Free · Converts both ways
Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator
There is no single answer to how many tons are in a yard, because it depends on what you are moving. Pick the material, enter yards to get tons, or switch to weight mode and enter tons to get yards.
The short answer
How many tons are in a cubic yard?
It depends on the material, and that is the whole problem with the question. A cubic yard is a fixed volume, 27 cubic feet. A ton is a fixed weight, 2,000 pounds. What connects them is density, which changes with every material you put in the truck.
A cubic yard of pea gravel weighs about 1.35 tons. The same yard of screened topsoil weighs about 1 ton, and of lava rock about 0.70. Order by the ton using the wrong figure and you can be out by a third.
| Material | lb per ft³ | US tons per cubic yard | Cubic yards per US ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 100 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Crushed stone #57 | 104 | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Crushed stone #411 | 100 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| River rock | 100 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Decomposed granite | 104 | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Marble chips | 96 | 1.30 | 0.77 |
| Lava rock | 52 | 0.70 | 1.42 |
| Stone dust | 104 | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Screened topsoil | 74 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Every figure here is published in full, with its caveats, as open data. If your supplier quotes a different weight, use theirs.
The maths
How to convert, in both directions
Cubic yards to tons
Multiply the yards by the density in pounds per cubic foot, multiply by 27, then divide by 2,000.
4 yards of pea gravel: 4 × 100 × 27 = 10,800 lb, divided by 2,000 = 5.4 tons.
Tons to cubic yards
Multiply the tons by 2,000, divide by the density, then divide by 27.
5 tons of pea gravel: 5 × 2,000 = 10,000 lb, divided by 100 = 100 cubic feet, divided by 27 = 3.7 cubic yards.
Square yards to tons
Square yards are an area, so a depth has to come first. Multiply square yards by 9 for square feet, multiply by the depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then convert as above. 100 square yards at 3 inches is 900 sq ft × 0.25 ft = 225 cubic feet, which is 8.33 cubic yards, or 11.25 tons of pea gravel.
Quick reference
Cubic yards to tons at a glance
| Volume | Pea gravel | Crushed stone #57 | Topsoil | Lava rock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yd³ | 1.35 | 1.40 | 0.70 | 1.00 |
| 2 yd³ | 2.70 | 2.81 | 1.40 | 2.00 |
| 3 yd³ | 4.05 | 4.21 | 2.11 | 3.00 |
| 5 yd³ | 6.75 | 7.02 | 3.51 | 5.00 |
| 7 yd³ | 9.45 | 9.83 | 4.91 | 6.99 |
| 10 yd³ | 13.50 | 14.04 | 7.02 | 9.99 |
| 15 yd³ | 20.25 | 21.06 | 10.53 | 14.98 |
| 20 yd³ | 27.00 | 28.08 | 14.04 | 19.98 |
The spread across that table is the point. Twenty yards is 27 tons of pea gravel, 28 tons of crushed stone, 20 of topsoil and 14 of lava rock. Same truck, same volume, wildly different weight tickets.
The other way
Tons to cubic yards
| Weight | Pea gravel | Crushed stone #57 | Topsoil | Lava rock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tons | 0.74 | 0.71 | 1.42 | 1.00 |
| 2 tons | 1.48 | 1.42 | 2.85 | 2.00 |
| 3 tons | 2.22 | 2.14 | 4.27 | 3.00 |
| 5 tons | 3.70 | 3.56 | 7.12 | 5.01 |
| 10 tons | 7.41 | 7.12 | 14.25 | 10.01 |
| 20 tons | 14.81 | 14.25 | 28.49 | 20.02 |
This is the direction that matters when a yard quotes you by weight and you need to know whether it will fill the space. A 10 ton load of pea gravel is about 7.4 cubic yards, which is roughly 60 square feet at 4 inches deep plus a bit over.
Why it differs
What actually changes the weight
Four things move density, and they are the reason two calculators disagree about the same load.
- Stone size and shape. Larger stone leaves larger gaps, so the same volume holds less material. Angular stone with fines packs tighter than rounded stone of the same mineral.
- Moisture. Water adds weight without adding volume. This site applies about 8 percent for wet aggregate. Soil absorbs far more and can gain 30 percent or more saturated.
- Compaction. Every figure here is loose and uncompacted, which is how material is delivered. Compacted in place it is denser, which is why driveways need a compaction allowance on top of the calculated volume.
- What the quarry actually dug. Limestone, granite and basalt differ, and no published table knows which one your supplier sells.
The practical rule: use published figures to plan and your supplier's figure to order. The weight guide works through the pea gravel case in detail, including the 1.21 to 1.42 tons per cubic yard spread across published sources.
Questions
Yards and tons FAQ
It depends entirely on the material. A cubic yard of pea gravel is about 1.35 US tons, crushed stone #57 about 1.40, screened topsoil about 1.00 and lava rock about 0.70. There is no single answer, which is why any converter that does not ask what you are moving is guessing.
Multiply the cubic yards by the material's weight in pounds per cubic foot, multiply by 27, then divide by 2,000. For pea gravel at 100 pounds per cubic foot that works out to 1.35 tons per cubic yard, so 4 yards is 5.4 tons.
Divide 2,000 by the pounds per cubic foot, then divide by 27. For pea gravel that gives about 0.74 cubic yards per US ton, so 5 tons is roughly 3.7 cubic yards.
About 9.45 US tons for pea gravel or crushed stone #411 at 100 pounds per cubic foot. For denser crushed stone #57 it is closer to 9.8 tons, and for topsoil about 7 tons.
About 2,000 pounds, or 1 US ton, for dry screened topsoil. Published figures run from 1,500 to 2,200 pounds dry, and saturated soil can reach 3,000, so soil weights vary far more than stone.
About 2,800 pounds, or 1.40 US tons, loose. Stone dust and crusher screenings pack tightly because the fines fill the gaps, and compacted in place the figure rises further.
Yes. Water adds weight without adding volume, so a wet cubic yard weighs more. This site applies about 8 percent for wet aggregate. Soil holds far more water than stone and can gain 30 percent or more when saturated.
Square yards measure area, so you need a depth first. Multiply the square yards by 9 to get square feet, multiply by the depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then apply the material's tons per cubic yard. The calculator above does it if you pick the area mode.
Transparency
Sources and methodology
- Aggregate densities. The nine figures used here are published in full, with their conditions, on the density data page and as CSV under CC BY 4.0. Background on aggregate production, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (PDF).
- Topsoil, 2,000 lb per cubic yard. Dry screened mid point. Published figures run 1,500 to 2,200 lb dry, and saturated soil can reach 3,000, so soil is the least precise material in the set.
- Stone dust, 2,808 lb per cubic yard. Loose screenings at 104 lb per cubic foot. Compacted in place it is considerably denser.
- Conversions. 27 cubic feet per cubic yard, 2,000 lb per US ton, 2,204.62 lb per tonne, 9 square feet per square yard.
- Wet uplift, 8 percent for aggregate, applied by the moisture toggle. Soil holds far more.
Working out a project quantity?
The main calculator turns an area and a depth into yards, tons, bags and cost.