When calculating heating outputs, we needed all the different propane tank sizes to adequately size heating units. This would range anywhere from figuring out:
- Propane tank dimensions (length, diameter, height, width).
- Propane tank weight.
- Actually propane content and BTU content of that propane in a tank: ie: ‘How many BTUs in a 20 lb to 100 gallon propane tank?’
Here’s an example of what we wanted:
250 gallon residential propane tank is 7 feet 8 inches long, with a diameter of 30 inches. It can hold a maximum of 200 gallons (80% rule) Empty weight: 483 pounds. Full weight: 1,333 pounds. Full BTU content is 18,300,000 BTUs; that’s enough to provide 10,000 BTU/h for 76 days And 6 hours.
Finding all these propane tank specs wasn’t easy at all. Even finding the dimensions of the most common 20 lb, 100 lb, 250 gallons, and 500-gallon propane tanks was difficult. If you have Googled a bit about propane tank sizes, you probably had a similar experience.
We haven’t found a website resource that would like to list all the propane cylinders – from 1 lb propane bottle to the huge underground 2,000 gallon propane tank – with their sizes; primarily dimensions and tare weight (empty weight).
To help out everybody looking for propane tank dimensions and ‘how much does X lb or gallon propane tank weight empty?’, we decided to create a full propane tank sizes chart (you can check it below).
It contains all 48 standardized propane tank sizes. The chart covers every propane tank from the smallest 1 lb tank to the biggest 2,000-gallon propane tank. Here is how you categorize them a bit:
- Propane Bottle Sizes: That’s just 1, 2, and 3 lb propane cylinders.
- Small Propane Tank Sizes: 5-20 lb and 1-5 gallon propane tanks.
- Standard Propane Tank Sizes: 25-420 lb and 6-80 gallon propane cylinder.
- Residential Propane Tank Sizes: 100-2,000 gallon horizontal propane tanks. These are the propane tank sizes for home.
You will find a full chart covering all 48 propane tank sizes with average dimensions and tare weights further on.
Another very insightful note:
Below the chart, we also covered the 5 most common propane sizes (20 lb and 100 lb standard tanks, and 100 gallon, 250 gallon, and 500 gallon residential propane tanks). On top of specifying the dimensions and empty weight, we have added:
- Full weight. Here we need to use propane gallon to lb conversion (1 gallon = 4.25 lb of propane).
- Actual Propane Content. Should be only 80% of the total. Example: How many gallons are in a propane tank? 100 gallon tank contains 80 gallons of propane. This is for safety reasons; higher temperatures expand the propane and a full 100% could create a too-high to handle pressure on the propane tank.
- BTU Content. To figure out how long will a residential propane tank last, for example, you need the BTU content of propane. Here we need to use the propane gallon to BTU conversion. How many BTUs in a gallon of propane? 1 gallon of propane contains 91,500 BTUs.
- How Long Will Propane Last? Based on the total BTU content of propane, we calculated how many days and hours will a propane tank last given the 10,000 BTU/h continuous output.
Here’s an example for a 100 gallon residential propane tank:
| Dimensions (LxWxH): | 50x28x28 Inches |
| Propane Content: | 80 Gallons |
| Empty Tank Weight: | 212 Pounds |
| Full Tank Weight: | 552 Pounds |
| How Many BTUs: | 7,320,000 BTUs |
| Can Generate 10,000 BTU/h For: | 30 Days And 12 Hours |
You can find the best propane tank sizes, with weight, BTUs, and so on, below the chart.
