Guessroo

How Much Does a Thanksgiving Turkey Weigh?

By the Guessroo team · · 3 min read

The average turkey bought for Thanksgiving in the US weighs about 16 pounds (7.3 kg). The USDA suggests buying about 1 pound of turkey per person, so a 16-pound bird serves around 16 people, or fewer with leftovers. In the fridge, it needs about 24 hours to thaw for every 4 to 5 pounds, so start 3 to 4 days early.

Turkey weights, from wild birds to the world record

Heaviest turkey on record (Tyson, 1989)86 lb (39 kg)Farm-raised tom at market weight38 lb (17 kg)Wild turkey, large maleup to 24 lb (11 kg)Average Thanksgiving turkey16 lb (7.3 kg)Farm-raised hen at market weight15.5 lb (7 kg)Wild turkey, large femaleup to 12 lb (5.4 kg)
Drawn to scale. Live weights for farm and wild birds; the Thanksgiving turkey is the bird you buy, ready to cook.

Farm turkeys grow far bigger than wild ones. The National Turkey Federation says toms reach about 38 pounds in about 18 weeks and hens about 15.5 pounds in about 14 weeks. In 2025 the average US turkey weighed 31.9 pounds (14.5 kg) alive when it went to market, according to the USDA. Wild male turkeys weigh 11 to 24 pounds and females 5 to 12.

The heaviest turkey on record, according to Guinness World Records, was Tyson, at 86 pounds (39 kg), raised in Britain and weighed on December 12, 1989. That is more than five average Thanksgiving turkeys, and about 46% of a big red kangaroo.

How big a turkey should I buy?

The USDA rule of thumb is 1 pound per person for a whole bird (bones included), or 1¼ pounds for a frozen pre-stuffed turkey. Go a little bigger if you want leftovers.

GuestsTurkey to buy (with leftovers)Thawing in the fridgeThawing in cold water
4 to 88 to 12 lb (3.6 to 5.4 kg)2 to 3 days4 to 6 hours
1212 to 16 lb (5.4 to 7.3 kg)3 to 4 days6 to 8 hours
1616 to 20 lb (7.3 to 9.1 kg)4 to 5 days8 to 10 hours
20 or more20 to 24 lb (9.1 to 10.9 kg)5 to 6 days10 to 12 hours

The thawing times follow the USDA's rules: about 24 hours in the refrigerator (at 40°F or below) for every 4 to 5 pounds, or 30 minutes per pound in cold water that you change every 30 minutes. Cook the turkey until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).

What does 16 pounds feel like?

An average Thanksgiving turkey weighs about the same as the heaviest bowling ball allowed, 16 pounds (7.3 kg), or two gallons of water. It is also a little more than one American eats in turkey over a whole year: the USDA puts that at about 13.2 pounds per person in 2025.

Guess first: how heavy was the heaviest turkey ever recorded?

86 lb (39 kg). Tyson, a British turkey weighed in 1989, still holds the Guinness World Record.

How many turkeys do Americans eat at Thanksgiving?

The National Turkey Federation estimates that about 30 million turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving, and in its 2025 survey 87% of people celebrating planned to serve turkey. Over the whole year, US farms raised about 193.5 million turkeys in 2025, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. An older figure of 46 million Thanksgiving turkeys, from 2015, is still widely quoted.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average weight of a Thanksgiving turkey?

About 16 pounds (7.3 kg), according to the National Turkey Federation. Farm-raised hens reach about 15.5 pounds and toms about 38 pounds at market weight.

How much turkey do I need per person?

The USDA suggests 1 pound of whole turkey per person, or 1¼ pounds for a frozen pre-stuffed bird. Buy a bit more if you want leftovers.

How long does it take to thaw a 16-pound turkey?

About 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, at about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds. In cold water it takes about 8 hours, at 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every 30 minutes.

What is the heaviest turkey ever recorded?

Tyson, a turkey weighed in London on December 12, 1989, at 86 pounds (39.09 kg), according to Guinness World Records.

How much does a wild turkey weigh?

Wild male turkeys weigh about 11 to 24 pounds (5 to 11 kg) and females about 5 to 12 pounds (2.3 to 5.4 kg). Wild turkeys can also run at up to 25 mph (40 km/h).

Sources

We read these pages for the numbers above. US customary units come first, metric second; conversions are rounded.

  1. USDA FSIS: Let's Talk Turkey, a consumer guide to safely roasting a turkey
  2. Guinness World Records: heaviest turkey
  3. National Turkey Federation: 2025 Thanksgiving survey
  4. National Turkey Federation: frequently asked questions about raising turkey (PDF)
  5. North Dakota Farm Bureau: turkey trivia (average Thanksgiving turkey, 46 million figure)
  6. USDA NASS: Poultry Production and Value, 2025 summary
  7. USDA ERS: turkey sector background statistics
  8. PBS Nature: wild turkey fact sheet

Spotted a mistake? Tell us on the feedback page or at [email protected].

Read next

Thanksgiving · November 1, 2026How Big Are the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons?The biggest Macy's parade balloons are up to 70 ft tall and 78 ft long, hold about 12,000 cubic feet of helium and need up to 90 handlers. The numbers compared. Daily games · November 1, 2026The Best Daily Number Guessing Games (2026)Free daily games where you guess a number: sizes, weights, distances, speeds, years and prices. What each one asks, how it scores, and where to play. Size compared · November 1, 2026Blue Whale vs. Megalodon: Which Was Bigger?The blue whale is bigger: up to 110 ft and 330,000 lb, against about 60 ft and 50 tons for the largest megalodon. Even bold estimates fall short.

Keep guessing

Each of these has its own answer page, with a guess-first quiz and a to-scale comparison.

Play the daily game

Weighroo asks you to guess how heavy 5 real things are each day, from a grain of sand to the Great Pyramid.

Play WeighrooMore from the blog