About the Tons to Kilograms Converter
A ton is not one weight. In the United States it means 2,000 pounds, about 907.18 kilograms. Almost everywhere else the metric ton, or tonne, is 1,000 kilograms. The old British long ton, still seen in shipping and some prices, is 2,240 pounds, about 1,016.05 kilograms. This converter lets you choose which ton you mean and gives the kilograms at once, with pounds, ounces and grams listed under it. It avoids the common mistake of assuming the wrong ton, which matters for freight, scrap, grain, gravel and vehicle weights. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Tons to Kilograms Converter
- 1Type the number of tons.
- 2Choose the type of ton: US short ton, metric ton or UK long ton.
- 3Read the kilograms at the top.
- 4Check pounds, ounces and grams in the rows below.
- 5Press Copy to copy the sentence.
The three tons
The US short ton is 2,000 pounds, which is exactly 907.18474 kg. The metric ton is exactly 1,000 kg. The UK long ton is 2,240 pounds, exactly 1,016.0469088 kg. Each is exact because the pound is defined as 0.45359237 kg.
Examples
- 1 short ton = 907.18474 kg
- 1 metric ton = 1,000 kg
- 1 long ton = 1,016.0469 kg
- 5 short tons = 4,535.9237 kg
- 10 long tons = 10,160.469 kg
Where the difference matters
A shipment priced per ton from a US supplier is 9 percent lighter than one priced per metric ton, and a long ton is 1.6 percent heavier than a metric ton. On a 50-ton order that is a difference of nearly 4,600 kg between short and metric. Check the contract or the label for which one is meant.
Vehicle weights are commonly in kilograms or metric tons in Europe and in pounds or short tons in the US, and ship displacement is in long tons in some navies.
Examples from daily life
A small car weighs about 1.2 to 1.5 metric tons, roughly 1,200 to 1,500 kg. A loaded concrete mixer lorry may weigh 26 metric tons. A US garbage truck at 14 short tons is about 12,700 kg. Reading figures like these with the right ton in mind avoids errors of ten percent or more.
If you are converting a price per ton, work out the price per kilogram too: divide the price by the kilograms in that ton, for example 907.18 kg for a US ton, so you can compare offers from different suppliers.
Phone and computer
Pick the ton type, type the number and read the result, all in one column on a phone. Tons come in several types, so check yours. Reverse the sum with the Kilograms to Tons Converter, use the Tons to Pounds Converter for imperial weights, and convert smaller weights with the KG to LBS Converter.
Features
- Three kinds of ton: short, metric and long
- Exact definitions: 907.18474 kg, 1,000 kg and 1,016.0469088 kg
- Pounds, ounces and grams shown too
- Ten significant digits
- Copy button
- Works in your browser
Frequently asked questions
How many kilograms are in a ton?
It depends which ton. A metric ton is 1,000 kg, a US short ton is about 907.18 kg and a UK long ton is about 1,016.05 kg.
Which ton should I pick?
Use the metric ton for most of the world, the short ton for US prices and loads, and the long ton for older British figures and some shipping.
How do I convert short tons to kg by hand?
Multiply by 907.18. Three short tons are about 2,721.55 kg.
Is a tonne the same as a metric ton?
Yes. Tonne is the spelling used to tell the metric ton from the others.
How many pounds in each ton?
A short ton is 2,000 lb, a long ton 2,240 lb and a metric ton about 2,204.62 lb.
Why do the tons differ?
They come from different traditions of weights: the long ton from the British hundredweight system, the short ton from American commerce and the tonne from the metric system.
Is anything uploaded?
No.