Propane Tank Size Chart (All 48 Standardized Propane Tanks)
This chart covers the sizes and dimensions of propane tanks starting with the smallest (1 lb) and progressing to the largest propane tank (2,000 gallon):
| Propane Tank Size: | Length (Inches): | Diameter (Inches): | Width (Inches): | Height (Inches): | Empty Weight: |
| 1 lb | 8 inches | 4 inches | 4 inches | 4 inches | 1.3 pounds |
| 2 lb | 10 inches | 5 inches | 5 inches | 5 inches | 2.1 pounds |
| 3 lb | 10 inches | 7 inches | 7 inches | 7 inches | 3.7 pounds |
| 1 gallon | 12 inches | 7.6 inches | 7.6 inches | 7.6 inches | 5.9 pounds |
| 5 lb | 12 inches | 8 inches | 8 inches | 8 inches | 6.7 pounds |
| 2 gallon | 18 inches | 8.8 inches | 8.8 inches | 8.8 inches | 7.8 pounds |
| 10 lb | 18 inches | 9 inches | 9 inches | 9 inches | 9.8 pounds |
| 11 lb | 12.4 inches | 12.2 inches | 12.2 inches | 12.2 inches | 10.4 pounds |
| 3 gallon | 13 inches | 12.2 inches | 12.2 inches | 12.2 inches | 10.9 pounds |
| 15 lb | 18 inches | 10 inches | 10 inches | 10 inches | 11.8 pounds |
| 4 gallon | 18 inches | 11.6 inches | 11.6 inches | 11.6 inches | 12.7 pounds |
| 20 lb | 18 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 13.5 pound |
| 5 gallon | 20 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 14.8 pounds |
| 25 lb | 21 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 15.1 pounds |
| 6 gallon | 24 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 17.2 pounds |
| 7 gallon | 24 inches | 12.4 inches | 12.4 inches | 12.4 inches | 18.9 pounds |
| 30 lb | 24 inches | 12.5 inches | 12.5 inches | 12.5 inches | 19.2 pounds |
| 33 lb | 26.75 inches | 12.5 inches | 12.5 inches | 12.5 inches | 23.3 pounds |
| 40 lb | 27 inches | 14.5 inches | 14.5 inches | 14.5 inches | 27.4 pounds |
| 10 gallon | 27 inches | 15.1 inches | 15.1 inches | 15.1 inches | 31.8 pounds |
| 50 lb | 27.4 inches | 15.1 inches | 15.1 inches | 15.1 inches | 34.1 pounds |
| 60 lb | 44.1 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 37.3 pounds |
| 15 gallon | 44.7 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 39.7 pounds |
| 80 lb | 46 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 12 inches | 43.2 pounds |
| 20 gallon | 46 inches | 12.5 inches | 12.5 inches | 12.5 inches | 50.1 pounds |
| 100 lb | 48 inches | 14.5 inches | 14.5 inches | 14.5 inches | 67 pounds |
| 25 gallon | 48 inches | 15 inches | 15 inches | 15 inches | 69 pounds |
| 120 lb | 48 inches | 16 inches | 16 inches | 16 inches | 75 pounds |
| 30 gallon | 48 inches | 16.8 inches | 16.8 inches | 16.8 inches | 81 pounds |
| 150 lb | 48 inches | 18 inches | 18 inches | 18 inches | 101 pounds |
| 40 gallon | 48 inches | 19 inches | 19 inches | 19 inches | 118 pounds |
| 200 lb | 48 inches | 19.6 inches | 19.6 inches | 19.6 inches | 127 pounds |
| 50 gallon | 50 inches | 21 inches | 21 inches | 21 inches | 139 pounds |
| 60 gallon | 50 inches | 23.1 inches | 23.1 inches | 23.1 inches | 156 pounds |
| 80 gallon | 50 inches | 25.3 inches | 25.3 inches | 25.3 inches | 178 pounds |
| 420 lb | 50 inches | 27.9 inches | 27.9 inches | 27.9 inches | 206 pounds |
| 100 gallon | 50 inches | 28 inches | 28 inches | 28 inches | 212 pounds |
| 500 lb | 52 inches | 28.8 inches | 28.8 inches | 28.8 inches | 254 pounds |
| 120 gallon | 52 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches | 260 pounds |
| 150 gallon | 85 inches | 25 inches | 25 inches | 25 inches | 298 pounds |
| 200 gallon | 88 inches | 27 inches | 27 inches | 27 inches | 387 pounds |
| 250 gallon | 92 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches | 483 pounds |
| 300 gallon | 100 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches | 591 pounds |
| 400 gallon | 112 inches | 32 inches | 32 inches | 32 inches | 794 pounds |
| 500 gallon | 120 inches | 37 inches | 37 inches | 37 inches | 949 pounds |
| 750 gallon | 160 inches | 39 inches | 39 inches | 39 inches | 1,365 pounds |
| 1,000 gallon | 190 inches | 41 inches | 41 inches | 41 inches | 1,760 pounds |
| 2,000 gallon | 288 inches | 55 inches | 55 inches | 55 inches | 3,400 pounds |
In many cases, you will also have to convert lb of propane to gallons of propane. You can check here how much a gallon of propane weighs in detail; we are going to use a simple 1 gallon of propane is equal to 4.25 lb of propane conversion.
