Convert tons to pounds
Enter a weight in tons and read the answer in pounds. A short ton, the one the word means in the United States, is exactly 2,000 pounds. The selector under the fields switches the same number to long tons and to metric tons. Two tonnes, written 2 t, come to 4,409.25 pounds. For example, 2 tn is 4,000 lb.
How many pounds are in a ton?
A short ton, the one the word means on its own in the United States, is exactly 2,000 pounds. Twenty hundredweight of 100 pounds each make it up, which is why the number comes out round.[1]
The other two tons come to different numbers. A long ton, the British one, weighs exactly 2,240 pounds. A metric ton weighs 2,204.6226 pounds, because it is defined as 1,000 kilograms and a pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. Three separate units share one word, so the converter carries a Ton type selector under the fields.
The country a number came from tells you which option to pick. NIST puts the split in a single sentence: in the United States and Canada the ton usually means the short ton, in Great Britain the long ton, and in metric countries the metric ton.[2]
What is a ton, and what is a pound?
A pound is the base unit of weight in the customary system and has had one agreed value since 1959: exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.[1] It divides into sixteen ounces, which the pounds to ounces converter counts out, and a hundred pounds make one hundredweight, the unit directly below the ton.
A ton sits at the top of that system and describes cargo, vehicles and bulk goods. Written on its own in American trade it means 2,000 pounds, and since 1 January 2014 the abbreviation tn has been required for it on commercial scales.[1]
You meet the unit most often on the road. Weight limit signs post their figure in tons, and federal guidance asks each state to stay consistent about whether its signs use pounds or tons.[3] For the unit below the ton, the pounds to kilograms converter shows how the pound itself lines up against the metric side.
Why is a long ton 2,240 pounds?
The long ton comes from a British system of units in which every unit is a multiple of the one below it. It starts at the stone, which weighs 14 pounds.
Two stone make a quarter, so 28 pounds. Eight stone make a long hundredweight of 112 pounds. Twenty of those hundredweight make the long ton, which is where 2,240 comes from.[2]
American practice simplified the system by setting the hundredweight at 100 pounds, and twenty of those give the 2,000-pound short ton.[1] Of the old units only the stone is still in daily use, for body weight in Britain and Ireland — the kilograms to stone converter handles that one.
Tons to pounds conversion table
| Number of tons | Metric ton | Short ton (US) | Long ton (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 551.1557 lb | 500 lb | 560 lb |
| 0.5 | 1,102.3113 lb | 1,000 lb | 1,120 lb |
| 1 | 2,204.6226 lb | 2,000 lb | 2,240 lb |
| 1.5 | 3,306.9339 lb | 3,000 lb | 3,360 lb |
| 2 | 4,409.2452 lb | 4,000 lb | 4,480 lb |
| 2.5 | 5,511.5566 lb | 5,000 lb | 5,600 lb |
| 3 | 6,613.8679 lb | 6,000 lb | 6,720 lb |
| 3.5 | 7,716.1792 lb | 7,000 lb | 7,840 lb |
| 4 | 8,818.4905 lb | 8,000 lb | 8,960 lb |
| 4.5 | 9,920.8018 lb | 9,000 lb | 10,080 lb |
| 5 | 11,023.1131 lb | 10,000 lb | 11,200 lb |
| 6 | 13,227.7357 lb | 12,000 lb | 13,440 lb |
| 6.5 | 14,330.047 lb | 13,000 lb | 14,560 lb |
| 7 | 15,432.3584 lb | 14,000 lb | 15,680 lb |
| 7.5 | 16,534.6697 lb | 15,000 lb | 16,800 lb |
| 8 | 17,636.981 lb | 16,000 lb | 17,920 lb |
| 9 | 19,841.6036 lb | 18,000 lb | 20,160 lb |
| 10 | 22,046.2262 lb | 20,000 lb | 22,400 lb |
| 11 | 24,250.8488 lb | 22,000 lb | 24,640 lb |
