CordwiseHow big is a cord of wood?
A full cord is a tight stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long: 128 cubic feet of wood and the air between the logs.
Any shape that adds up to 128 cubic feet of neatly stacked wood is a cord. Two rows of 16-inch logs, each 4 feet high and 8 feet long, come to about 85 cubic feet, two thirds of a cord. Three such rows make the full cord.
Wood tossed loose into a truck bed takes more room than the same wood stacked, so measure after it is stacked.
Questions
How many face cords are in a full cord?
With 16-inch logs, three. A face cord is one 4 by 8 foot row, so the number depends on the log length: with 24-inch logs, two.
Does a pickup truck hold a cord?
Not stacked level with the sides: a pickup bed is far smaller than 128 cubic feet. Multiply the bed's length, width and load height in feet and divide by 128 to see its share.
How do I measure a cord?
Multiply length, height and depth in feet, then divide by 128. The calculator on this page does it for you.