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How many fast food restaurants are in the US?

By Louis-Marie Giudicenti. Published . Updated . Data read .

There are 117,801 fast food restaurants on Google Maps in the US as of November 9, 2026, one for every 2,887 residents. The Census counts a wider group, 270,088 limited-service restaurants with paid employees (2023): pizza places, sandwich shops and take-out counters are in it, and many of them use another Google category.

117,801
fast food restaurants on Google Maps in the US
3.5
per 10,000 residentsone for every 2,887
13,949
in California, the most of any state
7.0
per 10,000 residents in Oklahoma, the most of any state

Source: Primavera’s database of Google Maps listings, snapshot 2026-11, read November 9, 2026. Population: Census 2024 estimates. See method.

Our count next to the Census and the official figures

Fast food restaurants are part of the 1,007,973 restaurants Primavera counts on Google Maps, 11.7% of them: see how many restaurants are in the US.

Each source counts something different: Google Maps lists places, the Census counts businesses with or without paid staff, and federations count their members or their own definition. Here they are side by side.

Number of fast food restaurants in the US: Primavera’s Google Maps count next to official figures
Source and what it countsYearNumber
Primavera, Google Maps listings: fast food restaurants open on the map, service points left out2026117,801
U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023: Limited-service restaurants with paid employees: fast food, pizza, sandwich and take-out places (NAICS 722513)2023270,088

Primavera’s count is 56.4% below the Census count of establishments with paid employees (270,088 in 2023).

Sources: Census national files and federation pages read on November 9, 2026; Primavera, snapshot 2026-11.

Why the numbers differ

  • One category. This count takes the Google category “Fast food restaurant” only. Pizza, chicken, sandwich and burger places listed under their own category are not in it.
  • Chains first. Chains use the category far more than independents: 81.7% of these listings belong to a chain our rules recognize.
  • Wider Census code. The Census code for limited-service restaurants also covers buffets, cafeterias and delivery-only kitchens, whatever their category on Google Maps.
  • Dates. The Census figure describes 2023; this count, November 9, 2026.

Which state has the most fast food restaurants?

California, with 13,949 listings, ahead of Texas (9,603). Per resident, Oklahoma has the most: 7.0 per 10,000 residents, against 3.5 for the US.

Fast food restaurants per 10,000 residents, by state

Google Maps listings counted November 9, 2026. US: 3.5 per 10,000 residents.

