Pumpkins may be popular in October, but you probably have yet to see a 2,000-pound pumpkin. We certainly hadn’t until we mapped the 170 largest pumpkins ever grown. Visualize where in the world these massive pumpkins sprouted their first roots, where the growers who produced five or more of the largest pumpkins ever are from, and where top pumpkins with the same weight were produced.

View Largest Pumpkins in a full screen map

Finding the perfect data isn’t always easy. Unlike our maps of the presidential nominating convention locations and the national animals of every country, we weren’t satisfied with the single datasets available of the largest pumpkins of all time & where they were grown. Instead of settling for mediocre data, we combined two data sets. The first is from GiantPumpkin.com and the second from the Backyard Gardener. So if you find yourself dying to make a map but can’t find the perfect data, combine two datasets in one spreadsheet. Just make sure to put common data in the same column and remove any data that isn’t shared between the two datasets.

Oh My Gourd: The Top Ten Largest Pumpkins Ever Grown

The top ten largest pumpkins ever grown all weigh well over 2,200 pounds. That’s nearly two times the size of an adult grizzly bear! Who grew these gargantuan gourds, where, and what is the exact weight? Find out below.

1. 2,624.6 pounds grown by Mathias Willemijns of Belgium
2. 2,528 pounds grown by Steve Geddes of New Hampshire
3. 2,469 pounds grown by Steve Daletas of Oregon
4. 2,433.9 pounds grown by Ian and Stuart Paton of England
5. 2,416.5 pounds grown by Karl Haist of New York
6. 2.363 pounds grown by Joel Holland of Washington
7. 2.323.7 pounds grown by Beni Meier of Switzerland
8. 2,283 pounds grown by John Barlow/Jacobus of Wisconsin
9. 2,269.4 pounds grown by Ian and Stuart Paton of England
10. 2,261 pounds grown by Dick Wallace of Rhode Island

The largest pumpkin ever grown was done so by Mathias Willemijns of Deurle, Belgium. Willemijns’s #1 pumpkin is 96.6 pounds more than the runner-up. You’ll find this pumpkin connoisseur more than once on the map. He grew five out of the six largest Belgian pumpkins on the list and all rank within the top 50. Plus, Willemijns is just 24. His #1 ranking pumpkin claimed its title in 2016 and hasn’t been beat yet. Though not from lack of trying.

In 2018, two growers attempted to overthrow Willemijns’s #1 pumpkin (unsuccessfully) with their own massive fruits. Or are they considered vegetables? The current second and third place pumpkins of all time were both grown by Americans named Steve. Steve Geddes of Boscawen, New Hampshire grew a 2,528-pound pumpkin (#2) and Steve Daletas of Pleasant Hill, Oregon’s third-place 2,469-pound pumpkin made headlines that very same year.

The top ten largest pumpkins also have representation from Lymington, England, Clarence Center New York, Sumner, Washington, Pfugen, Switzerland, Gays Mills, Wisconsin, and Greene, Rhode Island.

Grow Big or Go Home: Growers With Many of the Largest Pumpkins

We mentioned Mathias Willemijns of Belgium has multiple pumpkins on the list of the 170 largest pumpkins of all time. However, he’s not the only grower with many of the largest pumpkins, nor does he even have the most. The following growers carved names for themselves among the top pumpkin growers in the world. Previously discussed Steve Daletas of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, Karl Haist of Clarence Center, New York, and brothers Ian and Stuart Paton of Lymington, England have each grown eight super-sized pumpkins.

As we’ve mentioned, one of Daletas’s pumpkins is currently the third-largest ever grown. This bad boy was 2,469 pounds. His other seven pumpkins range between his smallest of 1,969 pounds (ranked #80) and his second-largest of 2,170 pounds (#15). Like Daletas, Karl Haist’s eight pumpkins are all ranked in the top 100. His most notable gourd is #5, weighing in at a whopping 2,416.5 pounds. His next seven pumpkins tip the scales anywhere between 1,962 pounds and 2,027 pounds.

