Best Wood For Heating – BTU per Cord by Species

ByKen J. Last Update
Wood BTU per cord

Have you ever wondered what the best wood to use for heating and burning in a wood stove is? Have you ever wondered how much heat a particular wood species will provide when burned (BTU)?

Did you know that one cord of firewood provides the approximate heat equivalent to that produced by burning 200 to 250 gallons of heating oil, depending on the type of hardwood you are using?

(Jump down to BTU List)

A cord of Oak will burn about 29 Million BTUs, and it is one of the better (more efficient) types of wood to heat with. Oak is very hard and dense and will burn for a long time compared with many others.

the-best-firewood-is-oak

Conversely, a cord of Pine will only provide 60% of the heat of Oak, while Cedar will offer less than half the heat of Oak.

When we compare the wood-burning capacity by weight instead of cord, we find that most wood produces about the same amount of heat. The crucial difference is that dense hardwoods, being heavier, pack more heat. Therefore, a cord (or any quantity) of hardwood will produce more heat than the same quantity of softer wood. This understanding of the heat production differences between hardwood and softwood, based on weight, is key to making informed wood-burning choices.

Dense hardwoods, such as those from broadleaved trees, are generally best for heating. They tend to be thicker than softwoods or conifers.

In case you wondered, a standard cord of wood is 128 cubic feet – 8 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet.

Really, though, the best firewood is going to be whatever is locally available to you, so long as it’s dry and fits in your stove. If you have a choice, though, choose hardwood for fewer trips to the log pile.

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List of Wood Species, Heating BTU’s per Cord from Most to Least

Note: This list of wood species is not all-inclusive, but it is what I could find data on—to sort most to least BTUs per cord. These values are approximate due to variations in wood density and moisture content.

UPDATE: The following list is sourced from an AI search that factored multiple sources into creating it. My original list is below.

Wood Species BTU per Cord

  • Osage Orange: 32.9 million BTU’s per cord
  • Hickory, Shagbark: 27.7 million BTU’s per cord
  • Eastern Hornbeam: 27.3 million BTU’s per cord
  • Ironwood: 27.1 million BTU’s per cord
  • Beech, Blue: 26.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Birch, Black: 26.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Locust, Black: 26.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Hickory, Butternut: 26.7 million BTU’s per cord
  • Locust, Honey: 26.7 million BTU’s per cord
  • Apple: 26.5 million BTU’s per cord
  • Mulberry: 25.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Oak, White: 25.7 million BTU’s per cord
  • Beech, High: 24.0 million BTU’s per cord
  • Maple, Sugar: 24.0 million BTU’s per cord
  • Oak, Red: 24.0 million BTU’s per cord
  • Ash, White: 23.6 million BTU’s per cord
  • Birch, Yellow: 23.6 million BTU’s per cord
  • Juniper, Rocky Mtn: 21.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Elm, Red: 21.6 million BTU’s per cord
  • Coffeetree, Kentucky: 21.6 million BTU’s per cord
  • Hackberry: 20.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Tamarack: 20.8 million BTU’s per cord
  • Birch, Gray: 20.3 million BTU’s per cord
  • Birch, Paper: 20.3 million BTU’s per cord
  • Birch, White: 20.3 million BTU’s per cord
  • Walnut, Black: 20.2 million BTU’s per cord
  • Cherry: 20.0 million BTU’s per cord
  • Ash, Green: 19.9 million BTU’s per cord
  • Cherry, Black: 19.9 million BTU’s per cord
  • Elm, American: 19.5 million BTU’s per cord
  • Elm, White: 19.5 million BTU’s per cord
  • Sycamore: 19.1 million BTU’s per cord
  • Fir, Douglas: 26.5 million BTU’s per cord
  • Boxelder: 17.1 million BTU’s per cord
  • Alder, Red: 17.2 million BTU’s per cord
  • Pine, Jack: 17.1 million BTU’s per cord
  • Pine, Norway: 17.1 million BTU’s per cord
  • Pine, Pitch: 17.1 million BTU’s per cord
  • Hemlock: 15.9 million BTU’s per cord
  • Black Spruce: 15.9 million BTU’s per cord
  • Eastern White Pine: 14.3 million BTU’s per cord
  • Balsam Fir: 14.3 million BTU’s per cord
  • Eastern White Cedar: 12.2 million BTU’s per cord

Best Wood For Heating

My original list is sorted from most preferred.

  1. Oak
  2. Beech
  3. Apple
  4. Mulberry
  5. Maple
  6. Walnut
  7. Juniper
  8. Birch
  9. Douglas-fir
  10. Cherry
  11. Ash
  12. Elm
  13. Sycamore
  14. Hemlock
  15. Aspen
  16. Chestnut
  17. Willow
  18. Alder
  19. Pine
  20. Cottonwood
  21. Spruce
  22. Cedar

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Wood Stove Temperature Meter | Best Temp Zone To Minimize Creosote

If you were wondering about those waxy energy ‘Duraflame’ type fire-logs…

Typical Oak firewood has about 8,500 BTU’s per pound.
A typical wax-fiber firelog has about 14,000 BTU’s per pound.

While energy logs might be a nice quick fix for a fire, they are expensive.

NOTE: Be wary of using soft and oily woods like Pine in a stove or fireplace due to the buildup of creosote (a highly flammable residue) in the flu over time, especially if not thoroughly dried. To ensure your wood is dry enough, it should be seasoned for at least six months. Pine is a fantastic firestarter because it burns hot and fast but is unsuitable for long-term use without attention to the inherent issues.