The State That Eats The Most French Fries Is Over 2000 Miles Away From Idaho

French fries may have been created in France (or they could have Belgian origins, depending on who you ask), but they've been truly embraced by the United States. When the McDonald brothers opened up that first hamburger stand in California, they weren't serving tater tots, were they? (Not least because tater tots hadn't been invented yet.) Just about every state in the union does something fun with their spuds — but which state eats the most french fries? The answer, believe it or not, is Virginia, according to a 2025 survey conducted by Talker Research and funded by prominent french fry peddler McCain Foods. The results showed that the average Virginian will consume about 21 pounds of fries a year.

As much as we associate Idaho with all things potato, it makes sense that it's not the top fry-eating state in the U.S. A significant portion of the potatoes grown in Idaho are shipped and consumed elsewhere in the country and the world. In fact, none of the states leading potato production (including Colorado, North Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin) topped the list of states with the most french fry eaters.

But why is Virginia so fry-happy? We can only guess. Are Virginia's famous peanuts, which help feed the pigs behind the ham Virginia is known for, just as useful in making oil for frying potatoes? Or are Virginians simply carrying on in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, who helped introduce the dish to America? Either way, we're sure the good folks at McCain Foods aren't complaining.

As interesting as it can be to learn how many pounds of fries people in various states eat, it's even more interesting to learn what kinds of fries they like. A majority of states — 28 out of 50, to be exact — prefer "straight-and-seasoned" fries, including Virginia as well as the second, third, and fourth place fry-eating champions, Alabama, Georgia, and Maryland. These would be the classic, potato-y fried spuds you'd get at most fast food joints.

Some states, such as New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Connecticut, liked curly fries the best, while others, including Texas, Michigan, and this writer's home state of New York (greatest in the world, baby!), preferred regular shoestring fries. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Colorado was the only state to list waffle fries as the preferred variety — sorry, Chick-Fil-A.

Perhaps the most fascinating data in the survey has to do with the plethora of fry-eating traditions around the country. In western New York, for instance, there is the famed Garbage Plate – which is actually a term trademarked by a specific restaurant, although plenty of places sell the dish by other names. It consists of meat and sauce served over a bed of macaroni salad and fries. If you happen to be eating someplace close to the Canadian border, you might enjoy some poutine, or fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds. If you're in the mid-Atlantic, you could eat some malt vinegar-doused boardwalk fries. Whether or not you're in Virginia, the fry-eating possibilities are truly endless.