Which US State Has The Most Fast Food Chains?

Pulling into a fast food drive-thru is one of America's great opportunities. Regardless of the fact that dietitians don't love the places, fast food joints represent some of the U.S.'s best qualities — like the freedom to choose a 2,000-calorie lunch and eat it wherever you want. And if you want to exercise that freedom to the fullest extent, you'll go to the state with the highest concentration of fast food chains in America. And for that, you'll visit one of two East Coast states, depending on how you calculate fast food frequency: either Maryland or West Virginia.

There are two ways to calculate which U.S. state has the most fast food chains. The first is by the number of chains per capita or as a percentage of the state's entire restaurant industry. In West Virginia, there are almost 50 of America's most popular fast food restaurants per every 10,000 people. Maryland places 24^th on that list, with almost 39.

However, Maryland takes first place if you're calculating the state with the highest percentage of fast food restaurants in the country. According to a 2025 study by the Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts, almost 47% of the restaurants in Maryland are fast food places, while about 40% of the restaurants in West Virginia are fast food chains.

The study that places West Virginia as the U.S. state with the most fast food chains only included 22 of the most popular restaurants. Among them were some Southern-born fast food chains like Chick-fil-A and Raising Canes (the CEO of Raising Caines is worth billions). Also on the list are favorites like Arby's, Dominos, White Castle, and Taco Bell. It's the same story in Maryland, with some of the same chains on the list of fast food places with the highest number of locations — like Burger King, Dominos, and McDonald's. Maryland and West Virginia share another statistic that shows a dedicated and entrenched fan base for fast food: The chain with the highest concentration of restaurants in both states is Subway.

Subway has been closing stores left and right, with 631 locations shutting their doors in 2024 alone. The former fast food legend's locations have dwindled down in nearly every state, including Maryland and West Virginia, but not in the same numbers as other states in the U.S. — 27 closures in Maryland and 7 in West Virginia as of May, 2025. People in Maryland and West Virginia still have an undying love for the sandwich icon, underscoring an open arms welcome for fast food in general.