How this volume converter works
Volume is measured in two main systems: the metric system (milliliters, liters and cubic meters) and the US customary system (teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts and gallons). To convert accurately between them, this tool turns whatever you type into a single base unit — liters — and then expresses that base value in every other unit. Converting through a base avoids the rounding errors that creep in when you chain conversions one after another.
All US units on this page are US liquid (customary) units, which are smaller than UK imperial units. The exact factors used are: 1 L = 1000 mL, 1 gallon (US) = 3.785411784 L, 1 quart = 0.946352946 L, 1 pint = 0.473176473 L, 1 cup (US) = 0.2365882365 L, 1 fluid ounce (US) = 0.0295735296 L, 1 tablespoon = 14.7867648 mL, 1 teaspoon = 4.92892159 mL, 1 cubic inch = 0.016387064 L, 1 cubic foot = 28.316846592 L and 1 cubic meter = 1000 L. The most-searched pairing — liters to gallons — is highlighted at the top so you can read it at a glance.
Common conversions
| From | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 gallon, US (gal) | 3.785 liters (L) |
| 1 liter (L) | 0.264 gallons, US (gal) |
| 1 cup, US | 236.6 milliliters (mL) |
| 1 liter (L) | 33.81 fluid ounces, US (fl oz) |
| 1 fluid ounce, US (fl oz) | 29.57 milliliters (mL) |
| 1 tablespoon, US (tbsp) | 14.79 milliliters (mL) |
Reference note: factors follow US liquid (customary) definitions, with 1 US gallon defined as exactly 3.785411784 liters. Results are rounded for readability, so very small differences in the last decimal are normal.
Frequently asked questions
- How many mL in a cup?
- One US cup equals about 236.6 milliliters (1 cup = 0.2365882365 L). So half a cup is roughly 118.3 mL and a quarter cup is about 59.1 mL.
- How do I convert liters to gallons?
- Divide the number of liters by 3.785411784 to get US liquid gallons, or multiply by 0.264172. For example, 10 L ÷ 3.785411784 ≈ 2.64 gallons. This converter does it instantly the moment you type a value.
- Are these US or imperial units?
- All cup, pint, quart, gallon, fluid ounce, tablespoon and teaspoon values on this page are US liquid (customary) units. US units are smaller than UK imperial units — for example a US gallon is about 3.785 L while a UK imperial gallon is about 4.546 L.
- How many ounces in a liter?
- One liter equals about 33.814 US fluid ounces (1 fl oz = 0.0295735296 L). So a 2 L bottle holds roughly 67.6 US fluid ounces.
- How many cups in a gallon?
- There are exactly 16 US cups in one US gallon. A gallon is 4 quarts, a quart is 2 pints, and a pint is 2 cups, so 4 × 2 × 2 = 16 cups.
- How do I convert mL to fl oz?
- Divide the number of milliliters by 29.5735296 to get US fluid ounces, or multiply by 0.033814. For example, 500 mL ÷ 29.5735296 ≈ 16.91 fl oz.