Volume Converter
Convert liquid capacity, kitchen measurements, and cubic dimensions between metric SI units, US customary liquid measures, and British imperial standards. Explicitly maintains the critical distinction between US and Imperial gallons.
1 L = 0.264172 US gal
1 L = 0.264172 US gal
Common Conversions
1 L =1,000 mL
1 L =0.001 m³
1 L =1,000 cm³
1 L =0.2642 US gal
1 L =1.0567 US qt
How Volume Conversions Work
All volume calculations in EverydayNumbers are anchored to the liter (L), which is defined as exactly 1 cubic decimeter (0.001 m³). Traditional English and American measurements are converted using their exact legal standards without cumulative rounding errors.
Crucial Distinction: US Liquid vs. British Imperial Units
A frequent source of costly errors in recipes, automotive fluids, and fuel economy is confusing US liquid units with British imperial units:
- Gallons: 1 Imperial Gallon = 4.54609 L, whereas 1 US Liquid Gallon = 3.785411784 L. The Imperial gallon is approximately 20.1% larger.
- Pints: An Imperial pint is 20 imperial fluid ounces (568.26 mL), while a US pint is 16 US fluid ounces (473.18 mL).
- Fluid Ounces: A US fluid ounce is slightly larger (29.574 mL) than an Imperial fluid ounce (28.413 mL), even though the Imperial pint is larger because it contains 20 fl oz instead of 16.
Exact Volume Standards & Ratios
| Unit | Symbol | System | Exact Definition in Liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milliliter | mL | Metric SI | 0.001 L |
| Cubic Meter | m³ | Metric SI | 1,000 L |
| US Liquid Gallon | US gal | US Customary | 3.785411784 L (231 cu in) |
| Imperial Gallon | Imp gal | British Imperial | 4.54609 L |
| US Fluid Ounce | US fl oz | US Customary | 0.0295735295625 L |
| Imperial Fluid Ounce | Imp fl oz | British Imperial | 0.0284130625 L |
| US Cup | US cup | US Customary | 0.2365882365 L (8 US fl oz) |
| Cubic Foot | cu ft | Imperial / US | 28.316846592 L |
Common Worked Examples
Example 1: Convert 1 US Gallon to Liters
1 US gal × 3.785411784 = 3.785412 L.
Example 2: Convert 1 Imperial Gallon to US Gallons
4.54609 L ÷ 3.785411784 L/US gal = 1.20095 US gallons.