Example 1: How many gallons of propane are in a 100 lb tank? 100 lb holds 80 lb of propane. Given that 4.25 lb of propane equals 1 gallon, this means that a 100 lb tank of propane contains 18.82 gallons of propane.
Example 2: How many gallons of propane are in a 20 lb tank? 20 lb tank holds 16 lb of propane. That means that a 20 lb tank contains 3.76 gallons of propane.
Let’s now focus on key specifications of the 5 most common propane tank sizes. Let’s start with the 3 large residential propane tank sizes:
100 Gallon Propane Dimensions, Weight, BTUs
| Dimensions (LxWxH): | 50x28x28 Inches |
| Propane Content: | 80 Gallons |
| Empty Tank Weight: | 212 Pounds |
| Full Tank Weight: | 552 Pounds |
| How Many BTUs: | 7,320,000 BTUs |
| Can Generate 10,000 BTU/h For: | 30 Days And 12 Hours |
100 gallon is one of the most common horizontal residential propane tank sizes. It doesn’t necessarily be underground; most homeowners keep it in the basement or in the garage.
Dimensions of 100 gallon propane tank are 50-inch width (4 feet and 2 inches) and 28-inch diameter (that means 2 feet and 2 inches width and height).
You can fill a 100 gallon tank with a maximum of 80 gallons of propane. That’s the 80% rule; if it were filled to 100%, the tank would present a safety risk at high temperatures.
How much does a 100 gallon propane tank weigh when empty? 212 pounds, on average. Of course, it depends on the metal the tank is made out of; 100 gallon aluminum propane tanks are lighter than steel ones, for example.
How much does a 100 gallon propane tank weigh when full? 552 pounds, on average. Here you have to take the tare weight of the empty tank and add the weight of propane.
1 gallon of propane weighs 4.25 pounds. You can fill 80 gallons of propane in a 100-gallon tank, that’s an additional 80×4.25 = 340 pounds. Full 100 gallon tank weighs 212 lb + 340 lb = 552 lb.
Now for the BTU content calculation. Here is the simple conversion we can use:
1 gallon of propane = 91,500 BTU
How many BTUs are in a 100 gallon propane tank?
We need to multiply 80 gallon of propane with 91,500 BTU:
80 gallon × 91,500 BTU per gallon = 7,320,000 BTU
There are 7,320,000 BTU in a 100 gallon propane tank. If we were to use this tank to produce 10,000 BTU/h of heating output, we could run such heating output for about 1 month (30 days and 12 hours, to be exact). You can check how long does a 100 gallon propane tank last here.
250 Gallon Propane Dimensions, Weight, BTUs
| Dimensions (LxWxH): | 92x30x30 Inches |
| Propane Content: | 200 Gallons |
| Empty Tank Weight: | 483 Pounds |
| Full Tank Weight: | 1,333 Pounds |
| How Many BTUs: | 18,300,000 BTUs |
| Can Generate 10,000 BTU/h For: | 76 Days And 6 Hours |
250 gallon propane tank is a semi-big size propane tank for home. It can hold 200 gallons of propane (80% safety rule). Let’s look at the dimensions:
250 gallon propane cylinder is 7 feet and 8 inches long (92 inches) and has a diameter of 30 inches (width and height are 2 feet and 6 inches). Its total weight when empty is 483 pounds, on average. You can check the full in-depth article about 250-gallon propane tank size here.
When you fill a 250 gallon with propane to the full, it weighs 1,333 pounds. The 200 gallon of propane adds 850 pounds of weight to the full weight of the 250 gallon propane tank.
