Firewood BTU Per Cord Chart (by wood species)
Heat in a full cord of air-dried firewood for 43 North American species, from Utah State University Extension's firewood table, sorted from most to least heat.
The densest hardwoods top the list: Osage-orange (32.9), Oak, Gambel (30.7), Oak, White (29.1) million Btu per cord. The lightest woods hold less than half as much: Fir, White (14.6), Basswood (Linden) (13.8), Redcedar, Eastern (13.0). Two cords of cottonwood give you roughly the heat of one cord of Osage-orange, so price per cord only makes sense alongside species.
BTU per cord by species
| Species | Million Btu per full cord | Per face cord, 16-inch pieces |
|---|---|---|
| Osage-orange | 32.9 | 11.0 |
| Oak, Gambel | 30.7 | 10.2 |
| Oak, White | 29.1 | 9.7 |
| Locust, Black | 27.9 | 9.3 |
| Beech | 27.5 | 9.2 |
| Pinyon | 27.1 | 9.0 |
| Apple | 27.0 | 9.0 |
| Honeylocust | 26.7 | 8.9 |
| Oak, Bur | 26.2 | 8.7 |
| Mulberry | 25.8 | 8.6 |
| Maple, Other | 25.5 | 8.5 |
| Oak, Red | 24.6 | 8.2 |
| Ash, White | 24.2 | 8.1 |
| Walnut, Black | 22.2 | 7.4 |
| Juniper, Rocky Mountain | 21.8 | 7.3 |
| Larch (Tamarack) | 21.8 | 7.3 |
| Coffeetree, Kentucky | 21.6 | 7.2 |
| Hackberry | 21.2 | 7.1 |
| Pine, Lodgepole | 21.1 | 7.0 |
| Elm, Siberian | 20.9 | 7.0 |
| Birch | 20.8 | 6.9 |
| Douglas-fir | 20.7 | 6.9 |
| Cherry | 20.4 | 6.8 |
| Ash, Green | 20.0 | 6.7 |
| Elm, American | 20.0 | 6.7 |
| Sycamore | 19.5 | 6.5 |
| Hemlock | 19.3 | 6.4 |
| Maple, Silver | 19.0 | 6.3 |
| Boxelder | 18.3 | 6.1 |
| Aspen, Quaking | 18.2 | 6.1 |
| Redcedar, Western | 18.2 | 6.1 |
| Chestnut | 18.0 | 6.0 |
| Willow | 17.6 | 5.9 |
| Alder | 17.5 | 5.8 |
| Catalpa | 16.4 | 5.5 |
| Pine, Ponderosa | 16.2 | 5.4 |
| Pine, White | 15.9 | 5.3 |
| Cottonwood | 15.8 | 5.3 |
| Spruce | 15.5 | 5.2 |
| Spruce, Engelmann | 15.0 | 5.0 |
| Fir, White | 14.6 | 4.9 |
| Basswood (Linden) | 13.8 | 4.6 |
| Redcedar, Eastern | 13.0 | 4.3 |
A face cord of 16-inch pieces is a third of a full cord (42.7 of 128 cubic feet), which is where the last column comes from. Figures are for air-dried wood. Green wood delivers less useful heat, because part of the energy goes into boiling off water.
Using the chart
To compare offers, divide the price by the million Btu per cord. To estimate a season's wood, use the firewood needed calculator, which takes this table and your stove's efficiency. To measure a pile you already have, use the cord calculator.