Tons to Cubic Yards Calculator
Pick the material, type tons or yards; get the other as a range.
Sources checked 9 November 2026
Tons to cubic yards calculator
How many yards in a ton
A ton of dry gravel is 0.67 to 0.74 cubic yards, and a cubic yard of it weighs 1.35 to 1.50 tons. How many yards are in a ton depends on the material, because a yard of sand, rock or topsoil weighs a different amount: to convert tons to cubic yards, multiply the tons by 2,000 and divide by the pounds in a cubic yard. To convert cubic yards to tons, multiply the yards by the pounds per yard and divide by 2,000.
The weights here are loose, the way material sits in a truck, and they are ranges because the sources give ranges: the same gravel weighs more when it is wet or packed. So the answer is a range too. Ten tons of dry gravel fill 6.7 to 7.4 cubic yards.
Tons to pounds
1.00 × 2,000 = 2,000 lb
A US (short) ton is 2,000 pounds.
Divide by the weight of a yard
2,000 ÷ 3,000 = 0.67; 2,000 ÷ 2,700 = 0.74 cu yd
Gravel, dry: 2,700 to 3,000 lb a cubic yard, loose. The heavier end gives the fewer yards.
Yards to cubic feet
0.67 to 0.74 × 27 = 18.0 to 20.0 cu ft
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
Cubic yards = tons × 2,000 ÷ pounds per cubic yard
0.67 to 0.74 cu yd
Weights are loose (as dumped in the truck), from U.S. Army FM 5-434.
How much does a yard of dirt, gravel or sand weigh
A cubic yard of dry topsoil (loam) weighs 1,900 to 2,200 lb, or 0.95 to 1.10 tons; wet, 2,800 to 3,200 lb. A yard of dry sand weighs 2,600 to 2,900 lb and a yard of dry gravel 2,700 to 3,000 lb. Crushed rock as hauled weighs 2,850 to 2,950 lb a yard.
| Material | Pounds per cu yd | Tons per cu yd | Cu yd per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel, dry | 2,700 to 3,000 | 1.35 to 1.50 | 0.67 to 0.74 |
| Gravel, wet | 2,800 to 3,100 | 1.40 to 1.55 | 0.65 to 0.71 |
| Crushed rock, top course | 2,850 | 1.43 | 0.70 |
| Crushed rock, base course | 2,950 | 1.48 | 0.68 |
| Ballast | 3,100 | 1.55 | 0.65 |
| Trap rock | 2,700 to 3,500 | 1.35 to 1.75 | 0.57 to 0.74 |
| Sand, dry | 2,600 to 2,900 | 1.30 to 1.45 | 0.69 to 0.77 |
| Sand, wet | 2,800 to 3,100 | 1.40 to 1.55 | 0.65 to 0.71 |
| Earth or topsoil (loam, silt), dry | 1,900 to 2,200 | 0.95 to 1.10 | 0.91 to 1.05 |
| Earth or topsoil (loam, silt), wet | 2,800 to 3,200 | 1.40 to 1.60 | 0.63 to 0.71 |
| Clay, dry | 1,700 to 2,000 | 0.85 to 1.00 | 1.00 to 1.18 |
| Clay, wet | 2,400 to 3,000 | 1.20 to 1.50 | 0.67 to 0.83 |
| Cinders | 800 to 1,200 | 0.40 to 0.60 | 1.67 to 2.50 |
Loose weights as hauled, from U.S. Army FM 5-434 and WSDOT Design Manual M 22-01.23. Tons per yard: pounds ÷ 2,000; yards per ton: 2,000 ÷ pounds. Wet material is heavier.
The U.S. Army's earthmoving manual, which gives most of these, notes that weights change with grain size, moisture and compaction, and that only a test on a sample gives the exact weight. Your supplier's scale ticket is the real number for your load.
How many cubic yards in a ton of rock
A ton of crushed rock is about 0.70 cubic yards, and a ton of ballast 0.65 cubic yards. Trap rock ranges from 0.57 to 0.74 cubic yards a ton. For an area and depth, the stone calculator and the gravel calculator give the yards and the tons together.
Cubic yards to tons conversion
A ton is a weight and a cubic yard is a volume, so no single conversion fits every material: it takes the material's density, the weight of one cubic yard. Materials have different densities, and the same material changes with moisture: wet sand weighs 2,800 to 3,100 lb a cubic yard, dry sand 2,600 to 2,900 lb.
The calculator is a cubic yards to tons calculator too: pick Yards to tons and type the number of cubic yards. Two cubic yards of dry gravel weigh 1.35 to 1.50 tons each, 2.70 to 3.00 tons in all; two cubic yards of dry topsoil, 1.90 to 2.20 tons. The table above gives the tons per cubic yard and the cubic yards per ton of every material. Ask your supplier for the weight of their material, and check the tons you need against the scale ticket.
How much does a cubic yard of mulch weigh
We found no published weight per cubic yard for mulch or wood chips from an extension service or a standard; retailer figures vary widely with the wood and the rain. Mulch is sold by the yard or the bag, not the ton, so the mulch calculator works in yards and bags.
Tons to cubic yards FAQ
Does 1 ton equal 1 cubic yard?
No. A ton of dry gravel is 0.67 to 0.74 cubic yards, and a ton of dry topsoil 0.91 to 1.05 cubic yards. Only a material that weighed 2,000 lb a cubic yard would match one for one.
How many cubic yards of gravel are in a ton?
0.67 to 0.74 cubic yards of dry gravel, 0.65 to 0.71 wet.
How many tons are in a yard of gravel?
1.35 to 1.50 tons dry, 1.40 to 1.55 tons wet.
How many tons is a yard of dirt?
About 0.95 to 1.10 tons of dry loam or silt and 1.40 to 1.60 tons wet. Dry clay is 0.85 to 1.00 tons a yard.
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
2,600 to 2,900 lb dry and 2,800 to 3,100 lb wet, loose.
Is a ton here 2,000 pounds?
Yes: the US short ton of 2,000 lb, the ton suppliers in the US sell by.
Related calculators
Sources
The weights and unit definitions on this page come from these documents, checked 9 November 2026.
- U.S. Army FM 5-434, Earthmoving Operations, June 2000, Tables 1-1 and 1-2
- WSDOT Design Manual M 22-01.23, Chapter 620, Exhibit 620-1
- NIST Handbook 44 (2025), Appendices B and C, Units of Measurement