How many BTUs are in 250 gallon propane tank?
18,300,000 BTUs in total. You can calculate the BTU content of 250 gallon tank by multiplying the max. volume of propane (200 gallon) with 91,500 BTU per gallon propane energy content.
With 18,300,000 BTU content, 250 gallon propane tank can run a 10,000 BTU/h heater or furnace for 76 days and 6 hours. You can check how long does 250 gallon propane tank last here.
500 Gallon Propane Dimensions, Weight, BTUs
| Dimensions (LxWxH): | 120x37x37 Inches |
| Propane Content: | 400 Gallons |
| Empty Tank Weight: | 949 Pounds |
| Full Tank Weight: | 2,649 Pounds |
| How Many BTUs: | 45,750,000 BTUs |
| Can Generate 10,000 BTU/h For: | 190 Days And 15 Hours |
500 gallon is a large residential propane tank for homes. This big tank can be installed in the basement, in a large garage, or, in many cases, it can be an underground propane tank.
It holds a maximum of 400 gallon of propane. Empty 500 gallon propane tank weighs about 949 pounds. If you add 400 gallon of propane (1,700 lb), the weight of a full 500 gallon propane tank is 2,649 pounds.
How many BTUs does a 500 gallon tank contain?
All in all, it contains almost 50 million BTUs (45,750,000 BTUs, to be exact). That’s enough to run a 10,000 BTU/h heater for more than half a year (190 days and 15 hours). You can check how long does a 500-gallon propane tank last here.
20 lb Propane Tank Dimension, Weight, BTUs
| Dimensions (LxWxH): | 18x12x12 Inches |
| Propane Content: | 16 lb |
| Empty Tank Weight: | 13.5 Pounds |
| Full Tank Weight: | 29.5 Pounds |
| 20 lb Propane Tank BTU Content: | 344,470 BTUs |
| Can Generate 10,000 BTU/h For: | 34.4 Hours |
20 lb is the most common BBQ propane tank size. You can also use it to power propane a variety of propane heaters or even propane generators.
20 lb propane tank dimensions: It’s 18 inches long with a 12-inch diameter. Given the 80% safety rule, you can fill a total of 16 lb of propane in a 20 lb tank.
The weight of the empty 20 lb propane tank is about 13.5 pounds. Aluminum 20 lb propane cylinders can be lighter, steel ones will be heavier.
How much does a full 20 lb propane tank weigh?
The full 20 lb propane tank weighs 29.5 pounds, on average. You need to add the weight of 16 lb of propane to the empty weight (13.5 lbs) of the 20 lb propane tank to get the total.
All in all, a 20 lb propane tank packs quite a lot of BTUs. How many BTUs does it contain exactly?
20 lb propane tank contains 344,470 BTUs. That’s enough to power a 10,000 BTU/h heater for more than a day (34.4 hours, to be exact).
100 lb Propane Tank Dimension, Weight, BTUs
| Dimensions (LxWxH): | 48×14.5×14.5 Inches |
| Propane Content: | 80 lb |
| Empty Tank Weight: | 67 Pounds |
| Full Tank Weight: | 147 Pounds |
| 100 lb Propane Tank BTU Content: | 1,722,350 BTUs |
| Can Generate 10,000 BTU/h For: | 7 Days And 4 Hours |
100 lb is a bigger vertical propane tank size. It’s a 4 feet long cylinder with a 14.5-inch diameter.
Empty 100 lb propane tank weighs 67 pounds. If you fill it up with 80 lb of propane, it will reach a full weight of 147 pounds.
That 80 lb of propane gives the 100 lb propane tank 1,722,350 BTU content. This is enough for a 100 lb propane tank to last for 7 days and 4 hours when powering a 10,000 BTU/h appliance.
We hope all of this information on propane tank sizes will help you. If you need additional help, you can pose a question in the comments below and we’re try our best to answer it.
Excellent explanation and charts! Although I spent 24 years in the Natural Gas industry, propane is a different animal. This article helps me a lot now that I rely on propane . Thanks !