Adult raccoons are medium-sized mammals that are usually about the size of a small to mid‑sized dog, with a lot of variation depending on sex, location, and how well they’ve been eating.

How big do raccoons get? (Quick Scoop)

  • Length (head to tail tip):
    • Typical total length: about 23–39 inches / 60–100 cm.
* The body alone (head to hindquarters): about 16–28 inches / 40–70 cm, with a tail usually 8–16 inches / 20–40 cm.
  • Height at the shoulder:
    • Roughly 9–12 inches / 23–30 cm tall when standing on all fours.
  • Weight (normal adults):
    • Common range: about 10–20 pounds / 4.5–9 kg for many wild raccoons.
* Broader scientific range: about 5–26 kg (11–57 lb), though most fall near the lower end of that range.

* Adult males are usually about 15–20% heavier than females.
  • Biggest raccoons recorded:
    • Some especially large individuals have reached around 28–29 kg (about 62–63 lb) and roughly 140 cm (55 in) total length, which is huge for the species and not typical of what you’d see in someone’s yard.

Why do sizes vary so much?

  • Climate:
    • Raccoons in colder northern regions tend to be larger and heavier than those in warmer southern areas, which is a common pattern in mammals because extra bulk helps with heat retention.
  • Food and habitat:
    • Urban and suburban raccoons with access to trash, pet food, and bird feeders can bulk up more than forest raccoons that have to work harder for their meals.
  • Season:
    • Going into winter, a raccoon can weigh almost twice what it does in spring thanks to fat stores, so a “winter raccoon” can look especially round compared to a leaner springtime version.

Cat-sized or dog-sized?

If you’re trying to picture one:

  • Length-wise, a typical adult raccoon is longer and stockier than a house cat.
  • A normal wild adult often weighs like a small to mid‑sized dog (think a lean beagle or small border collie), while exceptionally large, well-fed individuals can look closer to a hefty medium dog.
[1][3] [5][9] [7][5][9] [3] [1][3] [7][5][9] [3] [1][3]
Raccoon size feature Typical range Extreme/recorded
Body length (head to hindquarters) 40–70 cm (16–28 in) Up to ~100 cm (39 in) including tail
Total length (with tail) 23–39 in (60–100 cm) About 140 cm (55 in) in a record individual
Shoulder height 23–30 cm (9–12 in) —
Typical adult weight 10–20 lb (4.5–9 kg) Up to ~26 kg (57 lb) in normal upper range
Largest recorded weight — About 28.4 kg (62–63 lb)

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.