How do I convert cubic yards to tons?

Multiply the cubic yards by the material's weight per cubic yard. 10 cubic yards of #57 stone at 1.55 tons per yard is 15.5 tons; to go back, divide the tons by the same figure.

How many tons are in a cubic yard?

It depends on the material. Inch Calculator gives #57 or 3/4 in crushed stone 1.40–1.70, sand (dry) 1.30–1.50, topsoil (dry) 1.00–1.30 tons per cubic yard, and 1.25–1.5 for pea gravel; Stone Center gives 1.3–1.6 for river rock.

How many cubic yards are in a ton of gravel?

About 0.59 to 0.71 cubic yards for crushed stone and gravel at 1.4 to 1.7 tons per yard: 1 ÷ the tons per yard.

What is the difference between a ton and a tonne?

A US or short ton is 2,000 lb (907.2 kg); a metric tonne is 1,000 kg (2,204.6 lb). Quarries in the US sell by the short ton; the calculator shows both.

How much does a cubic yard of sand or topsoil weigh?

Dry sand weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard and dry topsoil 1 to 1.3 tons, by Inch Calculator; wet, both weigh 1.5 to 1.7. Pick the material and type the yards to convert.

How do I convert tons to cubic meters?

Divide the tons by the weight per cubic yard for cubic yards, then multiply by 0.7646. 10 tons of #57 stone is 6.45 cu yd, 4.93 m³.

Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator

A cubic yard of #57 crushed stone weighs about 1.55 tons (1.4 to 1.7 by Inch Calculator), and a ton is 0.65 cubic yards of it. Pick the material and type an amount in cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, tons or tonnes to convert at its weight per yard; a second tab converts pounds to US tons, metric tonnes and kilograms.

AmountUnitMaterialWeight (tons per cu yd)

#57 or 3/4 in crushed stone: 1.40–1.70 tons per cu yd by Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons; the field starts in the middle. Your supplier's figure for their stone is better.

1.55 tons

Cubic yards:: 1.00
Cubic feet:: 27.0
Cubic meters:: 0.76
US tons (2,000 lb):: 1.55
Metric tonnes:: 1.41
Pounds:: 3,100
At #57 or 3/4 in crushed stone's published range:: 1.40 to 1.70 tons

The weight field starts at 1.55 tons per cu yd for #57 or 3/4 in crushed stone; damp or compacted material weighs more, so use your supplier's figure when they give one.

From an area and a depth instead: the gravel calculator.
A driveway's layers in tons: the gravel driveway calculator.

How HomeMath converts cubic yards to tons

Tons = cubic yards × the material's weight in tons per cubic yard, and cubic yards = tons ÷ that weight. HomeMath starts with the middle of the published range for the material (Inch Calculator for gravel, crushed stone, sand and soil; Stone Center for river rock) and shows the answer at the whole range. A US ton is 2,000 lb, a metric tonne is 1,000 kg, 1.102 US tons; a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet or 0.7646 m³, by the exact international definitions.

The published rules it uses: US customary units; metric conversion; gravel weights and prices. Their sources, and how HomeMath tests every result, are on the about page.

Why does converting yards to tons need the material?

A cubic yard is a volume and a ton is a weight, so converting between them takes the material's weight per cubic yard: tons = yards × tons per yard, and yards = tons ÷ tons per yard. Quarries sell gravel and stone by the ton, while a project is measured in yards, so this is the conversion that matches an order to a job.

How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel, sand or topsoil?

These are the published loose weights the calculator uses, the middle of each range, and the same in metric. Inch Calculator notes that compaction raises the weight per yard, and its wet sand and soil weigh 1.5 to 1.7 tons. Use your supplier's figure for its own product when it gives one: the weight field takes it.