Brothers Ian and Stuart Paton, who have been growing pumpkins since they were 11 and run a flower nursery together, have eight pumpkins on the list. Their largest is #4 in the world at 2.433.9 pounds. They also hold the #9 spot. Though aside from two top ten pumpkins, their rankings vary greater than those of Daletas and Haist. The Paton brothers’ smallest pumpkin barely makes the top 100 at #99. Pumpkins grown by these brothers range between 1,945.6 pounds and 2,269.4 pounds. They’ve said their goal is to hold the world record one day, and they’re not too far off. The brothers noted that the first pumpkin they grew was just 54 pounds. They now watch their massive gourds grow by at least 60 pounds. each day. Watch out Willemijns, these brothers are coming for your spot!

Also worth mentioning are Dick Wallace and Josiah Brandt. These two growers are moving up in the ranks one pumpkin at a time. They each currently have five on the list, the same quantity as Willemijns.

Size Matters: 13 Pumpkins That Tied

Size matters in the pumpkin industry. One-tenth of a pound could make the difference between growing the #43 largest pumpkin in the world or being tied for the #43 largest pumpkin in the world. This is exactly the case for two familiar growers from the top ten: Ian and Stuart Paton and Mathias Willemijns. In 2016, Willemijns grew a 2,048.1 pound pumpkin. In 2017, Ian and Stuart Paton grew a pumpkin of the exact same size, right down to the .1th pound. Also tied are Bavaria’s Mario Weishaeupl and Pennsylvania’s Quinn Werner. Both of their pumpkins, Werner’s grown in 2015 and Weishaeupl’s from 2018 were 2020.5 pounds, making them tie for 51st place.

Two more familiar growers, Karl Haist and Steve Daletas are tied for the 62nd largest pumpkin ever grown. Both pumpkins weigh 2003 pounds. Two pumpkins are also tied for #63 at 2002 pounds. These belong to California’s John Hawkley and Washington’s Cindy Tobeck. Tied for #77 are two 1971.5-pound pumpkins grown by Wisconsin’s John Barlow and New York’s Andy Wolf. Last but not least is #80’s three-way tie, once again between Karl Haist, Steve Daletas, and… Karl Haist? Yes, Haist tied himself, along with Daletas (who he’s also tied with for #62). In regards to the #80 spot, Haist grew a 1969-pound pumpkin in 2014. Then, in 2015, Daletas also grew a 1969-pound pumpkin. A year later, in 2016, Haist grew another 1969-pound pumpkin. Way to give ‘em pumpkin to talk about, Haist!

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You’ve just seen how easy it is to visualize data like the largest pumpkins when displayed in map-form. Learn more about the different ways of visualizing your data with our post on Excel data visualization. It contains examples of how to create basic data visualizations like bar and column charts, line graphs, and pie charts, as well as advanced excel data visualizations such as combined charts and graphs, stacked charts, and even more maps.

There are many prosperous places across the United States. The most successful of these are called boomtowns, a.k.a. the fastest-growing cities in America. What factors determine whether a city reaches “boomtown” status? It all boils down to rapid population growth and increases in housing occupancy. The U.S.’s biggest boomtown has seen a five-year population increase more than 20 times the national average. We’ll give you a hint: the biggest boomtown is located in the state of Washington and it’s within driving distance of a major Washington city. Nearly 30% of all boomtowns in the U.S. are just miles away from a major city. However, not all boomtowns are created equal. While each state’s fastest-growing city is noted, several are seeing only minor population and housing occupancy increases. Some boomtowns are even facing negative population and housing growth. Find out more about the biggest boomtowns of every U.S. state on the map below.

View Biggest Boomtowns in a full screen map

The map contains data from GOBankingRates which they pulled from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007, 2012, and 2017 surveys. There are four groupable options on the map: both five- and ten-year changes in population and changes in owner-occupied housing units over five and 10 years.

