How Much Does a Cord of Wood Weigh?
A cord is a volume, not a weight, which is why the answer ranges from one ton to nearly three. This guide breaks down the weight by species and moisture, shows what your truck can actually carry, and explains why the scale is the wrong tool for buying firewood.
A full cord of seasoned hardwood weighs roughly 3,800 to 5,000 pounds depending on species; green wood can weigh 20 to 50 percent more because of water. Oak is among the heaviest at about 3,800 to 4,200 pounds seasoned, while pine runs about 2,400 to 2,700 pounds. Always verify the stacked volume, not the weight.
The short answer: about 2 tons, seasoned
A full cord of seasoned hardwood weighs roughly 3,800 to 5,000 pounds, or just under 2 to 2.5 tons, depending on the species. Green wood, fresh off the stump, can be 20 to 50 percent heavier because it is carrying water. That spread is why firewood is sold by volume: weight is a moving target, cubic feet are not.
Weight by species (per cord, stacked)
These are working ranges for split, stacked wood. Green means freshly cut; seasoned means air-dried 6 to 12 months to below 20 percent moisture:
White oak: seasoned 3,800 to 4,200 lb; green 4,800 to 5,200 lb.
Red oak: seasoned 3,500 to 3,900 lb; green 4,600 to 5,000 lb.
Hickory: seasoned 4,200 to 4,600 lb; green 5,200 to 5,600 lb. The heavyweight champion.
Sugar maple: seasoned 3,600 to 4,000 lb; green 4,400 to 4,800 lb.
White ash: seasoned 3,400 to 3,800 lb; green 4,200 to 4,600 lb.
Black cherry: seasoned 2,800 to 3,200 lb; green 3,600 to 4,000 lb.
Douglas fir: seasoned 2,900 to 3,300 lb; green 3,800 to 4,200 lb.
Pine: seasoned 2,400 to 2,700 lb; green 3,200 to 3,600 lb.
Aspen: seasoned 2,200 to 2,600 lb; green 3,000 to 3,400 lb. The lightweight.
Moisture is the real variable
Water explains most of the weight difference. A 4,000 pound cord of green oak at 50 percent moisture is carrying 2,000 pounds of water. Seasoned to 20 percent, the same wood is carrying about 800 pounds of water and weighs roughly 2,800 pounds. The wood fiber did not change; the water left. That is also why green wood is hard to light: the first chunk of the fire's energy boils water instead of heating your house.
What your truck can actually carry
This is where weight matters practically. A half-ton pickup has a payload of roughly 1,000 to 1,500 pounds. A cord of seasoned oak weighs about 4,000 pounds, so one trip in a half-ton truck moves about a quarter cord, not a full cord. Overloading blows tires, springs, and brakes, and it is illegal. A three-quarter-ton truck (2,000 to 3,000 pound payload) can manage roughly half a cord. For a full cord in one trip you need a trailer or a one-ton truck, and even then the volume fills the bed before the weight limit does.
Can you buy firewood by weight?
Some sellers offer it, but be cautious. Weight varies with species and moisture, so a "ton of oak" could be green and waterlogged or seasoned and dense, and you cannot tell by looking. Volume is the legal standard in most states precisely because a stacked cubic foot is the same everywhere. If a seller prices by weight, ask for the species, the moisture status, and the stacked dimensions anyway, then compare on the volume.
Moving and storing it
Plan your handling around the weight. A face cord of seasoned oak weighs about 1,300 pounds: 42.7 cubic feet is one third of a cord, so divide the cord weight by 3. Stacking a full cord by hand means moving 2 tons of wood, piece by piece. Keep the stack off the ground on pallets or rails, because ground contact wicks moisture back in and undoes the seasoning you paid for.
Skip the arithmetic
Weight varies, volume does not. Use our free calculator to convert any stack's dimensions to exact cords and cubic feet, which is the measurement your state actually regulates.
Firewood weight questions
How much does a face cord of firewood weigh?
About one third of a full cord: roughly 1,200 to 1,600 pounds for seasoned hardwood, or 1,600 to 1,900 pounds green. For seasoned oak at 4,000 pounds per cord, a standard face cord is about 1,300 pounds.
How much does a pickup truck load of firewood weigh?
A heaped half-ton pickup bed of loose firewood typically carries 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, well within most payload ratings. That is roughly a quarter to a third of a cord of green wood. Do not let anyone heap 2 tons on a half-ton truck.
Does green firewood weigh more than seasoned?
Yes, substantially. Green wood can be 20 to 50 percent heavier than the same wood seasoned. A cord of green white oak can top 5,000 pounds versus about 4,000 seasoned, because half its weight can be water. That water also steals heat when you burn it.
What is the lightest firewood?
Among common species, aspen and cottonwood are the lightest at about 2,200 to 2,600 pounds per seasoned cord, with pine close behind. Light wood is easier to handle and dries fast, but you need more cords for the same heat because heat follows density.
How many cords fit in a dump truck?
A typical single-axle dump truck holds 1.5 to 2 cords of loose, thrown wood by volume, but check the payload: 2 cords of green oak can exceed 10,000 pounds. Most firewood dump loads are sold as 1 to 1.5 cords to stay within safe weight limits.