Delaware: 268 fast food restaurants, 2.5 per 10,000 residentsDE2.5District of Columbia: 146 fast food restaurants, 2.1 per 10,000 residentsDC2.1Florida: 9,049 fast food restaurants, 3.9 per 10,000 residentsFL3.9Georgia: 5,000 fast food restaurants, 4.5 per 10,000 residentsGA4.5Hawaii: 291 fast food restaurants, 2.0 per 10,000 residentsHI2.0Idaho: 524 fast food restaurants, 2.6 per 10,000 residentsID2.6Illinois: 4,880 fast food restaurants, 3.8 per 10,000 residentsIL3.8Indiana: 2,196 fast food restaurants, 3.2 per 10,000 residentsIN3.2Iowa: 775 fast food restaurants, 2.4 per 10,000 residentsIA2.4Kansas: 978 fast food restaurants, 3.3 per 10,000 residentsKS3.3Kentucky: 1,627 fast food restaurants, 3.5 per 10,000 residentsKY3.5Louisiana: 2,820 fast food restaurants, 6.1 per 10,000 residentsLA6.1Maine: 200 fast food restaurants, 1.4 per 10,000 residentsME1.4Maryland: 1,438 fast food restaurants, 2.3 per 10,000 residentsMD2.3Massachusetts: 3,122 fast food restaurants, 4.4 per 10,000 residentsMA4.4Michigan: 2,480 fast food restaurants, 2.4 per 10,000 residentsMI2.4Minnesota: 1,206 fast food restaurants, 2.1 per 10,000 residentsMN2.1Mississippi: 1,067 fast food restaurants, 3.6 per 10,000 residentsMS3.6Missouri: 1,906 fast food restaurants, 3.1 per 10,000 residentsMO3.1Montana: 287 fast food restaurants, 2.5 per 10,000 residentsMT2.5Nebraska: 563 fast food restaurants, 2.8 per 10,000 residentsNE2.8Nevada: 872 fast food restaurants, 2.7 per 10,000 residentsNV2.7New Hampshire: 216 fast food restaurants, 1.5 per 10,000 residentsNH1.5New Jersey: 4,234 fast food restaurants, 4.5 per 10,000 residentsNJ4.5New Mexico: 648 fast food restaurants, 3.0 per 10,000 residentsNM3.0New York: 3,179 fast food restaurants, 1.6 per 10,000 residentsNY1.6North Carolina: 6,227 fast food restaurants, 5.6 per 10,000 residentsNC5.6North Dakota: 442 fast food restaurants, 5.5 per 10,000 residentsND5.5Ohio: 4,848 fast food restaurants, 4.1 per 10,000 residentsOH4.1Oklahoma: 2,868 fast food restaurants, 7.0 per 10,000 residentsOK7.0Oregon: 1,009 fast food restaurants, 2.4 per 10,000 residentsOR2.4Pennsylvania: 2,670 fast food restaurants, 2.0 per 10,000 residentsPA2.0Rhode Island: 162 fast food restaurants, 1.5 per 10,000 residentsRI1.5South Carolina: 3,266 fast food restaurants, 6.0 per 10,000 residentsSC6.0South Dakota: 529 fast food restaurants, 5.7 per 10,000 residentsSD5.7Tennessee: 2,477 fast food restaurants, 3.4 per 10,000 residentsTN3.4Texas: 9,603 fast food restaurants, 3.1 per 10,000 residentsTX3.1Utah: 969 fast food restaurants, 2.8 per 10,000 residentsUT2.8Vermont: 82 fast food restaurants, 1.3 per 10,000 residentsVT1.3Virginia: 5,021 fast food restaurants, 5.7 per 10,000 residentsVA5.7Washington: 1,512 fast food restaurants, 1.9 per 10,000 residentsWA1.9West Virginia: 569 fast food restaurants, 3.2 per 10,000 residentsWV3.2Wisconsin: 1,236 fast food restaurants, 2.1 per 10,000 residentsWI2.1Wyoming: 172 fast food restaurants, 2.9 per 10,000 residentsWY2.9Alaska: 130 fast food restaurants, 1.8 per 10,000 residentsAK1.8Connecticut: 1,768 fast food restaurants, 4.8 per 10,000 residentsCT4.8California: 13,949 fast food restaurants, 3.5 per 10,000 residentsCA3.5Colorado: 1,331 fast food restaurants, 2.2 per 10,000 residentsCO2.2Arizona: 4,117 fast food restaurants, 5.4 per 10,000 residentsAZ5.4Arkansas: 1,061 fast food restaurants, 3.4 per 10,000 residentsAR3.4Alabama: 1,811 fast food restaurants, 3.5 per 10,000 residentsAL3.5
  • 1.3–2.1
  • 2.2–2.6
  • 2.7–3.3
  • 3.4–4.4
  • 4.5–7.0

Each square is a state, placed roughly where it is on a map. Darker means more per resident.

US states ranked by fast food restaurants per 10,000 residents, with the number of fast food restaurants and its rank
#StateFast food restaurantsRank by numberPer 10,000 residentsvs US
1Oklahoma2,868147.0+3.5
2Louisiana2,820156.1+2.6
3South Carolina3,266116.0+2.5
4South Dakota529395.7+2.2
5Virginia5,02155.7+2.2
6North Carolina6,22745.6+2.1
7North Dakota442415.5+2.0
8Arizona4,117105.4+1.9
9Connecticut1,768224.8+1.3
10Georgia5,00064.5+1.0
11New Jersey4,23494.5+1.0
12Massachusetts3,122134.4+0.9
13Ohio4,84884.1+0.6
14Florida9,04933.9+0.4
15Illinois4,88073.8+0.3
16Mississippi1,067293.6+0.1
17Kentucky1,627233.50.0
18California13,94913.50.0
19Alabama1,811213.50.0
20Arkansas1,061303.4−0.1
21Tennessee2,477183.4−0.1
22Kansas978323.3−0.2
23West Virginia569373.2−0.3
24Indiana2,196193.2−0.3
25Texas9,60323.1−0.4
26Missouri1,906203.1−0.4
27New Mexico648363.0−0.5
28Wyoming172472.9−0.6
29Nebraska563382.8−0.7
30Utah969332.8−0.7
31Nevada872342.7−0.8
32Idaho524402.6−0.9
33Delaware268442.5−1.0
34Montana287432.5−1.0
35Michigan2,480172.4−1.1
36Iowa775352.4−1.1
37Oregon1,009312.4−1.1
38Maryland1,438252.3−1.2
39Colorado1,331262.2−1.3
40Minnesota1,206282.1−1.4
41District of Columbia146492.1−1.4
42Wisconsin1,236272.1−1.4
43Pennsylvania2,670162.0−1.5
44Hawaii291422.0−1.5
45Washington1,512241.9−1.6
46Alaska130501.8−1.7
47New York3,179121.6−1.9
48New Hampshire216451.5−2.0
49Rhode Island162481.5−2.0
50Maine200461.4−2.1
51Vermont82511.3−2.2

US: 3.5 per 10,000 residents

In number, California (13,949), Texas (9,603) and Florida (9,049) lead. Per resident, Oklahoma has 5.5 times as many fast food restaurants as Vermont, the lowest.