| 12 | 26,455.4715 lb | 24,000 lb | 26,880 lb |
| 13 | 28,660.0941 lb | 26,000 lb | 29,120 lb |
| 14 | 30,864.7167 lb | 28,000 lb | 31,360 lb |
| 15 | 33,069.3393 lb | 30,000 lb | 33,600 lb |
| 16 | 35,273.9619 lb | 32,000 lb | 35,840 lb |
| 17 | 37,478.5846 lb | 34,000 lb | 38,080 lb |
| 18 | 39,683.2072 lb | 36,000 lb | 40,320 lb |
| 19 | 41,887.8298 lb | 38,000 lb | 42,560 lb |
| 19.5 | 42,990.1411 lb | 39,000 lb | 43,680 lb |
| 20 | 44,092.4524 lb | 40,000 lb | 44,800 lb |
| 21 | 46,297.0751 lb | 42,000 lb | 47,040 lb |
| 21.5 | 47,399.3864 lb | 43,000 lb | 48,160 lb |
| 22 | 48,501.6977 lb | 44,000 lb | 49,280 lb |
| 22.5 | 49,604.009 lb | 45,000 lb | 50,400 lb |
| 23 | 50,706.3203 lb | 46,000 lb | 51,520 lb |
| 24 | 52,910.9429 lb | 48,000 lb | 53,760 lb |
| 25 | 55,115.5655 lb | 50,000 lb | 56,000 lb |
| 26 | 57,320.1882 lb | 52,000 lb | 58,240 lb |
| 27 | 59,524.8108 lb | 54,000 lb | 60,480 lb |
| 28 | 61,729.4334 lb | 56,000 lb | 62,720 lb |
| 30 | 66,138.6787 lb | 60,000 lb | 67,200 lb |
| 31 | 68,343.3013 lb | 62,000 lb | 69,440 lb |
| 32 | 70,547.9239 lb | 64,000 lb | 71,680 lb |
| 33 | 72,752.5465 lb | 66,000 lb | 73,920 lb |
| 34 | 74,957.1691 lb | 68,000 lb | 76,160 lb |
| 35 | 77,161.7918 lb | 70,000 lb | 78,400 lb |
| 36 | 79,366.4144 lb | 72,000 lb | 80,640 lb |
| 38 | 83,775.6596 lb | 76,000 lb | 85,120 lb |
| 40 | 88,184.9049 lb | 80,000 lb | 89,600 lb |
| 42 | 92,594.1501 lb | 84,000 lb | 94,080 lb |
| 44 | 97,003.3954 lb | 88,000 lb | 98,560 lb |
| 45 | 99,208.018 lb | 90,000 lb | 100,800 lb |
| 50 | 110,231.1311 lb | 100,000 lb | 112,000 lb |
| 52 | 114,640.3763 lb | 104,000 lb | 116,480 lb |
| 55 | 121,254.2442 lb | 110,000 lb | 123,200 lb |
| 60 | 132,277.3573 lb | 120,000 lb | 134,400 lb |
| 70 | 154,323.5835 lb | 140,000 lb | 156,800 lb |
| 80 | 176,369.8097 lb | 160,000 lb | 179,200 lb |
| 90 | 198,416.036 lb | 180,000 lb | 201,600 lb |
| 100 | 220,462.2622 lb | 200,000 lb | 224,000 lb |
| 200 | 440,924.5244 lb | 400,000 lb | 448,000 lb |
| 340 | 749,571.6914 lb | 680,000 lb | 761,600 lb |
| 350 | 771,617.9176 lb | 700,000 lb | 784,000 lb |
| 500 | 1,102,311.3109 lb | 1,000,000 lb | 1,120,000 lb |
| 600 | 1,322,773.5731 lb | 1,200,000 lb | 1,344,000 lb |
| 900 | 1,984,160.3597 lb | 1,800,000 lb | 2,016,000 lb |
| 1,000 | 2,204,622.6218 lb | 2,000,000 lb | 2,240,000 lb |
| 3,000 | 6,613,867.8655 lb | 6,000,000 lb | 6,720,000 lb |
| 5,000 | 11,023,113.1092 lb | 10,000,000 lb | 11,200,000 lb |
| 10,000 | 22,046,226.2185 lb | 20,000,000 lb | 22,400,000 lb |
Which ton does each name refer to?
| Name | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Short ton | 2,000 pounds | mass |
| Net ton | 2,000 pounds, a second name for the short ton | mass |
| Long ton | 2,240 pounds | mass |
| Gross ton | 2,240 pounds, a second name for the long ton | mass |
| Shipper’s ton | 2,240 pounds, a third name for the long ton | mass |
| Metric ton (tonne) | 1,000 kilograms, or 2,204.6226 pounds | mass |
| Register ton | 100 cubic feet | ship capacity |
| Measurement ton | 40 cubic feet | cargo volume |
| English water ton | 224 imperial gallons | volume |
How heavy is a foreign truck in pounds?
| Country and vehicle | Legal limit | The same weight in pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Germany, articulated vehicle with more than four axles | 40 t | 88,184.9 lb |
| Germany, combined transport with a 40-foot container | 44 t | 97,003.4 lb |
| Italy, road train or articulated vehicle with five or more axles | 44 t | 97,003.4 lb |
| Czechia, any vehicle combination | 48 t | 105,821.89 lb |
| Brazil, truck and trailer 17.5 m or longer | 57 t | 125,663.49 lb |
How do you convert tons to pounds here?
