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Book · by J.R.R. Tolkien · first published 1937

How many pages is The Hobbit?

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has a median of 304 pages across 102 English-language print editions with a recorded page count; the middle half of editions run 287 to 320 pages.

Median pages
304
102 editions counted
Range
179–483
shortest to longest edition
Reading time
5.4h
at 260 wpm (fiction average)
Words (est.)
84k
at 275 words per page

How long will The Hobbit take you?

Starts at the fiction average of 260 words per minute and 275 words per page. Move the slider to your own speed.

Reading time
5 h 22 min
At 30 min a day
11 days
At 1 hour a day
6 days

Page count of every edition, by year

Each dot is one English-language print edition. Shaded: middle half of editions. Line: median.

200300400500194019601980200020201937: 310 pages1938: 320 pages1938: 310 pages1951: 315 pages1956: 315 pages1957: 315 pages1960: 315 pages1965: 315 pages1966: 179 pages1966: 287 pages1966: 317 pages1966: 288 pages1966: 255 pages1966: 278 pages1966: 300 pages1966: 317 pages1967: 287 pages1968: 279 pages1970: 287 pages1971: 317 pages1972: 303 pages1972: 288 pages1973: 317 pages1973: 287 pages1974: 317 pages1974: 287 pages1975: 255 pages1975: 287 pages1976: 287 pages1976: 287 pages1976: 287 pages1976: 286 pages1977: 220 pages1977: 279 pages1978: 222 pages1978: 259 pages1978: 255 pages1978: 220 pages1979: 287 pages1980: 259 pages1982: 304 pages1982: 380 pages1983: 287 pages1984: 304 pages1984: 286 pages1984: 290 pages1986: 306 pages1986: 285 pages1986: 320 pages1987: 317 pages1987: 290 pages1987: 256 pages1988: 335 pages1988: 335 pages1988: 335 pages1990: 317 pages1990: 290 pages1991: 363 pages1992: 278 pages1992: 304 pages1993: 285 pages1993: 285 pages1993: 220 pages1994: 259 pages1996: 276 pages1997: 304 pages1997: 288 pages1997: 275 pages1998: 384 pages1999: 288 pages2001: 306 pages2001: 364 pages2001: 400 pages2001: 320 pages2001: 330 pages2002: 398 pages2003: 483 pages2003: 483 pages2004: 400 pages2008: 400 pages2009: 310 pages2012: 320 pages2012: 300 pages2012: 306 pages2012: 300 pages2012: 389 pages2012: 320 pages2013: 303 pages2013: 368 pages2013: 389 pages2014: 300 pages2014: 389 pages2014: 389 pages2016: 312 pages2017: 234 pages2020: 314 pages2020: 300 pages2020: 320 pages2021: 320 pages2025: 320 pages2025: 384 pagesmedian 304
200300400500195020001937: 310 pages1938: 320 pages1938: 310 pages1951: 315 pages1956: 315 pages1957: 315 pages1960: 315 pages1965: 315 pages1966: 179 pages1966: 287 pages1966: 317 pages1966: 288 pages1966: 255 pages1966: 278 pages1966: 300 pages1966: 317 pages1967: 287 pages1968: 279 pages1970: 287 pages1971: 317 pages1972: 303 pages1972: 288 pages1973: 317 pages1973: 287 pages1974: 317 pages1974: 287 pages1975: 255 pages1975: 287 pages1976: 287 pages1976: 287 pages1976: 287 pages1976: 286 pages1977: 220 pages1977: 279 pages1978: 222 pages1978: 259 pages1978: 255 pages1978: 220 pages1979: 287 pages1980: 259 pages1982: 304 pages1982: 380 pages1983: 287 pages1984: 304 pages1984: 286 pages1984: 290 pages1986: 306 pages1986: 285 pages1986: 320 pages1987: 317 pages1987: 290 pages1987: 256 pages1988: 335 pages1988: 335 pages1988: 335 pages1990: 317 pages1990: 290 pages1991: 363 pages1992: 278 pages1992: 304 pages1993: 285 pages1993: 285 pages1993: 220 pages1994: 259 pages1996: 276 pages1997: 304 pages1997: 288 pages1997: 275 pages1998: 384 pages1999: 288 pages2001: 306 pages2001: 364 pages2001: 400 pages2001: 320 pages2001: 330 pages2002: 398 pages2003: 483 pages2003: 483 pages2004: 400 pages2008: 400 pages2009: 310 pages2012: 320 pages2012: 300 pages2012: 306 pages2012: 300 pages2012: 389 pages2012: 320 pages2013: 303 pages2013: 368 pages2013: 389 pages2014: 300 pages2014: 389 pages2014: 389 pages2016: 312 pages2017: 234 pages2020: 314 pages2020: 300 pages2020: 320 pages2021: 320 pages2025: 320 pages2025: 384 pagesmedian 304
Open Library edition records (2026-09-30 dump). 1 edition without a publication year not plotted.

Pages by format

Hardcover, paperback and mass-market editions are typeset differently, so the same text can run to more or fewer pages.

FormatMedian pagesEditionsReading time
Hardcover317195 h 35 min
Paperback304225 h 21 min
Mass market287145 h 04 min

Editions counted

The 102 editions behind the figures above, newest first. 5 more editions were set aside because the page count was less than half or more than 2.2 times the median, which usually means an abridged text, an omnibus, or a typing error. Open Library lists 481 editions of this work in all languages and formats.

YearPublisherFormatPagesOpen Library
2025HarperCollins Publishers Limited–320OL60855757M
2025HarperCollins Publishers–384OL60901920M
2021Houghton MifflinPaperback320OL7604539M
2020HarperCollins Publisherspaperback314OL35836365M
2020HarperCollinsHardcover300OL9786619M
2020HarperCollins Publishers Limited–320OL29486372M
2017CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform–234OL56447535M
2016HarperCollins Publishers Limited–312OL28472226M

More by J.R.R. Tolkien

All 11 books by J.R.R. Tolkien with page counts

Questions

How many pages is The Hobbit?
About 304 pages: that is the median of 102 English-language print editions on Open Library. Editions range from 179 to 483 pages.
How long does it take to read The Hobbit?
About 5 h 22 min at 260 words per minute, assuming 275 words per page. At 30 minutes a day that is 11 days.
How many words is The Hobbit?
Roughly 84,000 words, estimated from the median page count at 275 words per page. Open Library does not record word counts, so this is an estimate.

Data: Open Library monthly data dumps (works, editions, authors, reading log, ratings) (Open Library / Internet Archive); How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate (Marc Brysbaert, Journal of Memory and Language 109 (2019)).