Pennsylvania is a top pumpkin producer
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The Keystone State is the third-largest pumpkin producer in the nation.
Why it matters: With fall fast approaching, the orange gourds are popping up everywhere — in lattes and beer — and it's important to know where our pumpkins come from.
By the numbers: Pennsylvania grew 108.8 million pounds in 2024, per USDA data.
- Pumpkin production in Pennsylvania is on the rise. The state produced about 90 million pounds in both 2022 and 2023.
State of play: The Pittsburgh area hosts a slew of pumpkin festivals each autumn, including the PumpkinFest in Confluence, the Houston Pumpkin Festival, and Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival, which has record-breaking gourds that explode when dropped from a crane.
Zoom out: Illinois is far and away America's pumpkin-growing king, producing 485.1 million pounds last year.
- Indiana (about 159.8 million pounds), California (105.8 million) and Michigan (104.6 million) round out the top five.
Between the lines: 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 canned and bought for pumpkin pie and 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.
- If you want a Pennsylvania pumpkin pie, you might want to scoop your own filling out of a local pumpkin.