US short tons to pounds converter

How to convert tons to pounds

Multiply US short tons by 2,000: lb = tons × 2,000. So 2 tons = 4,000 lb and 1.5 tons = 3,000 lb. It is the ton of US freight and material orders such as gravel. A metric tonne is about 2,204.62 lb and a UK long ton 2,240 lb.

Short ton, long ton or metric tonne?

Three units are called a ton, and the factor of 2,000 fits only the first:

• US short ton: 2,000 lb, exactly 907.18474 kg.
• UK long ton: 2,240 lb, exactly 1,016.0469088 kg, 12% more than a short ton (official imperial tables).
• Metric tonne (t): 1,000 kg, about 2,204.62 lb, 10.2% more than a short ton.

The two pound-based tons are exact in kilograms because the 1959 international yard and pound agreement fixed the pound at 0.45359237 kg: 2,000 × 0.45359237 = 907.18474 kg (NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C).

A bare "ton" on a quote or invoice could be any of the three. Look for "short ton", "long ton", "tonne" or "t", or a figure in pounds or kilograms, before you convert.

Tons to pounds chart

A quarter ton is 500 lb and a tenth of a ton 200 lb, so decimal tons convert in your head: 2.75 tons is 5,500 lb and 1.2 tons is 2,400 lb.

Tons and pounds together

Convert the tons, then add the leftover pounds: 3 tons 400 lb is 3 × 2,000 + 400 = 6,400 lb. The converter also takes the mixed weight in one entry as 3+400/2000.

To go back, divide pounds by 2,000: 5,000 lb is 2.5 tons, and 80,000 lb is 40 tons.

How much space does a ton of gravel take?

Gravel and other aggregates are often sold by the ton but measured in cubic yards. At the 1,680 kg/m³ the gravel calculator uses for dry gravel, a cubic yard weighs about 2,832 lb, or 1.42 tons, so one ton fills about 0.71 cubic yard.

Stone size and moisture change that density, so use your supplier's weight per yard when you pay by the ton.

Common mistakes

• Using the wrong ton. Ten metric tonnes converted with 2,000 come to 20,000 lb instead of 22,046.23 lb, and ten long tons are 22,400 lb. Tonnes have their own metric tons to pounds converter.
• Reading tons and pounds as a decimal. 3 tons 400 lb is 6,400 lb. Treating it as 3.4 tons gives 6,800 lb, 400 lb too many.
• Converting air-conditioner tons. A ton of refrigeration is a cooling rate of 12,000 BTU/h, about 3.517 kW, not a weight. The power converter handles it.

Related conversions

The weight converter covers long tons and turns pounds back into tons. To express pounds in kilograms, use the pounds to kg converter.