How many hanging folders does a single lateral filing cabinet drawer hold?

A standard 30-inch-wide lateral filing cabinet drawer holds approximately 25–35 letter-size hanging folders at comfortable capacity — more if files are thin, fewer if they're bulky. A 36-inch lateral holds roughly 30–45, and a 42-inch lateral can hold 40–60. These are working estimates at comfortable density; you can physically cram in more, but over-packed drawers become hard to use. With letter-size folders, you're filing front-to-back (each folder behind the next); with legal-size in a lateral, folders can go side-to-side. Drawer depth (typically 18 inches) limits front-to-back capacity while drawer width limits side-to-side capacity. FindOfficeFurniture.com — call 888-719-4960 to find the right size for your volume.