Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator
Tons to cubic yards and back, for 19 materials.
Shows how much ground it covers
Last good result. Check the field above.
That covers about 567 sq ft at 2 in.
- Material: Pea gravel
- Amount: 3.5 cu yd
- Depth: 2 in
3.5 cubic yards of pea gravel weighs about 4.9 tons, or 4.4 tonnes.
How to use
- Pick the material from the list of 19.
- Pick the direction: cubic yards to tons, or tons to cubic yards. With the ft | m switch on m, the choices are cubic meters to tonnes and tonnes to cubic meters.
- Enter the amount you have.
- Swap direction flips the conversion and carries the result into the amount box, so you can check it the other way.
- Optional: enter a depth to see how much ground the amount covers.
How it works
Every material in the list has a density in short tons per cubic yard, stored as a typical value with a realistic minimum and maximum. To convert cubic yards to tons, the calculator multiplies the cubic yards you entered by that typical density. To convert tons to cubic yards, it divides the tons by the same density instead. It also shows cubic meters and tonnes alongside the US units, using standard metric conversions: a metric tonne is 1,000 kilograms, and a US short ton is 2,000 pounds. Tons and tonnes stay as separate results rather than one unit standing in for the other, since they’re close but not identical.
Density is the reason this tool exists rather than one flat conversion factor. A cubic yard of bark mulch and a cubic yard of concrete take up the same space but don’t weigh close to the same amount, because density depends on what the material is made of, how much air sits between the pieces, and how wet or compacted it is. Loose, light materials like bark mulch or lava rock sit at the low end of the density table; dense materials like concrete sit at the high end; most crushed stone, gravel and sand fall in the middle. The table below gives a range, not just one number, because a wet, freshly delivered pile of material can weigh noticeably more than the same material dry and settled.
If you enter a depth, the calculator also shows roughly how much ground your converted amount will cover, using the same cubic-feet math as the other tools on this site: area equals volume divided by depth, with depth converted from inches to feet first. Treat every result here as a planning estimate. Order a little extra for waste and compaction, and confirm the final weight with your supplier, since scales at the yard measure your actual load, not a table average.
Density table for all 19 materials
Typical tons per cubic yard and the realistic range for each material, from supplier density charts, engineering references and retailer product data.
| Material | Typical (tons/yd³) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 1.4 | 1.3-1.5 |
| #57 stone | 1.4 | 1.3-1.5 |
| Crusher run | 1.5 | 1.25-1.8 |
| #411 stone | 1.5 | 1.35-2.0 |
| River gravel | 1.45 | 1.3-1.6 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.4 | 1.25-1.5 |
| River rock | 1.35 | 1.2-1.75 |
| Landscape rock | 1.35 | 1.2-1.5 |
| Crushed stone | 1.45 | 1.3-1.7 |
| Lava rock | 0.65 | 0.5-0.8 |
| Marble chips | 1.3 | 1.2-1.5 |
| Topsoil | 1.1 | 0.9-1.4 |
| Fill dirt | 1.2 | 1.0-1.5 |
| Garden soil mix | 0.65 | 0.5-0.85 |
| Sand | 1.3 | 1.1-1.5 |
| Limestone | 1.4 | 1.2-1.6 |
| Asphalt millings | 1.45 | 1.2-1.6 |
| Concrete | 1.95 | 1.85-2.05 |
| Bark mulch | 0.3 | 0.2-0.4 |
Worked example
- Density: pea gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard (range 1.3 to 1.5)
- Tons: 3.5 cu yd × 1.4 = 4.9 tons
- Tonnes: 4.9 tons × 0.9072 = 4.4 tonnes
- Cubic meters: 3.5 cu yd × 0.7646 = 2.68 m³
- Coverage: 3.5 cu yd × 27 = 94.5 cu ft; 94.5 cu ft ÷ (2 in ÷ 12) = 567 sq ft
- Order: round up to 5 tons
Questions people ask
How many cubic yards are in a ton?
It depends on the material: divide the tons by that material's typical density. Pea gravel runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so one ton comes to close to 0.71 cubic yards.
How many tons are in a cubic yard?
Multiply the cubic yards by the material's typical density to get tons. Gravel types run about 1.4 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard, topsoil about 1.1, sand about 1.3, bark mulch about 0.3, and concrete about 1.95.
How many tonnes are in a cubic yard?
It follows the same math as tons, then converts using the fact that one US short ton equals about 0.907 metric tonnes.
How many yards are in a ton of gravel?
At a typical density of 1.4 tons per cubic yard, one ton of gravel is about 0.71 cubic yards.
How much is a ton?
A US short ton is 2,000 pounds. A metric tonne is 1,000 kilograms, or about 2,205 pounds, so the two aren't quite the same weight.