Biggest Short & Long-Term Population Boomtowns

Short-Term Population Growth

The biggest boomtown of all is Kirkland, Washington. The U.S.’s fastest-growing city has seen a five-year population increase of 76.8%. That’s more than 20 times the national average (3.84%) and more than 39% greater than the next greatest increasing boomtown of Four Corners, Florida. Four Corners is the second-fastest-growing city in the U.S. with a 37.8% population growth also over a five year period. One percentage point lower than Four Corners is Enterprise, Nevada’s five-year population change. The city is increasing by 37.7%.

Of course, everything is bigger in Texas, including boomtowns. The U.S.’s fourth-largest boomtown is Conroe, Texas, which has a five-year population increase of 34.30%. Conroe is the last of the shorter-term boomtowns to increase 30% or over. The rest of the boomtowns are all seeing population growth of 28% or lower.

Long-Term Population Growth

While Kirkland, Washington beat out every other boomtown in five-year population growth, other boomtowns rise to the top when it comes to ten-year population increases. Given 10 years, several cities are bearing witness to more than 100% population growth. These cities include Waldorf, Maryland (183.30% population growth) Enterprise, Nevada (138.20% growth), and San Luis, Arizona (104.20%). The national ten-year increase is just 7.45%, so these towns clearly are boomin’.

Kirkland, Washington is down to the fourth-fastest-growing city given 10 years’ time with an increase of 89.9% during a decade. Tied for fourth with Kirkland is Wentzville, Missouri which also has an 89.9% increase in population over 10 years. There are seven other notable boomtowns with ten-year population growths of well-over 50%. These include:

• Mount Juliet, Tennessee
• Newnan, Georgia
• Four Corners, Florida
• Conroe, Texas
• South Jordan, Utah
• West Fargo, North Dakota
• Meridian, Idaho

Boomtowns Next To Boomin’ Cities

When looking at the map, you may notice that many boomtowns are located next to the states’ largest cities. For example, Kirkland, Washington looks pretty close to Seattle, which is the state’s biggest city. Our digital measuring tape confirms this; Kirkland is just eight miles from Seattle. With this in mind, Kirkland’s status as the biggest boomtown makes a whole lot of sense. Those looking for big-city living at a smaller city price may set up residence in Kirkland but easily commute to Seattle for work and a better nightlight. This is a trend that many boomtowns seem to follow.

Our measuring tool points out that Hillsboro, Oregon’s biggest boomtown, is only ten or so miles away from Oregon’s largest city: Portland. The same can be said for the boomtown of Enterprise, Nevada, which is around 12 miles away from Las Vegas. Texas’s boomtown, Conroe, is roughly 40 miles outside of Houston while Oswego, Illinois is 40 miles away from Chicago. Kansas’s fastest-growing city of Overland Park is right next to Kansas City and Carmel, Indiana is close to Indianapolis. Then there’s Mount Juliet, which is Tennessee’s biggest boomtown. Mount Juliet is located right by Nashville.

If you still don’t believe this is a trend, we’ve got many more examples. The boomtown of Newnan, Georgia, is right outside of Atlanta. Four Corners, Florida is close to Orlando while Ann Arbour, Michigan is near Detroit. South Carolina’s Mount Pleasant boomtown is remarkably close to Charleston, as is Massachuttet’s Somerville to Boston. And Waldorf, Maryland is just outside of Washington D.C. Boom, an explosive trend! These cities better watch out. If the populations of these cities continue to grow at the current rate, Kirkland is going to become the new Seattle and Four Corners the new Orlando.

Least Booming Boomtowns

We’re not really sure why Lewiston, Maine is on the list. With a five-year population change of -1% and a ten-year change of -4.20% (yes, you read that right, growth in the negatives) Lewiston is not necessarily what we’ve come to expect of a boomtown. But every state needs a boomtown, and apparently, Lewiston is Maine’s booming-est, although it’s the least booming on our list.

