Converting cubic yards of asphalt to tons is a one-line calculation, but only if you use the right density. The common mistake, and the reason online charts disagree, is mixing up compacted asphalt (the finished pavement) with loose material (a fresh mat before rolling, or a pile of millings). The same ton of hot mix takes up noticeably more room before it is rolled. This converter lets you pick which one you mean and shows the math.
Quick answer: one cubic yard of compacted hot mix asphalt weighs about 1.96 tons (3,915 lb at 145 lb/ft³). Use tons = cubic yards × 1.96.
Going the other way, one ton of compacted asphalt is about 0.51 cubic yards (13.8 ft³), so a 20-ton truckload fills about 10.2 cubic yards of finished pavement.
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The Cubic Yards to Tons Formula
A cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. Density for asphalt is usually given in pounds per cubic foot, so:
- Convert cubic yards to cubic feet. Multiply by 27. Ten cubic yards is 270 ft³.
- Multiply by density. 270 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ = 39,150 lb.
- Divide by 2,000 for US (short) tons. 39,150 ÷ 2,000 = 19.58 tons.
Combined: tons per cubic yard = density × 27 ÷ 2,000, which is 1.9575 at 145 lb/ft³. To reverse it, divide tons by that factor: 20 tons ÷ 1.9575 = 10.22 cubic yards. For metric tonnes, multiply US tons by 0.907; for cubic meters, multiply cubic yards by 0.7646.
Compacted vs. Loose Asphalt Density
This is where most confusion comes from. Asphalt is weighed at the plant, so the ton on your ticket is fixed. Its volume depends on how tightly it is packed.
- Compacted hot mix (in place). The Asphalt Institute gives 142 to 148 lb/ft³ for in-place asphalt mixture, or about 1.92 to 2.00 tons per cubic yard. This is the number to use for paving, because driveway and lot thicknesses are specified after rolling.
- Loose mat behind the paver. Asphalt Institute engineers advise setting the paver screed at about 1.25 times the finished thickness for dense-graded mixes, because rolling squeezes the mat down by about a fifth. The weight does not change, so the loose mat's density is roughly 145 ÷ 1.25 ≈ 116 lb/ft³, or about 1.57 tons per cubic yard. That figure is derived from the roll-down rule, not measured, and it varies by mix and by how hard the screed compacts.
- Loose hot mix in a truck bed. We did not find an authoritative published figure, and it varies with mix, temperature and how the load is heaped. It does not affect your order, because hot mix is sold and weighed by the ton. Do not use truck-bed volume to estimate pavement.
- Asphalt millings (RAP). The Federal Highway Administration reports a unit weight of 120 to 140 lb/ft³ for milled or processed RAP, and a lower compacted (Proctor) maximum dry density of 100 to 125 lb/ft³. Suppliers sell millings by the ton or the yard at their own conversion, so ask for their figure before you order.
| Material | lb/ft³ | lb per yd³ | Tons per yd³ | Yd³ per ton | Tonnes per m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot mix, compacted (low) | 142 | 3,834 | 1.917 | 0.522 | 2.275 |
| Hot mix, compacted (site default) | 145 | 3,915 | 1.958 | 0.511 | 2.323 |
| Hot mix, compacted (high) | 148 | 3,996 | 1.998 | 0.501 | 2.371 |
| Loose mat behind paver (derived) | ≈116 | 3,132 | 1.566 | 0.639 | 1.858 |
| Millings, FHWA unit weight (low) | 120 | 3,240 | 1.620 | 0.617 | 1.922 |
| Millings, FHWA unit weight (high) | 140 | 3,780 | 1.890 | 0.529 | 2.243 |
Tonnes per m³ is numerically the same as g/cm³. If a chart lists hot mix far below 3,800 lb per cubic yard, it is describing loose material or contains an error.
