Firewood Cord Calculator
A cord is a measure of stacked air, not wood. One cord is 128 cubic feet of pile — only a fifth of that is actual wood. This converts your pile dimensions and shows what that means for burn time.
Results
Enter your measurements above and press Calculate.
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Questions people ask
How many cords fit in a pickup truck?
A standard full-size pickup with a 6 foot bed and sides stacked level holds about one third of a cord. A half ton truck with a 8 foot bed holds closer to half. Most sellers deliver by the full cord only.
Is a cord the same as a cubic meter?
No. One cord is 128 cubic feet, which is about 3.6 cubic meters of stacked pile. Because it includes air gaps, a cord is far less energy than 3.6 cubic meters of solid wood.
How long does one cord of firewood last?
On a 20,000 BTU per hour wood stove, a full cord of well-seasoned hardwood burns roughly 20 to 25 days at moderate load. A 40,000 BTU furnace cuts that to about 12 days. Softwood burns about 30 percent faster and gives less heat per cord.
What firewood should I buy?
Hardwood such as oak, maple or beech gives the highest heat per cord and burns longest. Pine and poplar are 20 to 30 percent less efficient, burn hotter and faster, and throw more sparks. Best results come from wood dried to under 20 percent moisture content.
How do I tell if firewood is seasoned?
It should snap cleanly, weigh noticeably less than green wood, and have a bark that has lost its sap sheen. Green wood leaves sticky white residue on the stove glass within a few fires.
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