How many tons are in a cubic yard of sand?
A cubic yard of dry sand is typically 1.3–1.5 US tons (2,600–3,000 lb). Wet sand is 1.5–1.7 tons (3,000–3,400 lb). These are typical ranges, so ask your supplier whether the sand is washed, damp or dry.
Dry against wet sand
Dry and wet sand; the site's typical ranges.
| Yards | Dry sand (tons) | Wet sand (tons) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.3–1.5 | 1.5–1.7 |
| 2 | 2.6–3.0 | 3.0–3.4 |
| 3 | 3.9–4.5 | 4.5–5.1 |
| 5 | 6.5–7.5 | 7.5–8.5 |
| 10 | 13–15 | 15–17 |
How we worked it out
Tons = yards × the range. The site's typical ranges list wet sand heavier than dry. How much heavier depends on the water in it, so ask your supplier how wet their sand is.
Questions
How many yards of sand is 1 ton?
About 0.67–0.77 cubic yard dry, or 0.59–0.67 wet.
What is 5 yards of sand in tons?
About 6.5–7.5 tons dry, or 7.5–8.5 wet.
How much does 1 yard of sand weigh?
About 2,600–3,000 lb dry.
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. Every value the site uses is in the methodology source register.
Where the numbers come from 3
- Dry sand density range
- 1.3 – 1.5 US tons/cu yd
- Typical range; no primary standard exists, and weight varies with moisture and gradation. Confirm with your supplier.
- Wet sand density range
- 1.5 – 1.7 US tons/cu yd
- Typical range; no primary standard exists, and weight varies with moisture and gradation. Confirm with your supplier.
- 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