Providence, Rhode Island may be better than Lewiston when it comes to population growth (its at least a positive percentage) but when it comes to Providence’s five and ten-year change in owner-occupied housing units, there are nothing but negative numbers. Burlington, Vermont’s owner-occupied housing growth is also on the decline. Though this boomtown is experiencing a 0.5% population increase over five years and a 10% growth over 10 years, the city faces a -7.90% housing decline over five years -5.90% over 10 years.

Dover, New Hampshire, and Newark, Delaware are the only other boomtowns with negative growth rates. While Dover’s housing is positively increasing over five years, going back further brings this boomtown into a deficit of -1%. Newark, on the other hand, has a better ten-year housing growth of 9.90%. However, their five-year housing growth of Neward is -2.60%.

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What qualifies one city as a boomtown could qualify another as an empty, desolate, sad little ghost town. Kirkland is currently the biggest boomtown, but Lewiston could turn it around in the next five years. We’ll check back in with you then.

All we know for sure is that boomtowns certainly vary in their boomy-ness, just as the cost of living in 388 cities worldwide varies. Before you up and move somewhere, note that the cost of living varies around with world. In fact, living in several Swiss cities can be 30% more expensive than living in N.Y.C., one of the most expensive in the U.S.

The 2020 presidential race has already begun, which means it will soon be time for two more presidential nominating conventions: the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention. During the conventions, which are hosted in various places across the country, the two major political parties select a candidate for President of the United States. Throughout history, nominating conventions have taken place in 19 different states, 27 different cities, and over different 60 buildings. Find out which cities and buildings have hosted multiple conventions and which states have yet to host even one convention when you continue reading about the presidential nominating convention locations since 1832.

View Presidential Nominating Conventions in a full screen map

As the map above notes, presidential nominating conventions can take place as early as April and as late as Septemeber, though the majority take place in June. These conventions can last anywhere from three to five days. More important than the dates, though, the map shows the locations of every major presidential nominating convention since 1832 and the trends that come with the data.

Cities That Have Seen Many Conventions

The following five cities have hosted more nominating conventions than any other city in the U.S.:

• Chicago
• Baltimore
• Philadelphia
• New York City
• St. Louis

Chicago, Illinois has been the destination of 25 presidential nominating conventions. Eleven of those conventions were for the Democratic party while 14 were for Republicans. Baltimore, Maryland is the city that has seen the second-most presidential nominating conventions (10), nine of which were for the blue party. Philadelphia has hosted nine presidential nominating conventions, six of which were for the Republican party. New Yorkers have been privy to six conventions in their city, the majority of which (five) were for the Democrats.

St. Louis, Missouri has seen five total conventions, four being for Republicans. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Miami Beach have also hosted their fair share of conventions: three each. A slew of other cities have done so twice. In total, the Democrats’ 49 presidential nominating conventions since 1832 have only taken place in 18 different cities. For all of the Republicans’ 42 nominating conventions, they’ve only visited 19 distinct cities.

Same Cities, Different Dates

There have been several election cycles where the Dems and the Republicans held their conventions in the same city, or even, the same building (on different dates, of course). This political feat first occurred in preparation for the 1884 election. June 3-6 Republicans met at the Exposition Hall located in Chicago. July 8–11 that same year, Democrats got together at the Interstate Exposition Building, also in Chicago.

Then came the election of 1932: the year the two major parties decided to save some money by putting down a deposit on the same space. On June 14th, 1932, Republicans got together at the Chicago Stadium to nominate their candidate. On June 27th that same year, Democrats gathered at the same Chicago Stadium for their convention. It happened again in 1944 when the two major parties once again held their nominating conventions at the Chicago Stadium. The two parties seemed to enjoy being in the same space months apart as in the next election (1948), they both held their conventions at Philadelphia’s Convention Hall. It happened again during the next election of 1952 at the International Amphitheater in Chicago. The last time Democrats and Republicans held their conventions in the same space was in 1972 when both parties met at the Miami Beach Convention Center for their respective conventions, one in early July and one in late August.

