Best Guess · Puzzle #14 · Tuesday, October 13

Best Guess: the answers

Four questions, each with one true number. Here they are with their answers, how to reason each one out, and where the number comes from. Play today's Best Guess.

1. 1. How many US passports (books and cards) did the State Department issue in fiscal year 2025?

   The answer: about 27.3 million. It was the most passports issued in a single year on record, 11.6% more than the year before.

   1. 330Mpeople in the US
   2. ×0.5of them hold a passport
   3. ÷10years a passport lasts

   ≈16.5Mpassports

   Source: USAFacts (citing the US State Department), How many US passports are issued each year?

2. 2. How many boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese are sold every day?

   The answer: about 1 million. Kraft Heinz says the blue box has uniquely shaped American history.

   1. 130Mhouseholds in the US
   2. ×3boxes each a year
   3. ÷365days a year

   ≈1.07Mboxes

   Source: The Kraft Heinz Company, Kraft Mac & Cheese Proves it's the 'Best Thing Ever' in Bold New Creative Platform

3. 3. How many loads of laundry does the average American family wash in a year?

   The answer: about 300 loads. An ENERGY STAR washer uses about 14 gallons a load, against about 20 for a standard machine.

   1. 6loads a week
   2. ×52weeks a year

   ≈312loads

   Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA and Department of Energy), Clothes Washers

4. 4. How many miles did all the finishers of the 2025 New York City Marathon run, combined?

   The answer: about 1.55 million. Its 59,226 finishers made it the largest marathon ever, topping the 2024 race's record.

   1. 50krunners in the biggest marathon
   2. ×26miles each

   ≈1.3Mmiles

   Source: ABC7 New York, 2025 TCS NYC Marathon: New York Road Runners breaks record with 59,226 finishers

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