Volume Converter
1 cup = 240 ml · 1 gal = 3.785 L · 1 L = 1000 ml
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Volume converter
Type a value into any field and the converter calculates the rest. It handles gallons, liters, quarts, pints, cups, fluid ounces, milliliters, and tablespoons. US and imperial measurements differ for some of these units, so this page uses US customary values unless noted otherwise.
- Common volume conversions
- Volume conversion formulas
- Gallons to liters
- Liters to gallons
- Cups to milliliters
- Fluid ounces to milliliters
- Tablespoons to milliliters
- When you need volume conversions
- Cooking and recipes
- Fuel and automotive
- Beverages
- Medicine
- Common containers by volume
- Tips for accurate conversions
- US customary vs. imperial measurements
- Frequently asked questions
- How many liters in a gallon?
- How many cups in a liter?
- How many milliliters in a cup?
- How many fluid ounces in a liter?
- How many tablespoons in a cup?
- Is a liter bigger than a quart?
- How many ounces in a gallon?
- What is the difference between mL and cc?
- Related conversion tools
- Measurement guides
Common volume conversions
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| US gallons (gal) | Liters (L) | 3.78541 |
| Liters (L) | US gallons (gal) | 0.26417 |
| US quarts (qt) | Liters (L) | 0.94635 |
| US pints (pt) | Liters (L) | 0.47318 |
| US cups | Milliliters (mL) | 236.588 |
| US fluid ounces (fl oz) | Milliliters (mL) | 29.5735 |
| Milliliters (mL) | US fluid ounces (fl oz) | 0.03381 |
| Liters (L) | Milliliters (mL) | 1000 |
| US tablespoons (tbsp) | Milliliters (mL) | 14.787 |
| US teaspoons (tsp) | Milliliters (mL) | 4.929 |
Volume conversion formulas
Gallons to liters
liters = gallons x 3.78541
Example: 5 gallons x 3.78541 = 18.93 liters.
Liters to gallons
gallons = liters x 0.26417
Example: 2 liters x 0.26417 = 0.528 gallons, or about half a gallon.
Cups to milliliters
mL = cups x 236.588
Example: 1.5 cups x 236.588 = 354.9 mL.
Fluid ounces to milliliters
mL = fl oz x 29.5735
Example: 12 fl oz x 29.5735 = 354.9 mL. That is a standard can of soda.
Tablespoons to milliliters
mL = tablespoons x 14.787
Example: 3 tablespoons x 14.787 = 44.4 mL.
When you need volume conversions
Cooking and recipes
American recipes measure in cups, tablespoons, and fluid ounces. Metric recipes use milliliters and liters. One US cup is 236.6 mL, while an Australian cup is 250 mL and a UK cup is 284 mL. These differences are small per cup but multiply across a recipe.
Fuel and automotive
US gas stations sell fuel by the gallon. Most other countries sell by the liter. One gallon equals 3.785 liters. A 15-gallon tank holds 56.8 liters. Fuel economy in the US is miles per gallon, while the rest of the world uses liters per 100 km.
Beverages
A standard US water bottle is 16.9 fl oz, which is 500 mL. A US pint glass holds 16 fl oz (473 mL), while a UK pint is 20 fl oz (568 mL). These differences confuse anyone ordering drinks across the Atlantic.
Medicine
Liquid medications are dosed in milliliters. A standard medicine cup holds 30 mL, which is about 1 fluid ounce. A teaspoon is 5 mL. Getting these conversions right matters for accurate dosing, especially for children.
Common containers by volume
| Container | US measure | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Teaspoon | 1 tsp | 4.93 mL |
| Tablespoon | 1 tbsp (3 tsp) | 14.79 mL |
| Shot glass | 1.5 fl oz | 44.4 mL |
| Canof soda | 12 fl oz | 355 mL |
| Water bottle | 16.9 fl oz | 500 mL |
| US pint | 16 fl oz | 473 mL |
| Wine bottle | 25.4 fl oz | 750 mL |
| US quart | 32 fl oz | 946 mL |
| US gallon | 128 fl oz | 3,785 mL |
Tips for accurate conversions
- US and UK fluid ounces are different. A US fl oz is 29.574 mL. A UK (imperial) fl oz is 28.413 mL. The difference is about 4%, which matters in recipes with many tablespoons or fluid ounces.
- A US gallon (3.785 L) is smaller than an imperial gallon (4.546 L). If a UK recipe says “one gallon,” it means about 20% more liquid than a US gallon.
- In cooking, “a cup” without further specification means a US cup (236.6 mL) in American recipes and 250 mL in Australian recipes. Japanese recipes use a 200 mL cup. Check the recipe source before measuring.
- For quick estimates, 1 liter is about 4.2 US cups, or roughly a quart plus a quarter cup.
US customary vs. imperial measurements
The US and UK both inherited measurement systems from Britain, but they diverged in 1824 when the UK redefined its gallon. The US gallon (231 cubic inches, 3.785 liters) is based on the older English wine gallon. The imperial gallon (277.42 cubic inches, 4.546 liters) was defined as the volume of 10 pounds of water.
This difference cascades through every related unit. A US pint is 473 mL while an imperial pint is 568 mL. A US cup is 236.6 mL while an imperial cup is 284.1 mL. Both countries call them the same names, which is the main source of confusion.
Frequently asked questions
How many liters in a gallon?
1 US gallon = 3.78541 liters. 1 imperial gallon = 4.54609 liters.
How many cups in a liter?
About 4.227 US cups per liter.
How many milliliters in a cup?
1 US cup = 236.588 mL.
How many fluid ounces in a liter?
1 liter = 33.814 US fl oz.
How many tablespoons in a cup?
16 US tablespoons = 1 US cup.
Is a liter bigger than a quart?
Yes, slightly. A liter is 1,000 mL while a US quart is 946.4 mL. A liter is about 5.7% larger.
How many ounces in a gallon?
128 US fluid ounces = 1 US gallon.
What is the difference between mL and cc?
They are the same volume. One milliliter equals one cubic centimeter (cc or cm\u00b3). Medical contexts often use cc, while recipes and labels use mL.
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Measurement guides
Formula & Explanation
US volume conversions are based on the US customary system. The US gallon is defined as exactly 3.785411784 liters. (Note: US cups are sometimes listed as 236.6 ml in legal contexts, but the FDA cup is 240 ml — we use 240 ml.)