Cubic Yards to Tons Conversion Chart
| Cubic yards | Compacted, 145 lb/ft³ | Compacted, 148 lb/ft³ | Loose mat, ≈116 lb/ft³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.96 | 2.00 | 1.57 |
| 2 | 3.92 | 4.00 | 3.13 |
| 3 | 5.87 | 5.99 | 4.70 |
| 5 | 9.79 | 9.99 | 7.83 |
| 10 | 19.58 | 19.98 | 15.66 |
| 15 | 29.36 | 29.97 | 23.49 |
| 20 | 39.15 | 39.96 | 31.32 |
| 25 | 48.94 | 49.95 | 39.15 |
| 50 | 97.88 | 99.90 | 78.30 |
| 100 | 195.75 | 199.80 | 156.60 |
Tons to Cubic Yards Chart
| US tons | Cubic yards | Cubic feet | Sq ft at 2 in | Sq ft at 3 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.51 | 13.8 | 83 | 55 |
| 5 | 2.55 | 69.0 | 414 | 276 |
| 10 | 5.11 | 137.9 | 828 | 552 |
| 15 | 7.66 | 206.9 | 1,241 | 828 |
| 20 | 10.22 | 275.9 | 1,655 | 1,103 |
| 25 | 12.77 | 344.8 | 2,069 | 1,379 |
| 50 | 25.54 | 689.7 | 4,138 | 2,759 |
| 100 | 51.09 | 1,379.3 | 8,276 | 5,517 |
If you are starting from an area rather than a volume, the square feet to tons calculator skips the cubic-yard step.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Driveway volume to tons
A 12 × 50 ft driveway at 3 inches compacted is 12 × 50 × 0.25 = 150 ft³, or 150 ÷ 27 = 5.56 cubic yards. At 1.9575 tons per cubic yard that is 10.88 tons (check: 150 × 145 ÷ 2,000 = 10.875). Add 5 to 10% for waste.
Example 2: What does a 20-ton load fill?
20 tons ÷ 1.9575 = 10.22 cubic yards of compacted pavement, enough for about 1,655 sq ft at 2 inches. Spread loose behind the paver, the same 20 tons occupies about 20 ÷ 1.566 = 12.77 cubic yards until it is rolled. That 25% gap is exactly the difference between compacted and loose density.
Example 3: Ordering millings by the yard
You need 15 cubic yards of millings and the supplier prices by the ton. Using the FHWA unit-weight range of 120 to 140 lb/ft³, 15 × 27 × 120 ÷ 2,000 = 24.3 tons and 15 × 27 × 140 ÷ 2,000 = 28.35 tons. That 4-ton spread is why you should ask the yard for its own conversion. The asphalt millings calculator sizes a millings driveway from its dimensions.
Tips
- Order hot mix in tons, not yards. Plants weigh every load, so tons are what you are billed for. Use cubic yards only as a step in the math.
- Use compacted thickness and compacted density together. Mixing a compacted thickness with a loose density (or the other way round) under- or over-orders by 20 to 25%.
- Get the mix design density on big jobs. The 142 to 148 lb/ft³ range is a 4% spread, which matters on hundreds of tons. The asphalt tonnage calculator works from a plant's spread rate if you have one.
- Plan the base too. Stone base is a different material with its own density; use the gravel base calculator, then the main asphalt calculator or driveway cost calculator for the full job.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tons are in a cubic yard of asphalt?
About 1.96 tons for compacted hot mix asphalt at 145 lb/ft³, and between 1.92 and 2.00 tons across the typical in-place range of 142 to 148 lb/ft³. Loose material weighs less per cubic yard.
How much does a yard of asphalt weigh in pounds?
About 3,915 lb for compacted hot mix at 145 lb/ft³ (27 ft³ × 145). The typical range is about 3,834 to 3,996 lb.
How many cubic yards are in a ton of asphalt?
About 0.51 cubic yards (13.8 ft³) of compacted asphalt. Before rolling, the same ton takes up about 0.64 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards of asphalt are in a 20-ton truck?
About 10.2 cubic yards of finished, compacted pavement at 145 lb/ft³. Hot mix is sold by weight, so the bed volume of the truck is not a reliable guide.
Why do different charts give different tons per cubic yard?
Mostly because some use compacted density and others use loose density, and mix designs genuinely vary from about 142 to 148 lb/ft³ in place. Check which state the figure describes before you use it.
How many tons is a cubic yard of asphalt millings?
FHWA reports a unit weight of 120 to 140 lb/ft³ for milled RAP, which is 1.62 to 1.89 tons per cubic yard. Supplier conversions vary with moisture and gradation, so use your supplier's number when ordering.
How do I convert tons of asphalt to cubic meters?
Divide US tons by the tons per cubic yard (1.9575 at 145 lb/ft³), then multiply by 0.7646. One US ton of compacted hot mix is about 0.39 m³.
Sources
- Asphalt Institute, Engineering FAQs: Asphalt Pavement Thickness and Mix Design (asphalt mixture weighs about 142 to 148 lb/ft³ in place).
- Danny Gierhart and Jason Wielinski, Asphalt Institute, Five handy rules of thumb for successful asphalt pavement construction, Asphalt Magazine (set the screed at about 1.25 times the compacted thickness for dense-graded mix).
- Federal Highway Administration, User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction: Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Material Description (FHWA-RD-97-148; milled RAP unit weight 120 to 140 lb/ft³; compacted maximum dry density 100 to 125 lb/ft³).
- NIST Office of Weights and Measures, Approximate conversions from U.S. customary measures to metric (cubic yards to cubic meters, short tons to metric tons).
Last updated: October 2026 · How we calculate