What does BTU per cord mean?

BTU (British Thermal Unit) measures heat energy. One cord is a stack 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft of air-dried wood. The BTU figure tells you how much heat that volume releases when burned completely — a higher number means more heat per load.

Why are these values listed as "air-dried"?

Green (freshly cut) wood contains 50% or more moisture by weight, which wastes energy evaporating water during combustion. Air-dried wood (seasoned 6–18 months) reaches 20% or less moisture and releases significantly more usable heat. All BTU values here assume properly seasoned wood.

What is a face cord vs. a full cord?

A full cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood (4×4×8 ft). A face cord (also called a rick) is one row 4 ft tall × 8 ft wide at whatever log length — typically 16 inches, so roughly one-third of a full cord. The estimator accepts fractions so you can enter 0.33 for a face cord.

How accurate is the heating hours estimate?

It assumes complete combustion of air-dried wood at the listed BTU value, then divides by your furnace output adjusted for efficiency. Real-world results vary with actual moisture content, stove design, and burn rate. Use it as a planning guide, not a precise forecast.

Which firewood gives the most heat?

Osage Orange (hedge apple) tops the list at about 32.9 million BTU per cord, followed by Black Locust (26.8M) and Hickory (25.0M). Among common and widely available species, White Oak (24.0M) and Sugar Maple (21.3M) are excellent choices.

Firewood BTU Reference Chart

Name: Firewood BTU Reference Chart
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Compare BTU per cord for 25+ firewood species and estimate heating hours for any quantity of wood.

BTU per Cord by Species

Species ↕	BTU/cord (M) ↕	Type ↕

Values are approximate MMBTU per full cord of air-dried wood (~20% moisture). Click column headers to sort.

Heating Estimator

Species

Cords

Full cords (e.g. 0.33 = face cord)

Efficiency %

Typical stove: 70–80%

Furnace output (BTU/hr)

Typical wood stove: 30,000–80,000

Cord Size Reference

Full cord: 4 × 4 × 8 ft = 128 cu ft
Face cord (rick): 4 × 8 × 16 in logs ≈ 42 cu ft
Half cord: 4 × 4 × 4 ft = 64 cu ft
Quarter cord: 4 × 2 × 4 ft = 32 cu ft

Summary

Compare BTU per cord for 25+ firewood species and estimate heating hours for any quantity of wood.

How it works

Browse the sortable table to compare BTU per cord across species.
Click any column header to sort ascending or descending.
Use the filter box to search by species name.
In the estimator, choose a species and enter how many cords you have.
Set your furnace or stove output (BTU/hr) and efficiency percentage.
Read the total BTU and estimated heating hours at the bottom.

Use cases

Decide which wood to buy or harvest for maximum heat per cord.
Compare softwood vs. hardwood heating value before splitting a load.
Estimate how long a given stack of firewood will last through winter.
Plan cord quantities needed to heat a home for a season.
Evaluate mixed-species loads from a firewood supplier.
Teach students or homeowners about energy density in biomass fuels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu