Pounds to Tons Calculator for Gravel & Dirt

Pounds to tons chart

Cubic yards use typical in-place weights: crushed gravel ≈ 2,800 lb/yd³, dry fill dirt ≈ 2,000 lb/yd³.

Pounds	US tons	Metric tonnes	yd³ gravel	yd³ dirt
100 lbs	0.050	0.045	0.04	0.05
500 lbs	0.250	0.227	0.18	0.25
1,000 lbs	0.500	0.454	0.36	0.50
1,500 lbs	0.750	0.680	0.54	0.75
2,000 lbs	1.000	0.907	0.71	1.00
2,500 lbs	1.250	1.134	0.89	1.25
2,800 lbs	1.400	1.270	1.00	1.40
3,000 lbs	1.500	1.361	1.07	1.50
4,000 lbs	2.000	1.814	1.43	2.00
5,000 lbs	2.500	2.268	1.79	2.50
6,000 lbs	3.000	2.722	2.14	3.00
8,000 lbs	4.000	3.629	2.86	4.00
10,000 lbs	5.000	4.536	3.57	5.00
15,000 lbs	7.500	6.804	5.36	7.50
20,000 lbs	10.000	9.072	7.14	10.00
26,000 lbs	13.000	11.793	9.29	13.00
30,000 lbs	15.000	13.608	10.71	15.00
40,000 lbs	20.000	18.144	14.29	20.00

Load	Pounds	US tons	yd³ gravel
50 lb bag	50	0.025	0.02
80 lb bag	80	0.040	0.03
Half-ton pickup	1,000	0.500	0.36
1 ton	2,000	1.000	0.71
1 yd³ gravel	2,800	1.400	1.00
Single-axle dump	12,000	6.000	4.29
Tandem dump	30,000	15.000	10.71

Load

Pounds

US tons

yd³ gravel

50 lb bag

0.025

0.02

80 lb bag

0.040

0.03

Half-ton pickup

1,000

0.500

0.36

1 ton

2,000

1.000

0.71

1 yd³ gravel

2,800

1.400

1.00

Single-axle dump

12,000

6.000

4.29

Tandem dump

30,000

15.000

10.71

How to convert pounds to tons

US short tons = pounds ÷ 2,000
Metric tonnes = pounds ÷ 2,204.62
Cubic yards = pounds ÷ material weight per yd³
Example: 5,600 lbs of gravel ÷ 2,000 = 2.8 tons ≈ 2 yd³

Wet material can weigh 10–20% more; check the scale ticket when buying by the ton.

Trade pro tips

A "half-ton" pickup can usually carry about 1,000–1,500 lbs — that is only ½ yd³ of gravel.
Quarries sell stone by the ton; landscape yards often sell by the yard. Convert both to compare prices.
Dump-truck loads are limited by weight, not volume, for heavy stone and sand.

Frequently asked questions

How many pounds are in a ton?

A US (short) ton is 2,000 lbs. A metric tonne is 1,000 kg, about 2,204.6 lbs. A British long ton is 2,240 lbs.

How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?

About 1.4 tons (2,800 lbs) for crushed stone; pea gravel runs about 1.35 tons.

How many tons is a yard of dirt?

Dry fill dirt weighs about 1 ton (2,000 lbs) per cubic yard; wet or clay-heavy soil can reach 1.3–1.5 tons.

How much gravel can a pickup truck carry?

A half-ton pickup carries about 1,000–1,500 lbs — roughly ½ yd³ of gravel. A 3/4-ton truck can take about 1 yd³.

Pounds to Tons for Gravel & Dirt

Quick answer

▍Pounds → Tons