Convert Cubic Yards per Second to Cubic Feet per Minute

Cubic Yard per Second (yd³/s) to Cubic Foot per Minute (ft³/min) flow rate conversion — enter any value below to get an instant result, or use the table for common values.

Results from this calculator are estimates provided for general informational purposes only, based on formulas, rates, and standards commonly accepted as of 2026. Figures may differ slightly from other calculators or professional sources due to rounding methods, differing assumptions, or regional regulations, and rules may change over time. Always consult a qualified professional — such as a financial advisor, healthcare provider, or other relevant specialist — before making decisions based on these results.

Value

From

Result

1 yd³/s = 1620.0001 ft³/min

1 Cubic Yard per Second = 1620.0001 Cubic Feet per Minute

1 Cubic Foot per Minute = 0.00061728389 Cubic Yards per Second

1 yd³/s in every supported unit

Conversion chart: Cubic Yard per Second to Cubic Feet per Minute

Conversion table

Cubic Yard per Second (yd³/s)	Cubic Foot per Minute (ft³/min)
0.01 yd³/s	16.200001 ft³/min
0.1 yd³/s	162.00001 ft³/min
1 yd³/s	1620.0001 ft³/min
2 yd³/s	3240.0003 ft³/min
3 yd³/s	4860.0004 ft³/min
5 yd³/s	8100.0007 ft³/min
10 yd³/s	16200.001 ft³/min
20 yd³/s	32400.003 ft³/min
50 yd³/s	81000.007 ft³/min
100 yd³/s	162000.01 ft³/min
1000 yd³/s	1620000.1 ft³/min

Cubic Yard per Second (yd³/s)

Definition: A large-scale US customary flow rate unit measuring cubic yards passing a point every second, used for very high-volume bulk material or water flows.

History: Derived from the US customary cubic yard, extending the customary volume-flow family upward to cover the largest civil and earthmoving-scale flows.

Current use: Occasionally used in large-scale earthmoving, dredging, and major flood-control engineering where flows are too large to conveniently express in cubic feet.

Cubic Foot per Minute (ft³/min)

Definition: A US customary flow rate unit measuring cubic feet delivered per minute — widely abbreviated CFM — the standard unit for air and gas flow in American HVAC practice.

History: Adopted as the everyday American unit for airflow because fan and duct throughput naturally falls into a convenient minute-scale range in cubic feet.

Current use: The industry-standard unit for HVAC ductwork airflow, fan and blower ratings, and compressed-air equipment capacity in the United States, universally abbreviated CFM.

Supported Units

Unit	Symbol	In m³/s
Cubic Meter per Second	m³/s	1 m³/s
Cubic Meter per Minute	m³/min	0.016666667 m³/s
Cubic Meter per Hour	m³/h	0.0002777778 m³/s
Cubic Meter per Day	m³/d	1.15741E-05 m³/s
Liter per Second	L/s	0.001 m³/s
Liter per Minute	L/min	1.66667E-05 m³/s
Liter per Hour	L/h	2.77778E-07 m³/s
Liter per Day	L/d	1.15741E-08 m³/s
Milliliter per Second	mL/s	1E-06 m³/s
Gallon (US) per Second	gal(US)/s	0.0037854118 m³/s
Gallon (US) per Minute	gal(US)/min	6.30902E-05 m³/s
Gallon (US) per Hour	gal(US)/h	1.0515E-06 m³/s
Gallon (US) per Day	gal(US)/d	4.38126E-08 m³/s
Gallon (UK) per Minute	gal(UK)/min	7.57682E-05 m³/s
Gallon (UK) per Hour	gal(UK)/h	1.2628E-06 m³/s
Barrel (US) per Day	bbl(US)/d	1.84013E-06 m³/s
Barrel (US) per Hour	bbl(US)/h	4.41631E-05 m³/s
Cubic Foot per Second	ft³/s	0.028316847 m³/s
Cubic Foot per Minute	ft³/min	0.0004719474 m³/s
Cubic Foot per Hour	ft³/h	7.86579E-06 m³/s
Cubic Inch per Second	in³/s	1.63871E-05 m³/s
Cubic Yard per Second	yd³/s	0.76455486 m³/s

About These Parameters

Value: The flow rate value you want to convert, expressed in the "From" unit. Accepts decimals.
From Unit: The unit your input value is currently measured in — a pump datasheet's L/min, a duct fan's CFM, or a well's GPM.
To Unit: The unit you want the result converted into. Use the swap button to flip From and To instantly.

How Flow Conversion Works

The Formula

Every unit here is defined by a fixed multiplier relative to cubic meters per second. To convert a value from one unit to another:

result = value × (factor of "From" unit ÷ factor of "To" unit)

For Cubic Yard per Second → Cubic Foot per Minute: multiply by 1620.0001. For example, 1 yd³/s × 1620.0001 = 1620.0001 ft³/min.

Volumetric Flow vs. Mass Flow

Every unit on this page measures volumetric flow — the VOLUME of fluid moving past a point per unit time, regardless of what that fluid weighs. That's the right measure for most liquids, since a liter of water always occupies the same space. For compressible gases, however, the same volume can represent very different masses depending on temperature and pressure, which is why processes like natural gas metering or compressed-air sizing often need MASS flow instead — the site's separate Flow - Mass Converter covers units like kilograms per second for exactly that case.

US vs. Imperial Gallons

A US gallon and a UK (imperial) gallon are not the same size — the imperial gallon is about 20% larger (roughly 4.546 liters versus the US gallon's 3.785 liters). That means "gallons per minute" means two different physical flow rates depending on which gallon is meant, and mixing them up is a common real-world error when comparing British and American pump, hose, or fixture specifications. Always check whether a gal/min figure is US or UK before treating it as equivalent — this converter keeps them as clearly separate units for exactly that reason.

Example

A flow rate of 1 yd³/s equals 1620.0001 ft³/min. For scale, a typical residential shower head flows around 2 US gallons per minute (roughly 7.6 L/min), a home HVAC return duct might move 400-800 CFM of air, and a moderate river might discharge several hundred cubic feet per second.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Cubic Feet per Minute are in 1 Cubic Yard per Second?

1 Cubic Yard per Second (yd³/s) equals exactly 1620.0001 Cubic Feet per Minute (ft³/min).

What's the difference between GPM and CFM?

GPM (gallons per minute) measures liquid flow, most often water, while CFM (cubic feet per minute) measures gas or air flow, most often in HVAC ductwork and compressed-air systems. They're both volumetric flow units, just conventionally applied to different kinds of fluid and scaled to different everyday magnitudes.

How do I convert between US and UK gallons per minute?

Select "Gallon (US) per Minute" or "Gallon (UK) per Minute" as your From or To unit in the converter above — the two are kept as distinct units because the imperial gallon is about 20% larger than the US gallon, so the same physical flow rate produces a different number in each system.

How accurate are these conversions?

Every conversion factor used here is the exact, internationally recognized relationship between the underlying volume and time units — results are limited only by floating-point display precision, not by rounded conversion constants.

Why is oil production measured in barrels per day?

The 42-US-gallon petroleum barrel became the oil industry's standard unit in the early 20th century, and "barrels per day" (bbl/d) stuck as the universal way to report well production, refinery throughput, and pipeline capacity — even in countries that otherwise use metric units for everything else.

Convert Cubic Yard per Second to Other Flow Units

Possible Flow Conversions