Gravel tons to cubic yards
How many yards are in a ton of gravel?
One US short ton of pea gravel at 105 lb/ft³ is about 0.71 cubic yards, or 19.05 cubic feet. The volume per ton changes with the material's bulk density.
In a bulk gravel quote, a yard means a cubic yard of volume, equal to 27 cubic feet. A US short ton is 2,000 lb of weight. A metric tonne is a different unit. The conversion depends on bulk density. Find your material's density in the table below.
Estimate gravel for your project with the gravel calculatorCubic yards and cubic feet per ton by material
The table shows the volume of 2,000 lb of each material. It uses the gravel calculator's density estimates and rounds volumes to two decimal places. Ask your supplier for the bulk density of the gravel you order.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare every column.
| Material | Assumed density, lb/ft³ | Cubic yards / US short ton | Cubic feet / US short ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 105 | 0.71 | 19.05 |
| Crushed stone | 110 | 0.67 | 18.18 |
| Driveway gravel | 115 | 0.64 | 17.39 |
| Gravel fill | 115 | 0.64 | 17.39 |
| Limestone | 95 | 0.78 | 21.05 |
| River rock | 100 | 0.74 | 20.00 |
| Decomposed granite | 105 | 0.71 | 19.05 |
| Lava rock | 50 | 1.48 | 40.00 |
| Marble chips | 95 | 0.78 | 21.05 |
How to convert gravel tons to cubic yards
Convert US short tons to pounds. Divide by bulk density to find cubic feet, then divide by 27 to find cubic yards. Use density in lb/ft³ for these formulas:
- Cubic feet = US short tons × 2,000 ÷ bulk density.
- Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27.
To convert back to tons per cubic yard, multiply density by 27, then divide by 2,000. At 105 lb/ft³, one cubic yard of pea gravel weighs 1.4175 US short tons, about 1.42. Divide 1 by the unrounded tons per cubic yard to find cubic yards per ton. The gravel weight guide lists pounds and US short tons per cubic yard for all nine materials.
Worked example: three tons of pea gravel
A supplier quotes 3 US short tons of pea gravel. At 105 lb/ft³, calculate the volume as follows:
- 3 US short tons × 2,000 lb/US short ton = 6,000 lb.
- 6,000 lb ÷ 105 lb/ft³ ≈ 57.14 ft³.
- Unrounded cubic feet ÷ 27 ft³/yd³ ≈ 2.12 yd³.
The three-ton load is approximately 2.12 cubic yards, or 57.14 cubic feet. Calculate from the load's total weight and density, then round the result. Multiplying the rounded 0.71 cubic yards per ton by three gives 2.13 cubic yards instead of 2.12.
Why the volume in a ton of gravel varies
Bulk density is a pile's weight divided by its volume, including the gaps between stones. At the same weight, denser gravel takes up less space. Stone type and grading affect density. Fine particles can fill the gaps between larger stones. Our pea gravel estimate uses 105 lb/ft³ within the preset's range of 100–110 lb/ft³.
Moisture adds water weight. A ton of wet gravel can contain less stone than a ton of dry gravel. Packing reduces the gaps between stones and increases bulk density. The same stones take up less space after compaction, but their weight stays the same.
Ask whether your supplier's density describes loose or packed gravel, wet or dry. Loose gravel takes up more space than the same gravel after compaction. Check the scale ticket for the delivered weight and confirm that it uses US short tons.
How depth changes coverage
To find how many square feet a load will cover, you need its volume and the layer depth. Divide cubic feet by layer depth in feet. Enter your area, depth, and material in the gravel calculator to estimate your order. The pea gravel coverage guide shows coverage at different depths. The area-to-volume table shows how many cubic yards you need for common areas and depths.