Sulfuric acid hydrolysis is a typical approach for producing cellulose nanocrystals. The method has been widely used, but it has a disadvantage of low yield of cellulose nanocrystals compared to mechanical method. To expand the application of cellulose nanocrystals in practical, we should be able to produce them with higher yield and the controlled properties. In this study, therefore, we intended to investigate the effect of sulfuric acid hydrolysis condition on the characteristics of the prepared cellulose nanocrystals. The concentration of sulfuric acid, temperature and hydrolysis time were varied, and the yield as well as diverse properties including the morphology, size and zeta potential were examined. We could obtain cellulose nanocrystals up to 70% of yield and found that the properties were dependent on the reaction condition. It would be helpful to select an appropriate condition for producing cellulose nanocrystals.