Landscape and building suppliers sell gravel, sand, soil and mulch by the cubic yard but trucks are loaded by weight. A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons.
How to use the Cubic Yards to Tons Converter
- Substance
- Custom density
- Cubic yards
- Every result field is editable: type into Short tons or any other result and Cubic yards plus every other field update to match.
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
The calculator converts your volume to SI units, looks up the density of the selected substance in kg/m³ and multiplies. The result is then shown in short tons and other common units. Every result field is editable, so you can work backwards too.
How to convert cubic yards to short tons
- Find the density of the substance (the menu fills it in for you).
- Convert the volume to SI units if needed.
- Multiply volume by density to get mass.
- Convert the answer to short tons.
1 cubic yard of common substances in short tons
| Substance | Short tons per 1 yd³ |
|---|---|
| Concrete | 2.0226659 |
| Gravel (dry, loose) | 1.4158661 |
| Crushed stone | 1.3484439 |
| Sand (dry) | 1.3484439 |
| Sand (wet) | 1.6181327 |
| Topsoil (loose) | 1.0956107 |
| Asphalt | 1.8878215 |
| Mulch (wood) | 0.25283324 |
| Clay (dry) | 1.3484439 |
| Water | 0.84277747 |
| Ice | 0.77282694 |
| Pine wood | 0.42138873 |
| Oak wood | 0.6320831 |
| Aluminium | 2.2754992 |
| Steel | 6.6158031 |
| Copper | 7.5512861 |
| Lead | 9.5570965 |
| Gold | 16.282461 |
Densities used
| Substance | kg/m³ | g/mL | lb/US gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | 2,400 | 2.4 | 20.028971 |
| Gravel (dry, loose) | 1,680 | 1.68 | 14.020279 |
| Crushed stone | 1,600 | 1.6 | 13.352647 |
| Sand (dry) | 1,600 | 1.6 | 13.352647 |
| Sand (wet) | 1,920 | 1.92 | 16.023177 |
| Topsoil (loose) | 1,300 | 1.3 | 10.849026 |
| Asphalt | 2,240 | 2.24 | 18.693706 |
| Mulch (wood) | 300 | 0.3 | 2.5036213 |
| Clay (dry) | 1,600 | 1.6 | 13.352647 |
| Water | 1,000 | 1 | 8.3454045 |
| Ice | 917 | 0.917 | 7.6527359 |
| Pine wood | 500 | 0.5 | 4.1727022 |
| Oak wood | 750 | 0.75 | 6.2590533 |
| Aluminium | 2,700 | 2.7 | 22.532592 |
| Steel | 7,850 | 7.85 | 65.511425 |
| Copper | 8,960 | 8.96 | 74.774824 |
| Lead | 11,340 | 11.34 | 94.636886 |
| Gold | 19,320 | 19.32 | 161.23321 |
Good to know
Densities of loose materials vary with moisture, grading and compaction by 10–20%. Ask your supplier for their weight per yard when it matters.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Substance | Choose one: Concrete, Gravel (dry, loose), Crushed stone, Sand (dry) … |
| Custom density | Units: g/cm³, kg/m³, kg/L, lb/ft³, lb/US gal |
| Cubic yards | Units: yd³, L, mL, cL, dL, m³ … |
What each result means
- Short tons = [Cubic yards] × [Density used]
- Tonnes = [Cubic yards] × [Density used]
- Pounds = [Cubic yards] × [Density used]
Formula
mass = volume × densityWorked example
Inputs — Substance: Gravel (dry, loose); Custom density: 1 g/cm³; Cubic yards: 1 yd³.
Results — Density used = 1.68 g/cm³; Short tons = 1.415866 US ton; Tonnes = 1.284452 t; Pounds = 2,831.732292 lb.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons in a cubic yard of gravel?
About 1.4 US tons.
How many tons in a cubic yard of concrete?
About 2 US tons.
Why does the answer change with the ingredient?
Cubic yards and short tons measure different things (volume and weight), so the conversion depends on how dense the material is.
What if my ingredient is not listed?
Choose “Custom density” and type its density; the label or a quick weigh-and-measure test will give it.
What formula does the Cubic Yards to Tons Converter use?
mass = volume × density.