Weight per cubic yard
Material	Tons per cu yd	Cu yd per ton	Metric	Source
Pea gravel	1.25–1.50	0.73	1.63 t/m³	Inch Calculator, gravel calculator
#57 or 3/4 in crushed stone	1.40–1.70	0.65	1.84 t/m³	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons
Base gravel (crusher run, #411, ABC)	1.40–1.70	0.65	1.84 t/m³	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons
#3 stone (1–2 in)	1.40–1.70	0.65	1.84 t/m³	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons
River rock	1.30–1.60	0.69	1.72 t/m³	Stone Center, gravel calculator
Sand (dry)	1.30–1.50	0.71	1.66 t/m³	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons
Topsoil (dry)	1.00–1.30	0.87	1.36 t/m³	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons

How many tons are 5, 10 or 20 cubic yards?

Tons at the middle weights
Volume	Pea gravel	#57 stone	Sand (dry)	Topsoil (dry)
1 cu yd	1.38	1.55	1.40	1.15
2 cu yd	2.75	3.10	2.80	2.30
3 cu yd	4.13	4.65	4.20	3.45
5 cu yd	6.88	7.75	7.00	5.75
10 cu yd	13.75	15.50	14.00	11.50
15 cu yd	20.63	23.25	21.00	17.25
20 cu yd	27.50	31.00	28.00	23.00

How do I convert pounds to tons?

A US (short) ton is 2,000 lb, so tons = pounds ÷ 2,000. A metric tonne is 1,000 kg, about 2,205 lb; a US ton is 0.9072 tonnes. The pound is 0.45359237 kg by the international definition.

Pounds to tons
Pounds	US tons	Metric tonnes	Kilograms
500 lb	0.25	0.227	226.8
1,000 lb	0.50	0.454	453.6
2,000 lb	1.00	0.907	907.2
2,500 lb	1.25	1.134	1,134.0
4,000 lb	2.00	1.814	1,814.4
5,000 lb	2.50	2.268	2,268.0
10,000 lb	5.00	4.536	4,535.9
20,000 lb	10.00	9.072	9,071.8

How do cubic meters convert to tonnes?

A cubic yard is 0.7646 m³, so a weight of 1.5 tons per cubic yard is 1.78 tonnes per cubic meter. Pick cubic meters or tonnes in the unit list to convert in metric.

What if I only know the area and depth?

The gravel calculator gives the yards and tons in one step; a driveway's layers are in the gravel driveway calculator, and the base under pavers in the paver base calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert cubic yards to tons?: Multiply the cubic yards by the material's weight per cubic yard. 10 cubic yards of #57 stone at 1.55 tons per yard is 15.5 tons; to go back, divide the tons by the same figure.
How many tons are in a cubic yard?: It depends on the material. Inch Calculator gives #57 or 3/4 in crushed stone 1.40–1.70, sand (dry) 1.30–1.50, topsoil (dry) 1.00–1.30 tons per cubic yard, and 1.25–1.5 for pea gravel; Stone Center gives 1.3–1.6 for river rock.
How many cubic yards are in a ton of gravel?: About 0.59 to 0.71 cubic yards for crushed stone and gravel at 1.4 to 1.7 tons per yard: 1 ÷ the tons per yard.
How do I convert pounds to tons?: Divide the pounds by 2,000 for US (short) tons: 5,000 lb is 2.5 tons. For metric tonnes, divide kilograms by 1,000; a US ton is 0.907 tonnes.
What is the difference between a ton and a tonne?: A US or short ton is 2,000 lb (907.2 kg); a metric tonne is 1,000 kg (2,204.6 lb). Quarries in the US sell by the short ton; the calculator shows both.
How much does a cubic yard of sand or topsoil weigh?: Dry sand weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard and dry topsoil 1 to 1.3 tons, by Inch Calculator; wet, both weigh 1.5 to 1.7. Pick the material and type the yards to convert.
How do I convert tons to cubic meters?: Divide the tons by the weight per cubic yard for cubic yards, then multiply by 0.7646. 10 tons of #57 stone is 6.45 cu yd, 4.93 m³.