Cord of Wood Dimensions
A cord is 128 cubic feet stacked. A stack 8 ft long, 4 ft deep and 4 ft high is exactly one cord.
Plan a full-cord footprint
What is a cord of wood?
A cord measures stacked firewood by volume. You measure the outside of the stack, so the air between the pieces counts. A loose heap is a different story: it takes up more room than the same wood stacked.
How big is a cord in your yard?
Run a tape 8 ft along the ground, then 4 ft back at each end. That rectangle is the footprint of a classic cord. Stack it to 4 ft high and you’re there.
Does a cord have to be 4 × 4 × 8?
No. 8 × 8 × 2 ft is also a cord, and so is a long low row or a short deep one. Use the planner above: pick a height and depth that suit your space, and it tells you how long the stack needs to be.
Which way is depth?
Depth is the length of the pieces when you’re looking at the cut ends. One row of 16 in splits is 16 in deep. Three rows side by side make a stack 4 ft deep — that’s how a classic cord is built.
Measure the wood, not the rack
Measure from the wood itself, not the pallet underneath. If the top is uneven, take a few heights and average them. A rack sold as “holds one cord” only tells you the rack’s size, not how much wood is in it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cord measured in square feet?
No. It’s cubic feet — you need the height too.
Can a cord be split into several rows?
Yes. Measure each row and add them up. Skip the aisles between rows.
Does bark count?
Yes. Bark is part of the wood you measure.
My rack says it holds a cord. Is that enough?
Measure the wood in it. A full rack is a good sign; a tape measure is proof.
Where these numbers come from
- nist.gov, checked