Volume to weight · published supplier figures
Cubic yards to tons (and tons to yards) calculator
How many tons are in a yard of gravel? 1.2 to 1.4 US tons: 11 supplier weights for gravel and crushed stone run from 2,400 to 2,800 lb per cubic yard. The calculator opens on the general estimate of 2,835 lb (1.42 tons). Convert cubic yards to tons, or switch to tons to cubic yards.
How many tons of gravel
Enter your dimensions to see cubic yards, tons and bags
How many cubic yards
Enter a weight to see cubic yards
The conversion
How to convert cubic yards to tons
- Find the weight per cubic yard.Use the supplier’s published pounds per cubic yard for the exact product. A label such as pea gravel or #57 does not fix it.
- Multiply by the cubic yards.Cubic yards × lb/yd³ gives total pounds. 5 yd³ × 2,700 = 13,500 lb.
- Divide by 2,000.US short tons. 13,500 ÷ 2,000 = 6.75 tons. For metric tonnes, divide kilograms by 1,000 instead.
- Reverse it for tons to yards.Tons × 2,000 ÷ lb/yd³. 10 tons at 2,700 lb/yd³ is 7.41 cubic yards.
US units
Cubic yards × lb/yd³ ÷ 2,000
Volume × published weight → US short tons
Tons × 2,000 ÷ lb/yd³
Weight → cubic yards at the same published weight
Read the full calculation method ↗Reference table
How many tons are in a yard of gravel? By material
Each column uses one weight per cubic yard, linked in the header. The general column is Site Measure’s starting estimate, linked to its source in the ledger; the others are product figures from named suppliers.
| Cubic yards | General gravel, starting estimate 2,835 lb/yd³ | Pea gravel 2,700 lb/yd³ | 3/8 inch pea gravel 2,440 lb/yd³ | #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch) 2,410 lb/yd³ | Crusher Run (crushed granite with stone dust) 2,450 lb/yd³ | 3/4 inch Crushed Stone 2,800 lb/yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yd³ | 1.42 | 1.35 | 1.22 | 1.21 | 1.23 | 1.4 |
| 2 yd³ | 2.84 | 2.7 | 2.44 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.8 |
| 3 yd³ | 4.25 | 4.05 | 3.66 | 3.62 | 3.68 | 4.2 |
| 5 yd³ | 7.09 | 6.75 | 6.1 | 6.03 | 6.13 | 7 |
| 10 yd³ | 14.18 | 13.5 | 12.2 | 12.05 | 12.25 | 14 |
| 20 yd³ | 28.35 | 27 | 24.4 | 24.1 | 24.5 | 28 |
How many yards are in a ton of gravel? By material
Suppliers who sell by the ton deliver fewer cubic yards of a heavy product than of a light one. At the general estimate of 2,835 lb per cubic yard, one US ton is 0.71 yd³ (19 ft³); at 2,410 lb per yard it is 0.83 yd³ (22.4 ft³). Use this table to check a quoted tonnage against the volume your measurements need.
| US tons | General gravel, starting estimate | Pea gravel | 3/8 inch pea gravel | #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch) | Crusher Run (crushed granite with stone dust) | 3/4 inch Crushed Stone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tons | 0.71 | 0.74 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.82 | 0.71 |
| 2 tons | 1.41 | 1.48 | 1.64 | 1.66 | 1.63 | 1.43 |
| 5 tons | 3.53 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.15 | 4.08 | 3.57 |
| 10 tons | 7.05 | 7.41 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.16 | 7.14 |
| 20 tons | 14.11 | 14.81 | 16.39 | 16.6 | 16.33 | 14.29 |
Every figure here is loose material with no compaction factor. The gravel density reference lists the full ledger with dates, and the gravel calculator turns measurements into cubic yards before the conversion.
