Tons = cubic yards × density in pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000, and there is no single answer because every material weighs something different: 10 cubic yards of dry gravel at 2,835 lb per yard is 28,350 lb, or 14.18 tons. For the reverse, tons to cubic yards, divide by the density instead: 10 tons of that gravel fills 7.05 cubic yards.
How to convert cubic yards to tons
Tons = cubic yards × lb per cubic yard ÷ 2,000 Cubic yards = tons × 2,000 ÷ lb per cubic yard
Pick the material, enter the amount, and the direction toggle chooses which way the conversion runs. The ton here is the US short ton of 2,000 lb; the metric tonne (1,000 kg, about 2,205 lb) is shown next to it, and the metric toggle switches the whole page to cubic meters and tonnes. If your supplier quotes a density, choose "My own density" and enter tons per cubic yard from their ticket.
Cubic yards to tons of gravel
Gravel is the usual reason for this conversion. Dry gravel or crushed stone at 105 lb per cubic foot is 2,835 lb per cubic yard, 1.42 tons per yard. Wet gravel is 125 lb per cubic foot, 3,375 lb or 1.69 tons per yard. Inch Calculator publishes a range of 2,800 to 3,400 lb for gravel of 1/4 to 2 in, so 1.4 to 1.7 tons per yard is a fair planning range. Washington DOT lists crushed surfacing base at 2,950 lb per yard as delivered and 3,700 lb once compacted in place (1.85 tons), which matters when you calculate a driveway base.
Cubic yards to tons of sand, topsoil, concrete and mulch
Ten cubic yards of dry sand is 13.1 tons and wet sand about 16.1 tons. Topsoil runs 2,000 to 2,600 lb per yard dry and 3,000 to 3,400 wet, so 10 yards is roughly 11.5 tons dry and 16 tons wet at the midpoints. Poured concrete is 150 lb per cubic foot (Penn State fact sheet H-20), 4,050 lb per yard, 2.03 tons: 10 cubic yards is 20.25 tons. Compacted asphalt at 145 lb per cubic foot is 3,915 lb, 1.96 tons per yard. Mulch is light: fresh wood chips are 473 lb per yard (EPA) and dry chips 243 lb, so a yard of mulch is between 0.12 and 0.24 tons.
Density table
| Material | lb per cubic yard | Tons per cubic yard | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel or crushed stone, dry | 2,835 | 1.42 | Engineering ToolBox, Inch Calculator |
| Gravel, wet | 3,375 | 1.69 | Engineering ToolBox |
| Pea gravel | 2,750 | 1.38 | Inch Calculator (range 2,500 to 3,000) |
| Crushed base course, as delivered | 2,950 | 1.48 | Washington DOT |
| Crushed base course, compacted | 3,700 | 1.85 | Washington DOT |
| Sand, dry | 2,619 | 1.31 | Engineering ToolBox |
| Sand, wet | 3,213 | 1.61 | Engineering ToolBox |
| Topsoil, dry | 2,300 | 1.15 | Inch Calculator (range 2,000 to 2,600) |
| Topsoil, wet | 3,200 | 1.60 | Inch Calculator (range 3,000 to 3,400) |
| Loam | 2,160 | 1.08 | Engineering ToolBox |
| Clay, dry | 2,700 | 1.35 | Engineering ToolBox |
| Clay, wet | 2,970 | 1.49 | Engineering ToolBox |
| Mulch or wood chips, fresh | 473 | 0.24 | EPA |
| Mulch or wood chips, dry | 243 | 0.12 | EPA |
| Concrete, poured | 4,050 | 2.03 | Penn State H-20 |
| Asphalt, compacted | 3,915 | 1.96 | DOT spread rates |
| Broken concrete, loose | 860 | 0.43 | EPA |
Most densities were published per cubic foot and multiplied by 27 cubic feet per yard. Moisture, compaction and the rock itself move the number by 10 to 20 percent, so the supplier's scale ticket, not this table, is what you pay for.
Tons to cubic yards
To find how much space a delivered load takes, run it backwards. 20 tons of dry gravel is 20 × 2,000 ÷ 2,835 = 14.11 cubic yards, and 10 tons of dry sand is 7.64 cubic yards. A common rule for gravel is 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so 1 ton is about 0.7 cubic yards.
Will it fit on your truck?
Weight, not volume, is usually the limit for stone. A pickup with a 2,000 lb payload carries only 0.7 cubic yards of gravel, so 10 yards is 15 trips. The payload is the GVWR on the door sticker minus the curb weight. On the road, federal limits are 80,000 lb gross, 20,000 lb per single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem axle (23 CFR 658.17). The page checks your load against a payload you enter.
Where the cubic yards come from
If you have an area and a depth, the square feet to cubic yards calculator gives the volume to enter here, and the cubic yard calculator handles length, width and depth. Paving has its own page in the asphalt tonnage calculator, and poured concrete is on the concrete weight calculator. If you are hauling debris away, the dumpster size calculator applies weight limits. More conversions are in measuring and planning calculators.