Litres to Gallons: Volume Conversion Guide
Volume measurements come up constantly in cooking, fuel calculations, chemistry, beverage service and home improvement. The challenge is that different countries and even different industries use completely different units. Litres, gallons, pints, cups, fluid ounces and millilitres all measure volume but on very different scales.
This guide explains every common volume unit, gives you the conversion formulas you need most and links to the free Volume Converter for instant results.
The US Gallon vs the UK Gallon: An Important Difference
This is one of the most common sources of confusion in volume conversion. The US gallon and the UK (imperial) gallon are different sizes.
US Gallon vs UK Gallon
1 US gallon = 3.78541 litres
1 UK gallon = 4.54609 litres
The UK gallon is about 20 percent larger than the US gallon. Always check which gallon is meant when converting.
Litre to US Gallon Conversions
US Gallons = Litres multiplied by 0.264172
Litres = US Gallons multiplied by 3.78541
Example: Convert 10 Litres to US Gallons
10 multiplied by 0.264172 = 2.642 US gallons
Example: Convert 5 US Gallons to Litres
5 multiplied by 3.78541 = 18.927 litres
Litre to UK Gallon Conversions
UK Gallons = Litres multiplied by 0.219969
Example: Convert 10 Litres to UK Gallons
10 multiplied by 0.219969 = 2.200 UK gallons
Volume Conversion Reference Table
| Volume | US Gallons | UK Gallons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 litre | 0.264 US gal | 0.220 UK gal | 1,000 millilitres |
| 2 litres | 0.528 US gal | 0.440 UK gal | Common soft drink bottle size |
| 5 litres | 1.321 US gal | 1.100 UK gal | Common fuel jerry can size |
| 10 litres | 2.642 US gal | 2.200 UK gal | Small fuel tank |
| 50 litres | 13.209 US gal | 10.999 UK gal | Average car fuel tank |
| 1 US gallon | 3.785 litres | 0.833 UK gal | 128 US fluid ounces |
| 1 UK gallon | 4.546 litres | 1.201 US gal | 160 UK fluid ounces |
| 1 US pint | 0.473 litres | 16 US fl oz | |
| 1 UK pint | 0.568 litres | 20 UK fl oz |
Cups, Pints, Quarts and Fluid Ounces
In cooking, particularly in American recipes, you will encounter cups, tablespoons and fluid ounces. Here is how they relate to litres and millilitres.
| 1 US cup | 236.588 millilitres / 0.2366 litres |
| 1 tablespoon (US) | 14.787 millilitres |
| 1 teaspoon (US) | 4.929 millilitres |
| 1 US fluid ounce | 29.574 millilitres |
| 1 US pint | 473.176 millilitres / 0.4732 litres |
| 1 US quart | 946.353 millilitres / 0.9464 litres |
| 1 US gallon | 3,785.41 millilitres / 3.785 litres |
Cooking Conversion Quick Reference
| Metric | US Cups or Spoons |
|---|---|
| 250 ml | 1 cup (US) |
| 500 ml | 2 cups (US) |
| 1 litre | 4.23 cups |
| 100 ml | 6.76 tablespoons |
| 15 ml | 1 tablespoon |
| 5 ml | 1 teaspoon |
Related Tools
- Volume Converter litres, US gallons, UK gallons, cups, pints, fluid ounces and more
- All Unit Converters browse all 74 converters on CalConvs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a US gallon the same as a UK gallon?
No. A US gallon is 3.785 litres and a UK (imperial) gallon is 4.546 litres. The UK gallon is about 20 percent larger. This difference matters most when comparing fuel economy: a car that gets 30 miles per gallon in the US achieves a different result than 30 miles per gallon in the UK, because the UK gallon contains more fuel.
How many litres are in a US gallon?
There are exactly 3.78541 litres in one US gallon. As a rough estimate, multiply gallons by 3.8. So 2 gallons is about 7.6 litres and 5 gallons is about 19 litres. The exact value is 3.78541 litres per US gallon.
How many cups are in a litre?
There are approximately 4.23 US cups in one litre. One US cup is 236.588 millilitres. So 250 ml is very close to one US cup, which is why many metric recipes use 250 ml as a cup measurement. Four cups of 250 ml each equals exactly 1 litre.
What is a quart in litres?
One US quart is 0.946 litres, which is very close to 1 litre. A quart is half a US gallon and two US pints. The name comes from the Latin quartus, meaning one fourth, because a quart is one quarter of a gallon. For most practical cooking purposes, a litre and a quart are close enough to be interchangeable.