About the Table Seating Calculator
This table seating calculator works out how many tables to rent or borrow for a wedding, party, banquet or family gathering. Enter the number of guests, choose round or rectangular tables and the size, and it tells you how many guests fit at each table, how many tables you need, how many spare seats you end up with and the tablecloth size and count to order.
Seat counts come from the table edge length and the elbow room you allow each guest: about 22 inches per person is the usual banquet standard, 24 inches feels spacious, and 18 inches is a tight squeeze. With 22 inches, a 60-inch round seats 8 and a 6-foot banquet table seats 6, or 8 with someone at each end — matching typical rental-company guidance.
Use the head table field for guests seated separately (a wedding party or speakers) so they are not counted twice, and add a buffer for last-minute guests. The comparison table shows the count for every common table size so you can see which option needs the fewest tables.
With the default inputs, the tables needed is 13. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the table seating calculator
- 1Enter your guest count and any guests seated at a separate head table.
- 2Choose round or rectangular tables and the table size.
- 3Pick how much elbow room each guest gets.
- 4Add a buffer if you expect a few extra guests.
- 5Read the tables, chairs and tablecloths to order, and compare sizes in the table.
Formula and method
Each guest needs a stretch of table edge, s, for their place setting and elbows — about 22 inches is the usual banquet standard. A round table’s edge is its circumference, π × diameter, so dividing by s and rounding down gives the seats. A rectangle seats ⌊length ÷ s⌋ guests along each long side, plus one at each end when the table is the standard 30 inches wide and you choose end seating.
The number of tables is the guests to seat (minus any head table, plus your buffer) divided by seats per table, rounded up. Tablecloths must cover the top plus the drop on every side, so the cloth is the table size plus twice the drop; floor-length cloths use a 30-inch drop for a standard 30-inch-high table.
- D
- Round table diameter (inches)
- L
- Rectangular table length (inches)
- s
- Table edge allowed per guest (inches)
Worked examples
100 guests at 60" rounds
A 60-inch round has a circumference of 188.5 inches; at 22 inches per guest that seats 8. 100 ÷ 8 = 12.5, so you need 13 tables with 4 spare seats, and 13 floor-length 120-inch round cloths (60 + 2 × 30).
150 guests, 10-person head table, 72" rounds
The head table takes 10 guests, leaving 140. A 72-inch round seats ⌊226.2 ÷ 22⌋ = 10, so exactly 14 tables. You set 150 chairs in all and need 15 cloths including the head table.
40 guests at 8 ft banquet tables, lap-length cloths
An 8-foot table fits ⌊96 ÷ 22⌋ = 4 guests per side plus one at each end: 10 seats. Forty guests need exactly 4 tables. A 10-inch drop needs cloths of 30 + 20 = 50 by 96 + 20 = 116 inches.
Frequently asked questions
How many people fit at a 60-inch round table?+
A 60-inch round seats 8 guests comfortably and 10 if they are snug. Its circumference is about 188 inches, which gives each of 8 guests roughly 23.5 inches of table edge.
How many people can sit at a 6-foot rectangular table?+
A 6-foot by 30-inch banquet table seats 6 guests, three per side, or 8 with one guest at each end. An 8-foot table seats 8, or 10 with end seats.
How many tables do I need for 100 guests?+
With 60-inch rounds seating 8, you need 13 tables for 100 guests. With 72-inch rounds seating 10 you need 10, and with 8-foot banquet tables seating 10 you also need 10.
How much space should each guest have at a table?+
Allow about 22 to 24 inches of table edge per guest for a comfortable place setting. Use 18 to 20 inches only for casual events or when chairs are narrow and there are no chargers.
What size tablecloth do I need for a 60-inch round table?+
For a floor-length look on a standard 30-inch-high table, a 60-inch round needs a 120-inch round tablecloth. A 90-inch round gives a 15-inch half drop, and 84 inches is close to lap length.