The answer depends on the material. A cubic yard of gravel is about 1.4 tons, topsoil about 1.1 tons, and mulch about 0.35 tons. There is no single number, because a ton is a weight and a cubic yard is a volume.
Why there is no single answer
A cubic yard is a measure of space: 27 cubic feet. A ton is a measure of weight: 2,000 pounds in the United States. To go from one to the other you need the density of the material, which is its weight per cubic yard.
Gravel is heavy and packed tightly, so a cubic yard of it weighs a lot. Mulch is light and airy, so a cubic yard of it weighs far less.
The formula
Tons = cubic yards times pounds per cubic yard, divided by 2,000. To go the other way, cubic yards = tons times 2,000, divided by the pounds per cubic yard.
Example: 10 cubic yards of gravel at 2,800 pounds per cubic yard is 28,000 pounds, or 14 tons.
Typical values
The table below uses planning values for typical dry or lightly moist material. Real material varies with moisture, rock type, and how tightly it is packed, so confirm the figure with your supplier before you order by weight.
Which unit will my supplier use?
Many quarries sell stone, sand, and gravel by the ton. Landscape yards sell mulch and topsoil by the cubic yard. Ready mix concrete is sold by the cubic yard. If you are comparing prices, convert both to the same unit first.
Metric tons
A metric ton is 1,000 kilograms, which is about 2,204.6 pounds. It is about 10 percent larger than a US ton. If your supplier quotes tonnes, divide by 0.907 to get US tons.
Planning weights
| Material | Pounds per cubic yard | US tons per cubic yard | Cubic yards per US ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulch | 700 | 0.35 | 2.86 |
| Compost | 1,000 | 0.50 | 2.00 |
| Topsoil | 2,200 | 1.10 | 0.91 |
| Dirt | 2,400 | 1.20 | 0.83 |
| Sand | 2,700 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Crushed stone | 2,700 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Gravel | 2,800 | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Pea gravel | 2,800 | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Asphalt | 3,900 | 1.95 | 0.51 |
| Concrete | 4,050 | 2.02 | 0.49 |
Frequently asked questions
How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
About 1.4 US tons as a planning value.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of topsoil?
About 1.1 US tons, and more when the soil is wet.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of mulch?
About 0.35 US tons.
Is a ton the same as a yard?
No. A ton is a weight and a yard is a volume. The conversion depends on the material.