Below is the order in which the fields, the selector and the buttons are meant to be used.
Enter a weight in tons
Type the number of tons in the top field. The field reads both a decimal point and a decimal comma, and it also accepts plain fractions. You can enter 1.5, 1,5 or 1 1/2 and the answer comes out the same every time.Pick the type of ton
The Ton type selector sits under the fields and offers three options. Metric (t) counts a ton of 1,000 kilograms, the unit used across Europe and in world trade. Short, US (tn) counts 2,000 pounds, the everyday American ton. Long, UK (long tn) counts 2,240 pounds. The unit mark next to the input field tells you which option is active.Read the answer in pounds
The lower field shows the weight in pounds and updates as you type, so there is nothing to submit. Results carry four decimal places, which keeps weights below a single ton readable.Copy the answer or turn it around
The Copy result button puts the number on your clipboard. The Swap order button opens the pounds to tons converter, the page that runs the calculation the other way. The Clear all button empties both fields in one click.
Convert other units to Pounds (lb)
Sources
- Handbook 44 – 2026, Appendix C. General Tables of Units of Measurement — NIST
- Handbook 44 – 2026, Appendix B. Units and Systems of Measurement — NIST
- Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition, Chapter 2B — Federal Highway Administration
- § 34 StVZO – Achslast und Gesamtgewicht — Bundesministerium der Justiz
- Codice della Strada, art. 62 – Massa limite — Automobile Club d’Italia
- Resolução CONTRAN nº 882, de 13 de dezembro de 2021 — Ministério dos Transportes, Brazil
Every figure in the tables was computed from the unit definitions and checked arithmetically before publication. Historical values and the names of local units come from the sources listed above.
Content last reviewed: · written and checked by the Arteon team
Common questions about converting tons to pounds
How many pounds are in a ton?
A short ton holds exactly 2,000 pounds, and that is what the word means on its own in the United States. A long ton holds exactly 2,240 pounds, and a metric ton holds 2,204.6226 pounds.
How many pounds is 2 tons?
Two short tons come to exactly 4,000 pounds. Two metric tons come to 4,409.2452 pounds, and two long tons to exactly 4,480 pounds.
Is a ton 1,000 pounds?
The figure 1,000 describes a metric ton in kilograms. In pounds that same ton weighs 2,204.6226. A weight of 1,000 pounds is half a short ton, since the short ton holds 2,000.
Which ton is the heaviest?
The British long ton is the heaviest, at 2,240 pounds. The metric ton comes second at 2,204.6226 pounds. The American short ton is the lightest, at 2,000 pounds, and twelve percent separates the two extremes.
What is the difference between a ton and a tonne?
A tonne is the metric one, 1,000 kilograms or 2,204.6226 pounds, and NIST recommends writing it as metric ton in American English. Written without a qualifier, ton means the short ton in the United States and the long ton in Britain.
What weight is called 2,240 pounds?
That is the long ton. NIST gives it three equivalent names: long ton, gross ton and shipper’s ton.
How many pounds is a gross ton?
A gross ton used as a unit of weight holds 2,240 pounds, the same as a long ton. The same name also appears in shipping for a ship’s capacity, and there it stands for 100 cubic feet of space rather than a weight.
How many pounds is a net ton?
A net ton is a second name for the short ton, so it holds exactly 2,000 pounds. Appendix B of the American Handbook 44 lists the two names together.
How many pounds is 10 tons?
Ten short tons come to exactly 20,000 pounds. Ten metric tons come to 22,046.2262 pounds, and ten long tons to exactly 22,400 pounds.
What does tn mean on a scale?
It marks the short ton of 2,000 pounds. Since 1 January 2014 that abbreviation has been the required one for the unit on American commercial scales, and devices built between 2008 and 2013 may still show a different mark.
How do you convert tons to pounds in a spreadsheet?
The CONVERT function handles unit conversions. A short ton is written "ton" and a pound is written "lbm", so CONVERT(1,"ton","lbm") returns 2000. The function has no entry for the metric ton, but it does accept metric prefixes on the gram, so CONVERT(1000,"kg","lbm") gives the same weight in the metric sense.
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