How old is Bilbo Baggins at the beginning of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

Bilbo Baggins is 111 years old at the beginning of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Bilbo’s birthday party opens The Fellowship of the Ring. He celebrates his eleventy-first birthday, while Frodo reaches his thirty-third birthday on the same day. The unusual shared celebration reflects Tolkien’s invented Hobbit customs and gives the novel its memorable opening scene.

Bilbo’s age also connects The Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit. He was already an adult when he joined Thorin’s quest, and the Ring’s influence helps explain why he remains unusually vigorous for a Hobbit.

Readers sometimes confuse Bilbo’s age with Frodo’s. Frodo is 33 when he comes of age, but he is 50 when he leaves Hobbiton with the Ring. Bilbo’s age is 111 at the party.