.6 million) followed.
Zoom in: Illinois' climate, soil and location — it's in what some call the "orange belt" — make it ideal for growing pumpkins.
- Much of the state's output is used for the canned stuff you might buy for making pumpkin pie or bread.
- As much as 95% of the U.S. canned pumpkin supply comes from Morton, Illinois, per Harvest Public Media, home to the Nestlé-owned Libby's plant.
The bottom line: When you crack open that can of pumpkin filling this fall, think of the Prairie State.