Loose, bank, wet and compacted
Why the same gravel converts to different tons
A ton is fixed; a cubic yard of gravel is not. Four conditions change what one yard weighs, and supplier figures describe only the first:
| Condition | lb per yd³ | US tons per yd³ | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loose and dry, as delivered | 2,850 | 1.43 | Caterpillar, gravel 1/4–2 in |
| Loose and wet | 3,400 | 1.7 | Caterpillar, same gravel |
| In the ground before digging (bank) | 3,200 | 1.6 | Caterpillar, dry |
| Compacted base course | 3,700 | 1.85 | WSDOT Exhibit 620-1 (loose: 2,950) |
Wet gravel is 19% heavier than dry in Caterpillar’s tables. The familiar 1.4 to 1.7 tons per yard range matches Caterpillar’s dry and wet weights for one gravel (1.43 and 1.7 tons), not a range of products. Digging loosens gravel so that a bank yard becomes about 1.12 loose yards; crushed stone swells far more, 4,500 lb in solid rock against 2,700 lb loose. Supplier weights per yard are loose weights, so they are the right ones for ordering.
Caterpillar notes that weight “varies with moisture content, grain size, degree of compaction” and that tests determine the exact figure. To finish a compacted layer, order extra loose volume: see the road base calculator.
Is 1 cubic yard equal to 1 ton?
No. A cubic yard is a volume and a ton is a weight; the conversion depends on density. For gravel and crushed stone, one cubic yard weighs 1.2 to 1.4 US tons in 11 supplier-published figures, so one ton of gravel is less than one cubic yard.
Is 3 cubic yards 3 tons?
Not for gravel. At the general estimate of 2,835 lb per cubic yard, 3 yd³ is 4.25 US tons; at 2,410 lb it is 3.62 tons and at 2,800 lb it is 4.2 tons.
How many yards is 5 tons of gravel?
About 3.53 cubic yards at the general estimate of 2,835 lb per cubic yard. A lighter product such as #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch) at 2,410 lb gives 4.15 yd³, and 3/4 inch Crushed Stone at 2,800 lb gives 3.57 yd³. Use the Tons → cubic yards mode above for any other weight.
Is 20 tons the same as 20 yards?
No. 20 US tons of gravel at the general estimate of 2,835 lb per cubic yard is 14.11 cubic yards, and 20 cubic yards weighs 28.35 tons. Suppliers who quote by the ton and calculators that report cubic yards are describing the same load in different units.
Are US tons and metric tonnes the same?
No. A US short ton is 2,000 lb; a metric tonne is 1,000 kg, about 2,204.6 lb. This page and the calculator’s US mode use short tons. Switch the calculator to metric to work in tonnes and cubic metres.
Why do some charts say 1.4 and others 1.7 tons per yard?
The familiar 1.4 to 1.7 tons per yard range matches Caterpillar’s dry and wet weights for one gravel (1.43 and 1.7 tons), not a range of products. Caterpillar’s earthwork tables list the same 1/4–2 inch gravel at 2,850 lb per loose yard dry and 3,400 lb wet, 19% heavier, so a yard bought by the ton after rain is a smaller yard.
How do I check how many yards were delivered?
Divide the tons on the delivery ticket by the product’s tons per yard. A ticket for 5.2 tons of #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch) at 2,410 lb per yard is 4.32 cubic yards; the same ticket at 2,800 lb is 3.71 yd³.
Which weight per yard should I use?
The one your supplier publishes or bills by for the exact product. If you do not have it yet, calculate volume first, because volume does not depend on density, and ask for pounds per cubic yard with the quote. Every published figure we cite is listed with its source in the gravel density reference.
References
- Pea gravel: 2,700 lb per cubic yard, Lasalle Sand & Gravel
- 3/8 inch pea gravel: 2,440 lb per cubic yard, South Bay Materials
- #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch): 2,410 lb per cubic yard, Gravelshop
- Crusher Run (crushed granite with stone dust): 2,450 lb per cubic yard, Yard Works Landscape Supply
- 3/4 inch Crushed Stone: 2,800 lb per cubic yard, LandCare Stone
- Earthwork volumes reference tables, Caterpillar. Page dated January 15, 2025; its dry gravel weight supports the 105 lb/ft³ general estimate
About these calculations
By Site Measure · Maintained by Vincent Ruan · Last updated . The tables are derived from the density ledger at build time, so they cannot drift from the cited figures.
Written with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. Each figure links to its source; recorded dates are shown with the figures or in the gravel weight and price ledgers, and the arithmetic is covered by automated tests. How this page was made · Report an error