For repeatable ore runs, target Mines floors 2–39 for copper and floors 41–79 for iron; floors 71–79 may be especially productive for iron. Smelt either metal by combining five ore and one coal in a Furnace. If you have more gold than time, Clint also sells iron ore, with the price rising after Year 1.
Where to find copper ore
The Mines are the most direct repeatable source. Copper nodes are concentrated on floors 2–39, and nearby ordinary rocks also have a high probability of dropping one copper ore. Each copper node yields one to three ore when mined. See the Stardew Valley Wiki’s Copper Ore page for the full list of sources.
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Other possible sources include geodes, fishing treasure chests, panning, artifact spots, breakable containers in the Mines, occasional Traveling Cart stock, and copper nodes in places such as the Quarry or certain farm maps.
Where to find iron ore
Iron nodes are concentrated on Mines floors 41–79. The Stardew Valley Wiki identifies floors 71–79 as potentially abundant, making them a sensible target once you can reach them. Iron can also come from the Quarry, geodes, fishing treasure chests, occasional Traveling Cart stock, and an Ice Pip fish pond at population three.
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Recycling trash can produce iron ore; the Wiki lists a 21% chance. The available list of other sources and details is on the Stardew Valley Wiki’s Iron Ore page.
Mine or buy iron ore?
Clint sells iron ore for 150g each in Year 1 and 250g each from Year 2 onward, according to the Stardew Valley Wiki. Buying trades gold for convenience; mining takes time but also gives you other materials and mine progression. Which is preferable depends on how much gold you have, which floors you can reach, your pickaxe strength, and whether you have coal to smelt what you collect.
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How to unlock a Furnace and smelt ore
The morning after you collect at least one copper ore, Clint visits and gives you the Furnace blueprint. Craft the Furnace with 20 copper ore and 25 stone.
- Place the Furnace and interact with it while carrying five ore of the metal you want to smelt and one coal.
- Wait for the smelting process to finish. Five copper ore and one coal produce one copper bar; five iron ore and one coal produce one iron bar.
- For iron, allow two in-game hours for the bar to finish smelting.
Pickaxe upgrades for ore runs
Clint’s upgrades take two days and follow the material tiers; you cannot skip a tier. The costs and effects below are the stated in-game values on the Stardew Valley Wiki’s Tool page.
| Pickaxe | Cost and materials | Relevant breaking speed |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | 2,000g and five copper bars | Breaks copper nodes in two hits and ordinary rocks on floors 1–39 in one hit; ordinary rocks on floors 40–79 still take two hits. |
| Steel | 5,000g and five iron bars | Breaks ordinary rocks on floors 40–79 in one hit. |
If you plan sustained iron runs, the steel pickaxe’s faster breaking on floors 40–79 can save effort. Account for the two-day upgrade period and the iron bars it requires before handing over your pickaxe.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Plan a practical ore run
- For copper: work through floors 2–39, prioritizing visible copper nodes and checking nearby ordinary rocks.
- For iron: progress to floors 41–79; focus on 71–79 when accessible if you want to try the range the Wiki calls potentially abundant.
- Before smelting: reserve coal as well as ore, since each bar consumes one coal.
- When short on time: compare a mine run with buying iron from Clint at the price for your current in-game year.
These are Stardew Valley Wiki mechanics and prices current when accessed on October 8, 2026; the referenced pages include 1.6-era changes. Platform-specific differences are not established here, so check the relevant values against your game version if they do not match.
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