Cord (unit of volume)

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The cord is a unit of dry volume used in Canada and in the United States to measure firewood. One cord is defined as 128 foot³ (~3.62 m³), corresponding to a woodpile 8 foot wide × 4 foot high of 4 foot long logs. In the metric system, wood is usually measured in steres or cubic metres: 1 stere = 1 m³ ≈ 0.276 cords.

In the United States, the cord is defined by statute in most states. Wood is also sold by the "face cord", which is usually not legally defined, and varies regionally. For example, since firewood lengths are usually 16 inches^[1], in one area a pile of wood 8 feet wide × 4 feet high of 16 inch long logs may be sold as a "face cord", though its volume is only one-third of a cord. In another region, or even from another vendor, the volume of a face cord may be considerably different.