What Is hundredweight (US)?
The US hundredweight is a unit used to measure weight. It is often used when the load is too big to be shown in only pounds. One US hundredweight equals 100 pounds.
Definition
The US hundredweight is a traditional unit of mass used mainly in the United States. It is based on the avoirdupois pound.
- 1 US hundredweight = 100 pounds
- 1 pound is about 0.4536 kilograms
- So 1 US hundredweight is about 45.36 kilograms
People use this unit to weigh large amounts of goods, such as grain, sugar, meat, and other bulk products.
History / Origin
The idea of a hundredweight comes from old European trading, where merchants used groups of pounds to make counting easier. Different countries chose different numbers of pounds for their own version of a hundredweight.
In Britain, a hundredweight became 112 pounds. In the United States, traders preferred a simpler number and fixed the hundredweight at exactly 100 pounds. Over time, this 100 pound version became the standard hundredweight for US trade and industry.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The most common short form for hundredweight is:
- cwt – stands for hundredweight
Sometimes people may write UScwt or say US hundredweight to make it clear they mean 100 pounds and not the British 112 pound hundredweight.
Current Use Around the World
The US hundredweight is still used today, but mainly in a few areas.
- United States – used in farming, livestock, some food prices, and some shipping rates
- Canada and Mexico – may appear in trade with US companies, but metric units are more common
- International trade – sometimes used in contracts for crops, sugar, or other bulk goods when dealing with US markets
Most other countries now use metric units, such as kilograms and tonnes, instead of hundredweight.
Example Conversions
Here are some easy conversion examples with the US hundredweight.
US hundredweight to pounds
- 1 cwt = 100 lb
- 5 cwt = 5 × 100 = 500 lb
- 12 cwt = 12 × 100 = 1200 lb
US hundredweight to kilograms
Use 1 cwt ≈ 45.359 kg.
- 1 cwt ≈ 45.36 kg
- 3 cwt ≈ 3 × 45.36 ≈ 136.08 kg
- 10 cwt ≈ 10 × 45.36 ≈ 453.6 kg
US hundredweight to US short tons
In the US system, 1 short ton equals 2000 pounds.
- 1 short ton = 2000 lb = 20 cwt
- 10 cwt = 10 × 100 lb = 1000 lb = 0.5 short ton
- 25 cwt = 25 × 100 lb = 2500 lb = 1.25 short tons
Pounds to US hundredweight
To go from pounds to cwt, divide by 100.
- 250 lb ÷ 100 = 2.5 cwt
- 900 lb ÷ 100 = 9 cwt
- 50 lb ÷ 100 = 0.5 cwt
Related Units
- Pound (lb) – base unit in the US system. 1 cwt = 100 lb.
- Short ton (US ton) – large US weight unit. 1 short ton = 2000 lb = 20 cwt.
- Hundredweight (imperial) – used in the United Kingdom. 1 imperial hundredweight = 112 lb, not 100 lb.
- Long ton (imperial ton) – British large weight unit. 1 long ton = 2240 lb = 20 imperial hundredweight.
- Kilogram (kg) – main metric unit of mass. 1 cwt ≈ 45.36 kg.
- Tonne (t) – metric ton. 1 tonne = 1000 kg ≈ 22.046 cwt.
FAQs
How many pounds are in a US hundredweight?
There are exactly 100 pounds in one US hundredweight. This is fixed and does not change.
How many kilograms are in a US hundredweight?
One US hundredweight is about 45.36 kilograms. The more exact value is 45.359237 kilograms, but most people round it to 45.36 kilograms.
What is the difference between US and imperial hundredweight?
The US hundredweight is 100 pounds. The imperial hundredweight, used in Britain, is 112 pounds. Both use the same symbol cwt, so it is important to know which system is meant.
Where is the US hundredweight used today?
It is mostly used in the United States for farm products, livestock, some food items, and certain shipping and freight charges. In science and most world trade, metric units are preferred.
How many US hundredweight are in a short ton?
There are 20 US hundredweight in one short ton, because a short ton is 2000 pounds and each hundredweight is 100 pounds.
Why is it called a hundredweight if there is also a 112 pound version?
The name comes from old trade customs, not from modern math rules. Different regions chose their own size for a hundredweight. The US chose 100 pounds, Britain chose 112 pounds.