CALL TO ORDER 1-855-872-7868 - ASK ABOUT OUR NEW KRIKIT™ STOVE - BIGGER & COMING SOON - PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A.

Cordwood BTU Chart

How Much Heat Will Your Firewood Produce?

The heat value measurement used in the chart below is the British Thermal Unit, or BTU, defined as the amount of thermal energy it takes to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One MBTU = one million BTU’s.

Common NameSpecies NamePounds / CordMBTU / Cord
Osage Orange (Hedge)Maclura pomifera484530.0
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)Ostrya virginiana425026.4
American PersimmonDiospyros virginiana416525.8
Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata408025.3
Pacific DogwoodCornus nuttallii399524.8
American HollyIlex Opaca399524.8
Black BirchBetula lenta391024.2
White OakQuercus alba391024.2
Pacific Madrone (Arbutus)Arbutus menziesii382523.7
Post OakQuercus stellata382523.7
Honey LocustGleditsia triacanthos382523.7
Butternut HickoryCarya cordiformis382523.7
Blue Beech (Ironwood)Carpinus caroliniana382523.7
MulberryMorus rubra374023.2
Black LocustRobinia pseudoacacia374023.2
Sugar MapleAcer saccharum374023.2
American BeechFagus grandifolia365522.7
Oregon Oak (Garry)Quercus garryana365522.7
Burr Oak (Mossycup)Quercus macrocarpa365522.7
Red OakQuercus rubra357022.1
Yellow BirchBetula alleghaniensis357022.1
White AshFraxinus americana348521.6
Oregon Myrtle (Pepperwood)Umbellularia californica348521.6
AppleMalus domestica348521.6
Green AshFraxinus pennsylvanica340021.1
Black MapleAcer nigrum340021.1
Black WalnutJuglans nigra323020.0
Red MapleAcer rubrum323020.0
Oregon AshFraxinus latifolia323020.0
White Birch (Paper)Betula papyrifera323020.0
Tamarack (Larch)Larix laricina314519.5
Gray BirchLarix laricina314519.5
HackberryCeltis occidentalis314519.5
Rocky Mountain JuniperJuniperus scopulorum314519.5
Black CherryPrunus serotina314519.5
Kentucky CoffeetreeGymnocladus dioicus306019.0
Sorrel (Sourwood)Oxydendrum arboreum306019.0
Red ElmUlmus rubra306019.0
Eucalyptus (Red Gum)Eucalyptus camaldulensis297518.4
American ElmUlmus americana297518.4
American SycamorePlatanus occidentalis289017.9
Big Leaf MapleAcer macrophyllum289017.9
White Elm (Russian)Ulmus laevis289017.9
Black AshFraxinus nigra289017.9
Boxelder (Maple Ash)Acer negundo289017.9
Norway Pine (Red)Pinus resinosa289017.9
Douglas FirPseudotsuga menzies II280517.4
Silver MapleAcer saccharinum280517.4
Pitch PinePinus rigida263517.0
† Compressed Sawdust LogsPresto homofecit stipes200016.5
Lodgepole PinePinus contora latifolia246515.3
HemlockPinaceae tsuga246515.3
Black SprucePicea mariana246515.3
Catalpa (Catawba)Catalpa speciosa238014.8
Ponderosa PinePinus ponderosa238014.8
Red or White AlderAlnus rubra or rhombifolia238014.8
Canadian Jack PinePinus banksiana238014.8
Sitka SprucePicea sitchensis238014.8
Idaho White PinePinus monticola223614.3
WillowSalix229514.2
White Concolor FirAbies concolor229514.2
Basswood (Linden)Tilia americana221013.7
American Aspen (Poplar)Populus tremuloides212513.2
Butternut (White Walnut)Juglans cinerea212513.2
Eastern White PinePinus strobus212513.2
Balsam FirAbies balsamea212513.2
Cottonwood (Poplar)Populus trichocarpa204012.6
Engelman SprucePicea engelmannii195512.1
Eastern Cedar (Red Cedar)Juniperus virginiana195512.1
Ohio BuckeyeAesculus glabra195512.1
White CedarThuja occidentalis187011.6
BambooPoaceae bambusoideae161510.0
BalsaOchroma pyramidale
9355.8

Source: The Chimney Sweep, Bellingham, WA. Used with permission.

† Compressed sawdust logs are sold by weight, not by volume; BTU content is provided for one ton (2000 pounds).

Calculations are based on seasoned wood at 20% moisture content, and 85 cu ft of wood per cord. A cord of wood is defined as a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long, which comes to 128 cubic feet. Allowances were made in the calculations for air space within the stack.