Acre Feet to Cubic Yards Converter
1 acre-foot = 1,613.33 cubic yards. Convert either way, then see gallons, cubic feet and how much loose dirt you’ll haul.
Convert acre-feet and cubic yards
Type a value — results update as you type.
Digging or hauling dirt? Add swell & truck loads
Soil takes up more room once it’s dug. Pick the closest soil (typical values, FHWA).
How it’s calculated
Every step uses the number you entered.
Acre-feet to cubic feet
Cubic feet to cubic yards
Add swell for dug soil
Truck loads, rounded up
Acre-feet to cubic yards table
1 acre-foot = 43,560 cubic feet = 1,613.33 cubic yards.
| Acre-feet | Cubic yards | Cubic feet |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 ac-ft | 161.33 | 4,356 |
| 0.25 ac-ft | 403.33 | 10,890 |
| 0.5 ac-ft | 806.67 | 21,780 |
| 0.75 ac-ft | 1,210.00 | 32,670 |
| 1 ac-ft | 1,613.33 | 43,560 |
| 1.5 ac-ft | 2,420.00 | 65,340 |
| 2 ac-ft | 3,226.67 | 87,120 |
| 2.5 ac-ft | 4,033.33 | 108,900 |
| 5 ac-ft | 8,066.67 | 217,800 |
| 10 ac-ft | 16,133.33 | 435,600 |
| 25 ac-ft | 40,333.33 | 1,089,000 |
| 50 ac-ft | 80,666.67 | 2,178,000 |
| 100 ac-ft | 161,333.33 | 4,356,000 |
| 1,000 ac-ft | 1,613,333.33 | 43,560,000 |
What is an acre-foot?
An acre-foot is the volume that covers one acre to a depth of one foot. Since an acre is 43,560 square feet, an acre-foot works out to 43,560 cubic feet, which the USGS Water Science Glossary puts at about 325,851 gallons. To picture it, one acre is about three-quarters of an American football field with the end zones included, so an acre-foot is that whole surface sitting under a foot of water.
The unit comes from water work, where water rights, irrigation, reservoirs and pond capacity are all measured in acre-feet. A 1-acre pond that averages one foot deep, for example, holds about one acre-foot. Once that same volume has to be dug, hauled or filled, contractors switch to cubic yards, and if that unit is hard to picture, here is what a cubic yard is.
Cubic yards in one acre at other depths
How many cubic yards of dirt are in one acre depends on how deep the layer is. Thin layers such as a topsoil spread, top dressing or a shallow dig are usually measured in acre-inches, and one acre-inch is 1/12 of an acre-foot, or 3,630 cubic feet (about 134.44 cubic yards). For a different area or depth, use the acres to cubic yards calculator.
| Depth over 1 acre | Cubic yards |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 134.44 |
| 2 in | 268.89 |
| 3 in | 403.33 |
| 4 in | 537.78 |
| 6 in | 806.67 |
| 12 in (1 acre-foot) | 1,613.33 |
Acre feet to cubic yards FAQs
How do I convert cubic yards to acre-feet?
Divide the cubic yards by 1,613.33, or multiply by 0.00061983. For example, 10,000 cubic yards is about 6.20 acre-feet. The converter above does this if you flip its direction switch, and for metric volumes you can use cubic meters to acre-feet.
Why does an acre-foot of dug soil fill more trucks?
An acre-foot measured in the ground is bank volume, meaning soil before it is dug. Once dug, it loosens and takes up more room in the truck, a change called swell. FHWA earthwork figures put dry loam at about 50%, though they can vary by about a third either way, which is why the converter includes a soil panel. If you are bringing soil in rather than hauling it out, the fill dirt calculator helps size the order.
Is a “US survey” acre-foot different?
Technically yes, by about 2 parts per million: 1,613.34 cubic yards instead of 1,613.33. According to NIST, the US survey foot has been obsolete since January 1, 2023. The difference never matters for dirt, water or construction estimates.