Four published river rock weights · tons and cubic yards
River rock calculator
Enter the length, width and depth of your bed or border to get river rock in cubic yards and US tons. The preset is a published supplier weight of 2,650 lb per cubic yard; replace it with your own supplier’s figure.
How much river rock you need
Enter your dimensions to see cubic yards, tons and bags
Enter your dimensions to see cubic yards, weight and bags, with every assumption explained.
The short answer
How much river rock do I need?
Multiply length × width in feet by depth in inches, then divide by 324 for cubic yards. A 20 × 3 ft border at 2 in needs 10 ft³, or 0.37 cubic yards, which is about 0.49 US tons at the Steve Miller Inc figure of 2,650 lb per cubic yard (1.33 tons per yard). The same 0.93 cubic yards for a 10 × 10 ft bed at 3 in weighs anywhere from 0.93 to 1.39 tons across the published figures below, so confirm the weight per yard with the yard you order from.
The calculation
How to calculate river rock in four steps
- Measure the area.Length × width in feet gives square feet. Split an L-shape into rectangles and add each as a separate area above.
- Convert the depth.Divide depth in inches by 12. Three inches is 0.25 ft; four inches is 0.333 ft.
- Find the volume.Square feet × depth in feet gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. Volume does not depend on the material.
- Convert to tons.Multiply cubic yards by the supplier’s pounds per cubic yard and divide by 2,000. At 2,650 lb/yd³ that is 1.33 tons per yard.
Rectangle · US measurements
Length × Width × Depth ÷ 324
Feet × feet × inches → cubic yards
Cubic yards × 2,650 ÷ 2,000
Cubic yards × lb/yd³ → US tons at the reference weight
Read the full calculation method ↗Worked examples
River rock calculator examples
Each example uses the 98.15 lb/ft³ reference, no extra allowance and no compaction adjustment. Open one to load its measurements into the calculator, then change the depth or density to match your product.
| Project | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 20 × 3 ft border at 2 in | 10 ft³ · 0.37 yd³ | 0.49 US tons |
| 10 × 10 ft bed at 3 in | 25 ft³ · 0.93 yd³ | 1.23 US tons |
| 30 × 4 ft dry creek bed at 4 in | 40 ft³ · 1.48 yd³ | 1.96 US tons |
Suppliers sell by the ton or by the cubic yard. Ask which unit the quote uses and which weight per yard they bill by; the calculator’s Bag sizes & cost section accepts either.
Bulk quantities
How much does a ton or a cubic yard of river rock cover?
One cubic yard is 27 ft³ whatever the material. One US ton of this reference product is 20.38 ft³ (0.75 yd³), so its coverage depends on the published weight.
Coverage by depth
| Depth | One cubic yard covers | One US ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 162 ft² | 122.26 ft² |
| 3 in | 108 ft² | 81.51 ft² |
| 4 in | 81 ft² | 61.13 ft² |
| 6 in | 54 ft² | 40.75 ft² |
Material for 100 square feet
| Depth | Cubic yards | US tons |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 0.62 yd³ | 0.82 tons |
| 3 in | 0.93 yd³ | 1.23 tons |
| 4 in | 1.23 yd³ | 1.64 tons |
| 6 in | 1.85 yd³ | 2.45 tons |
Multiply the 100 ft² row by your area ÷ 100. The ton-of-gravel coverage guide explains the arithmetic, and the cubic yards to tons converter compares several published weights side by side.
Why the density matters
Published weights for river rock
A size or grade label does not fix a density. These are the published figures behind this page; each names the supplier and product it describes, and none is a specification for another yard’s material.
| Product | Supplier | lb per yd³ | Tons per yd³ | 10 yd³ weighs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4 inch River Rock | Steve Miller Inc | 2,650 | 1.33 | 13.25 tons |
| 1-3 inch River Rock | Himmel's Garden Center | 3,000 | 1.5 | 15 tons |
| Creek Cobble 1-2 1/2 inch | Sutherland Landscape Supplies | 2,500 | 1.25 | 12.5 tons |
| 2-3 inch River Round | Landscape Shoppe | 2,000 | 1 | 10 tons |
Enter your own supplier’s figure under Material & allowance to replace the preset. The full gravel density reference records every figure with its source and date.
