The U.S. population clock rolled over at 7:46 a.m. EDT Tuesday, officially hitting 300 million.

But was it really the exact second the 300 millionth American was born? Many experts think not.

"I don't think anybody believes it will be the precise moment when the population hits 300 million," Howard Hogan, the Census Bureau's associate director for demographic programs, said in an interview before the milestone was reached. But, he added, "We're confident that we're somewhat close."

It's not easy predicting population in a country as big as the United States. President Johnson held a news conference in 1967 when the U.S. population officially hit 200 million. This time around, there's a good chance the 300 millionth American has already walked across the border from Mexico.

A reason for the federal government to let the milestone pass quietly.

"It's a couple of weeks before an election when illegal immigration is a high-profile issue and they don't want to make a big deal out of it," said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

SOME NUMBERS

The United States added its third 100 million people a lot faster than it added the first.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

• 139: Years it took the United States from its birth in 1776 to reach 100 million population, in 1915.
• 52: Years it took the U.S. to add another 100 million people. The population reached 200 million in 1967.
• 39: Years it took the U.S. to add yet another 100 million people. The population is on target to officially reach 300 million on Tuesday.

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