How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?
It depends on the stone: 1.30 US tons for pea gravel, 1.35 for #57 crushed stone and 1.55 for crusher run. The gravels in the chart range from 1.28 to 1.55 tons per cubic yard.
Cubic Yards to Tons Converter for Gravel, Sand, Soil and More
Choose a material, enter a volume or a weight, and see every unit at once: cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters and liters, plus US tons, metric tonnes, pounds and kilograms. The densities are the same ones the material calculators use.
Convert volume and weight
Density: 1,602 kg/m³ · 100 lb/ft³
Result
Cubic yards
10
Cubic feet
270
Cubic meters
7.65
Liters
7,646
US tons
13.5
Metric tonnes
12.25
Pounds
27,000
Kilograms
12,247
How to convert cubic yards to tons
Weight is volume times density. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so the tons in a cubic yard are 27 × density in pounds per cubic foot ÷ 2,000. For #57 crushed stone at 100 lb per cu ft that is 1.35 US tons per cubic yard, which means 13.5 tons for 10 cubic yards.
Going the other way, divide the tons by the tons per cubic yard. One ton of #57 crushed stone fills 0.74 cubic yards, and one ton of pea gravel (96 lb per cu ft) fills 0.77 cubic yards.
Materials differ a lot. Among the gravels and stones in the chart a cubic yard weighs 1.28 to 1.55 US tons, 2.00 tons for concrete, 1.05 for dry topsoil and only 0.34 for shredded hardwood mulch. Use the conversion for the material you are actually buying.
These are typical bulk densities of loose or compacted material. Moisture, gradation and compaction change the real weight, and quarries often sell by the ton for that reason, so ask your supplier for the tons per cubic yard of your load.
Density chart: tons per cubic yard for 24 materials
| Material | Density | US tons per cubic yard | Cubic yards per US ton | Metric tonnes per m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #57 Crushed Stone | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 | 0.74 | 1.60 |
| Pea Gravel | 96 lb/ft³ | 1.30 | 0.77 | 1.54 |
| Crusher Run / #411 / QP Base | 115 lb/ft³ | 1.55 | 0.64 | 1.84 |
| #3 Base Railroad Ballast | 95 lb/ft³ | 1.28 | 0.78 | 1.52 |
| Decomposed Granite / Screenings | 108 lb/ft³ | 1.46 | 0.69 | 1.73 |
| River Rock | 98 lb/ft³ | 1.32 | 0.76 | 1.57 |
| Standard 4,000 PSI Slab Mix | 148 lb/ft³ | 2.00 | 0.50 | 2.37 |
| 3,000 PSI Footing & Sidewalk Mix | 145 lb/ft³ | 1.96 | 0.51 | 2.32 |
| 5,000 PSI High-Strength Driveway Mix | 150 lb/ft³ | 2.03 | 0.49 | 2.40 |
| Structural Lightweight Concrete | 115 lb/ft³ | 1.55 | 0.64 | 1.84 |
| Hot-Mix Surface Course 9.5mm / 12.5mm | 145 lb/ft³ | 1.96 | 0.51 | 2.32 |
| Hot-Mix Binder / Base Course 19mm | 142 lb/ft³ | 1.92 | 0.52 | 2.27 |
| Recycled Asphalt Millings / RAP | 125 lb/ft³ | 1.69 | 0.59 | 2.00 |
| Pothole Cold-Patch Asphalt | 135 lb/ft³ | 1.82 | 0.55 | 2.16 |
| Screened Dry Topsoil | 78 lb/ft³ | 1.05 | 0.95 | 1.25 |
| Moist Loam / Field Topsoil | 92 lb/ft³ | 1.24 | 0.81 | 1.47 |
| 50/50 Raised Bed Topsoil + Compost Blend | 62 lb/ft³ | 0.84 | 1.19 | 0.99 |
| 70/30 Sand-Topsoil Lawn Leveling Mix | 94 lb/ft³ | 1.27 | 0.79 | 1.51 |
| Triple-Shredded Hardwood Mulch | 25 lb/ft³ | 0.34 | 2.96 | 0.40 |
| Aromatic Cedar Mulch | 22 lb/ft³ | 0.30 | 3.37 | 0.35 |
| Pine Bark Nuggets | 20 lb/ft³ | 0.27 | 3.70 | 0.32 |
| Dyed Black / Brown / Red Mulch | 24 lb/ft³ | 0.32 | 3.09 | 0.38 |
| Playground Recycled Rubber Mulch | 30 lb/ft³ | 0.41 | 2.47 | 0.48 |
| Dry Mason / Bedding Sand | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 | 0.74 | 1.60 |
Frequently Asked Questions & Field Guide
How many cubic yards are in a ton of gravel?
Divide 2,000 lb by the weight of a cubic yard. A ton of #57 crushed stone is 0.74 cubic yards, a ton of pea gravel 0.77 and a ton of crusher run 0.64.
What is the difference between a US ton and a metric tonne?
A US (short) ton is 2,000 lb, which is 907.2 kg. A metric tonne is 1,000 kg, or 2,205 lb. For #57 crushed stone one cubic yard weighs 1.35 US tons or 1.22 metric tonnes. The converter shows both.
How many tons is a cubic yard of sand, concrete or soil?
Dry dry mason / bedding sand is 1.35 US tons per cubic yard, concrete 2.00, hot-mix asphalt 1.96 and dry screened topsoil 1.05. Wet sand and soil weigh noticeably more.
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