River rock for beds, borders and dry creek beds
River rock is sold by size range, usually from 3/4 inch to several inches, and by the ton or the cubic yard. Volume is what you measure; weight is what many yards bill. Calculate the volume here, then convert with the product’s published weight. Small jobs are often cheaper in 0.5 ft³ bags: one cubic yard is 54 of them.
For crushed decorative stone rather than rounded rock, use the landscape rock calculator. For a drainage trench, calculate the trench as a rectangle of its length, width and gravel depth, and see the #57 stone calculator for clean drainage stone.
Before you order
Frequently asked questions about river rock
Every answer states the weight per yard it assumes.
Check our formulas & sources ↗How much river rock do I need for 100 square feet?
At 2 inches deep, 100 ft² needs 0.62 cubic yards, about 0.82 US tons at 2,650 lb per yard. At 3 inches it is 0.93 yd³ (1.23 tons) and at 4 inches 1.23 yd³ (1.64 tons). Multiply by your area ÷ 100.
How many tons are in a yard of river rock?
The four published figures on this page run from 2,000 lb (1 tons) for Landscape Shoppe’s 2-3 inch River Round to 3,000 lb (1.5 tons) for Himmel's Garden Center’s 1-3 inch River Rock. The calculator opens on 2,650 lb (1.33 tons). Use the figure your supplier bills by.
How much area does a yard of river rock cover?
One cubic yard covers 162 ft² at 2 inches, 108 ft² at 3 inches and 81 ft² at 4 inches, whatever the rock. Steve Miller Inc says one yard of its 3/4 inch river rock covers 133 ft², which corresponds to a layer about 2.44 inches deep.
How much does a ton of river rock cover?
At 2,650 lb per cubic yard, one US ton is 20.38 ft³. It covers about 122.26 ft² at 2 inches, 81.51 ft² at 3 inches or 61.13 ft² at 4 inches. At the lightest published figure, 2,000 lb, a ton covers 32.5% more.
Does bigger river rock weigh more per yard?
Not in any consistent way in the published figures. A 2-3 inch river round is listed at about 2,000 lb per yard and a 1-3 inch river rock at 1.5 tons (3,000 lb) on average, from different suppliers. Stone type, shape and how the yard measures a loader bucket all matter, so ask for the weight of the exact product.
How deep should river rock be?
Enter the depth you plan to spread. The 2-, 3- and 4-inch examples show the arithmetic; they are not a design recommendation. Larger stones need a deeper layer to cover the ground beneath them, so check the supplier’s coverage guidance for the size you choose.
Is river rock the same as pea gravel?
Both are rounded, water-worn stone, but pea gravel is small (around 3/8 inch) and river rock usually starts around 3/4 inch and runs to several inches. The pea gravel calculator opens on sourced pea gravel weights.
How is the dry creek bed example calculated?
A 30 × 4 ft bed is 120 ft². 120 × (4 ÷ 12) = 40 ft³, or 1.48 cubic yards. Multiplying by 2,650 lb and dividing by 2,000 gives 1.96 US tons before any allowance.
References
- 3/4 inch River Rock: 2,650 lb/yd³, Steve Miller Inc. Recorded September 23, 2026
- 1-3 inch River Rock: 1.5 US tons/yd³, Himmel's Garden Center. Recorded September 23, 2026
- Creek Cobble 1-2 1/2 inch: 2,500 lb/yd³, Sutherland Landscape Supplies. Recorded September 23, 2026
- 2-3 inch River Round: 2,000 lb/yd³, Landscape Shoppe. Recorded September 23, 2026
About these calculations
By Site Measure · Last updated . The 2,650 lb per cubic yard reference is Steve Miller Inc’s published weight for its own 3/4 inch river rock. The examples are illustrative arithmetic, not measured deliveries, product specifications or installation depths. Content was prepared with AI assistance and checked against the calculator’s arithmetic tests; no independent engineering review is claimed.
See our calculation checks or report a calculation discrepancy with your dimensions, density and units.