The (stats) scoop on Thanksgiving

The travel:

11.2 percent is the amount by which travel is expected to increase in Southern California this year compared with last, according to data from AAA of Southern California.

3.25 million Southern Californians will travel for the holiday, with more than 90 percent of those travelers choosing to drive to their holiday destination.

The food:

13.8 pounds of turkey are consumed by the average American each year, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

242 million turkeys were raised in the United States in 2010, down 2 percent from the prior year. While the total number of birds is down in 2010, the total value is expected to be higher, with forecasted sales of $4.1 billion. San Diego county produced more than a million dollars worth of poultry in 2009.

735 million pounds is the estimated production level for U.S. grown cranberries in 2010.

5.2 pounds of sweet potatoes is the average consumption per person in the United States, though no stats are available on how many are baked, fried, or made into pies.

1.9 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were grown by major sweet potato producing states in 2009. North Carolina led the nation (940 million pounds of sweet potatoes), followed by California (592 million pounds), and Louisiana (162 million pounds).

1 billion pounds of pumpkins were grown in the United States in 2009. California accounted for more than 100 million pounds. San Diego County’s pumpkin growing, however, is relatively low. In 2009 the county grew 4,400 tons of squash, which includes, but is not limited, to pumpkins.