How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
A cubic yard of loose gravel typically weighs about 1.4–1.7 US tons (2,800–3,400 lb). Compacted crushed stone is heavier. A federal FEMA appeal decision records the Iowa DOT Design Manual's 140 lb/ft³ for Class A crushed stone, which the applicant converted to 1.89 tons per cubic yard.
Figures and where they come from
| Condition | Tons per cu yd | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Loose gravel, common figure | 1.4 | FEMA appeal 219532 (“Road Repair”, 29 Feb 2012), citing a pocket reference and a quarry manager, for uncompacted dry aggregate |
| Loose dry aggregate, tested at 112 lb/ft³ | 1.51 | the same FEMA appeal: tests conducted by IDOT, reported by the quarry manager; 112 × 27 ÷ 2,000 |
| Compacted Class A crushed stone, 140 lb/ft³ | 1.89 | Iowa DOT Design Manual's 140 lb/ft³, as recorded in the FEMA appeal; the applicant's conversion to 1.89, checked: 140 × 27 ÷ 2,000 |
| Site default range | 1.4–1.7 | the site's typical range |
Example gravel jobs, loose at 1.4–1.7
Example sizes and depths, not recommended depths.
| Example | Size | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | US tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden path | 3 × 20 ft, 2 in deep | 10.00 | 0.37 | 0.52–0.63 |
| Patio area | 12 × 12 ft, 4 in deep | 48.00 | 1.78 | 2.49–3.02 |
| Driveway section | 10 × 40 ft, 4 in deep | 133.33 | 4.94 | 6.91–8.40 |
How we worked it out
Cubic feet = length × width × depth in feet; cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27; tons = yards × the range. Use the pea gravel calculator for your own size.
Questions
Is 1 cubic yard the same as 1 ton?
No. A yard of gravel weighs about 1.4–1.7 tons.
Is 3 cubic yards 3 tons?
No. It is about 4.2–5.1 tons of loose gravel.
How many cubic yards does 1 ton of gravel cover?
1 ton is about 0.59–0.71 cubic yard of loose gravel.
Related pages
Sources
Densities are a typical range — ask your supplier. Weight varies with moisture and gradation.
Values marked with a link come from the linked source, which opens in a new tab. Unit conversions and our own defaults are listed separately. Every value the site uses is in the methodology source register.
Where the numbers come from 5
- Gravel / crushed stone density range
- 1.4 – 1.7 US tons/cu yd
- Typical range; no primary standard exists, and weight varies with moisture and gradation. Confirm with your supplier.
- Loose gravel, common figure
- 1.4 US tons/cu yd
- FEMA appeal 219532, Road Repair (29 February 2012), citing a pocket reference and a quarry manager, for uncompacted dry aggregate (opens in a new tab)fema.gov
- Loose dry aggregate, tested
- 112 lb/ft³
- FEMA appeal 219532, Road Repair (29 February 2012): tests conducted by IDOT, reported by the quarry manager (opens in a new tab)fema.gov
- Compacted Class A crushed stone
- 140 lb/ft³
- Iowa DOT Design Manual, as recorded in FEMA appeal 219532, Road Repair (29 February 2012) (opens in a new tab)fema.gov
- Pounds per US short ton
- 2000 lb/US ton
- NIST Guide to the SI, US short ton (2000 lb) (opens in a new tab)nist.gov
Unit conversions and our defaults2
- Cubic feet per cubic yard
- 27 cu ft/cu yd
- Geometry: 3 × 3 × 3 feet
- Inches per foot
- 12 in/ft
- Unit definition: one foot contains twelve inches