If the Buildings Could Talk: Buildings With the Most Conventions

While 25 nominating conventions took place in Chicago, they didn’t all occur in the same space. The Windy City hosted conventions at ten different buildings, with the Chicago Coliseum hosting most frequently.

The Chicago Coliseum is one of only two buildings in the U.S. to host six presidential nominating conventions. Chicago’s International Amphitheatre and the Chicago Stadium, both no longer standing, hosted five conventions. Wigwam, the Interstate Exposition Building, The Amphitheatre, Crosby’s Opera House, Exposition Hall, Auditorium Theatre, and the United Center also hosted conventions in Chicago. The other #1 building that has hosted the most conventions is the aptly named Convention Hall located in Philadelphia, which, like the Chicago Coliseum, has hosted six conventions.

Then there are the buildings each major party prefers. For example, Democrats have held their nominating conventions most often at Madison Square Garden (four times). The blue party also gravitates towards Philadelphia’s Convention Hall as they’ve gathered there three times, along with the Chicago Stadium and Chicago’s International Amphitheatre. Other than these four locations, Democrats don’t tend to host their conventions in the same buildings multiple times. Thirty-six buildings have only held Democratic conventions one time.

Republicans, on the other hand, are more likely to repeatedly hold their nominating conventions in the same buildings. They’ve set up shop most often at the Chicago Coliseum (five times), had three conventions at Philadelphia’s Convention Hall, and have been to each of the following twice: Exposition Hall, Public Auditorium, Chicago Stadium, International Amphitheatre, Cow Palace, and the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Where Could & Should They Convene Next?

The 2020 presidential nominating convention locations have already been selected. For the first time, Democrats will venture to Milwaukie, Wisconsin while Republicans will gather in Charlotte, North Carolina for the second time in history. Even modern-day conventions are following a trend that began in 1832: most nominating conventions take place in the Eastern U.S.

This trend is different from the many instances the West has taken the cake, like the most extreme high and low temperatures in the U.S., and the NBA finals wins per team and opportunity. The one thing Democrats and Republicans seem to have in common is that they tend to miss the entire west side of the nation when picking convention locations.

Aside from California and Colorado, there are no other Western states that have hosted a nominating convention. So, to help out future presidential nominating convention planners, we made a list of the 31 states that have yet to see a convention, most of which are in the West:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. Connecticut
6. Delaware
7. Hawaii
8. Idaho
9. Indiana
10. Iowa
11. Kansas
12. Kentucky
13. Maine
14. Mississippi
15. Montana
16. Nebraska
17. Nevada
18. New Hampshire
19. New Mexico
20. North Dakota
21. Oklahoma
22. Oregon
23. Rhode Island
24. South Dakota
25. Tennessee
26. Utah
27. Vermont
28. Virginia
29. Washington
30. West Virginia
31. Wyoming

Home State Conventions

If you found yourself wondering if any presidential or vice-presidential candidate had their nominating convention in their home state, we have the answer. Since 1832, only five presidential candidates were nominated at a convention that took place in their home state. These candidates were Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, Horatio Seymour of New York, Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio, John W. Davis of New York, and George H. W. Bush of Texas.

Occurring even less are the four V.P.’s who were chosen as possible second-in-command in their home state. These candidates were John A. Logan of Illinois, Adlai Stevenson I of Illinois, and George H. W. Bush of Texas when he was nominated to be Vice President.

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Now you know all the cities and buildings that have held major party presidential nominating conventions since 1832. Plus, you’re aware of where Democrats and Republicans could and should go next. While we wait to see where future conventions will take place, check out our other president-related maps like the many international travels of U.S. presidents or presidential assassination attempts mapped and the births and burials of U.S. presidents.