diff --git a/collects/data/queue.rkt b/collects/data/queue.rkt
index 6c733178d1..cec99343e9 100644
--- a/collects/data/queue.rkt
+++ b/collects/data/queue.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #lang racket/base
 
-;; A Queue contains a linked list with mutable cdrs, hoding two pointers
+;; A Queue contains a linked list with mutable cdrs, holding two pointers
 ;; to the head and the tail -- where items are pulled from the head and
 ;; pushed on the tail.  It is not thread safe: mutating a queue from
 ;; different threads can break it.
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@
     (set-queue-head! q (link-tail old))
     (link-value old)))
 
+(define (queue-count queue)
+  (let loop ([link (queue-head queue)]
+             [count 0])
+    (if (not link)
+      count
+      (loop (link-tail link) (add1 count)))))
+
 ;; --- contracts ---
 
 (require racket/contract)
@@ -48,6 +55,7 @@
  [nonempty-queue/c flat-contract?]
  [queue? (-> any/c boolean?)]
  [make-queue (-> queue/c)]
- [queue-empty? (-> queue/c boolean?)])
+ [queue-empty? (-> queue/c boolean?)]
+ [queue-count (-> queue/c integer?)])
 
 (provide enqueue! dequeue!)
diff --git a/collects/data/scribblings/queue.scrbl b/collects/data/scribblings/queue.scrbl
index b6f8ecd850..2849090fbf 100644
--- a/collects/data/scribblings/queue.scrbl
+++ b/collects/data/scribblings/queue.scrbl
@@ -34,6 +34,19 @@ thread-unsafe way.
     (dequeue! q)]
 }
 
+@defproc[(queue-count [queue queue/c]) integer?]{
+  Returns the number of elements in the queue.
+
+  @defexamples[#:eval qeval
+    (define queue (make-queue))
+    (queue-count queue)
+    (enqueue! queue 5)
+    (enqueue! queue 12)
+    (queue-count queue)
+    (dequeue! queue)
+    (queue-count queue)]
+}
+
 @defproc[(queue-empty? [q queue/c]) boolean?]{
   Recognizes whether a queue is empty or not.
 
diff --git a/collects/tests/data/queue.rkt b/collects/tests/data/queue.rkt
index 1174f1fef2..1b8eeb318e 100644
--- a/collects/tests/data/queue.rkt
+++ b/collects/tests/data/queue.rkt
@@ -34,6 +34,21 @@
          (dequeue! q)
          (dequeue! q)
          (check-true (queue-empty? q)))))
+   (test-suite "count"
+     (test-case "count empty"
+       (let* ([queue (make-queue)])
+         (check-equal? (queue-count queue) 0)))
+     (test-case "count enqueue once"
+       (let* ([queue (make-queue)])
+         (enqueue! queue 5)
+         (check-equal? (queue-count queue) 1)))
+     (test-case "count enqueue thrice dequeue once"
+       (let* ([queue (make-queue)])
+         (enqueue! queue 5)
+         (enqueue! queue 9)
+         (enqueue! queue 12)
+         (dequeue! queue)
+         (check-equal? (queue-count queue) 2))))
    (test-suite "dequeue!"
      (test-case "make-queue"
        (check-exn exn:fail? (lambda () (dequeue! (make-queue)))))