Source: Primavera, snapshot 2026-11, read November 9, 2026. 0 fast food restaurants without a public address could not be placed in a state and are only in the US total.

How fast food restaurants show up online

Fast food restaurants in the United States, by kind of contact listed

Share of all 117,801 listings.

Website link91.8%
Phone number96.2%
Email address24.7%
Fast food restaurants next to all US businesses: website builders, links, ad tags, ratings and chains
MeasureFast food restaurantsAll US businesses
Websites read84,17712,846,647
Built with WordPress7.4%29.2%
Built with Wix0.8%7.1%
Built with Squarespace0.8%5.6%
Site links to Instagram13.4%35.1%
Site links to Facebook13.6%45.2%
Meta Pixel or other Meta script2.8%8.8%
Google Ads tag1.3%6.1%
Average Google rating3.794.44
Rated under 4 stars62.5%17.4%
Median Google reviews60911
Part of a chain81.7%7.9%

Fast food restaurants collect the most reviews and some of the lowest ratings: a median of 609 reviews per listing, and 62.5% of rated ones under 4 stars, against 11 and 17.4% for all US businesses.

Note: Builders, links and tags are shares of the websites Primavera could read (84,177 for fast food restaurants), social pages and booking platforms excluded. The Meta figure is an upper bound: Meta’s like buttons and chat load the same script as its ad pixel. Sites made with GoDaddy, Weebly or Duda are counted under none of these builders. Ratings: listings with at least one review.

Which chains have the most fast food restaurants?

81.7% of fast food listings belong to a chain our rules recognize, against 7.9% of all US businesses. McDonald’s has the most, with 13,226.

Chains with the most fast food restaurants listings on Google Maps in the US
ChainListingsShare of fast food restaurants
McDonald’s13,22611.2%
Taco Bell8,0796.9%
Wendy’s6,3755.4%
Subway6,3565.4%
Burger King5,8365.0%
Dunkin’4,2913.6%
Chipotle3,9533.4%
Sonic3,6973.1%
Chick-fil-A3,5123.0%
Arby’s3,4893.0%

Note: Only listings in the “Fast food restaurant” category: a chain whose restaurants use another category (pizza, chicken, sandwiches) shows fewer here than it operates.

What these figures don’t say

  • Sales or drive-through traffic. A highway McDonald’s and a food court counter count once each.
  • Pizza, chicken and sandwich places listed under their own category.
  • Food trucks, which rarely have a fixed listing.
  • How many companies own these places. A company with several locations counts once per listing.

Questions

Which state has the most fast food restaurants?

California, with 13,949 listings, ahead of Texas (9,603). Per resident, Oklahoma has the most: 7.0 per 10,000 residents, against 3.5 for the US.

Which fast food chain has the most restaurants in the US?

McDonald’s, with 13,226 listings in Primavera’s count, ahead of Taco Bell (8,079) and Wendy’s (6,375). These are Google Maps listings in the fast food category, not the chains’ own counts.

What share of US restaurants are fast food?

11.7% of the 1,007,973 restaurants Primavera counts on Google Maps use the “Fast food restaurant” category. Counting pizza, chicken and sandwich places would raise the share.

Method and data

Snapshot 2026-11, read November 9, 2026
What is counted
Open listings on Google Maps in the United States whose main Google category is one of the categories below, or whose main category is generic and another of its categories is: 117,801 listings, counted on October 29, 2026 and read on November 9, 2026. Service points (lockers, charging stations) are left out.
Categories
1 Google Maps category: Fast food restaurant.
Per resident
Listings for 10,000 residents, with each state’s population from the Census 2024 estimates. States are ranked on the exact ratio.
Official figures
Census County Business Patterns 2023, read on November 9, 2026; federation and agency pages read the same day. Links are in the table above.
Chains
A listing belongs to a chain when its name starts with the chain’s name and its website matches. Agents or franchisees who put their own name first are not tied to the chain.
Cite and download
Louis-Marie Giudicenti (2026). “How many fast food restaurants are in the US?” Primavera. Data: snapshot 2026-11, November 9, 2026. https://primaverapp.com/en/data/fast-food-restaurants-in-the-us

Permanent link: https://primaverapp.com/en/data/fast-food-restaurants-in-the-us

Download: states (CSV), map (SVG)

Free to reuse under the CC BY 4.0 license, with a link to this page.

More on how the database is built: all trade counts and how Primavera builds its data.

Written by Louis-Marie Giudicenti

Founder of Primavera. Primavera sells lists of local businesses built from the same database.

Published
Updated

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