How to use the volume converter
- Type a number in the From box. Decimals (2.5) and thousands separators (1,250) both work.
- Pick the unit you have in the first menu and the unit you want in the second. The menus are grouped (US liquid, UK imperial and so on), so check the group before you choose a pint, quart or gallon.
- To work backwards, type in the To box and the From box follows.
- Press Swap units to flip the direction, or read Same volume in every unit to see your number in every other unit at once.
How the conversion works
Every unit is stored as a size in liters. The tool multiplies your number by the size of the From unit, then divides by the size of the To unit: result = value × From size ÷ To size. US liquid units all come from the gallon, which is 231 cubic inches or exactly 3.785411784 L. A quart is a quarter of it, a pint an eighth, a cup a sixteenth (236.5882365 mL) and a fluid ounce a 128th (29.5735295625 mL). A tablespoon is half a fluid ounce and a teaspoon a third of a tablespoon. The UK gallon is exactly 4.54609 L, the cubic foot is 28.316846592 L, and the US bushel is 35.23907016688 L. The factors match NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8 and NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C. Answers show up to 8 significant digits.
Worked example with the default values
With 1 in the From box, Liter (L) as the From unit and Gallon (US gal) as the To unit, the result line reads 1 L = 0.26417205 US gal, because 1 ÷ 3.785411784 = 0.26417205. Under it, the reverse line reads 1 US gal = 3.7854118 L.
Common volume conversions
| Convert | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 L | 33.814023 US fl oz |
| 1 L | 4.2267528 US cup |
| 1 L | 0.26417205 US gal |
| 1 US gal | 3.7854118 L |
| 1 US gal | 16 US cup |
| 1 UK gal | 1.2009499 US gal |
| 1 ft³ | 7.4805195 US gal |
| 1 US cup | 236.58824 mL |
| 1 m³ | 264.17205 US gal |
This page converts volume to volume only. A cup of flour and a cup of honey fill the same space but weigh different amounts, so for ingredients use the cooking converter, which applies a density for each one. For the density itself try the density converter, for mass use the weight converter, and for other quantities the unit converter.
Limits and edge cases
Negative numbers convert normally. A US fluid ounce (29.57 mL) is about 4 percent larger than a UK one (28.41 mL), so match the group name in the menu. The cup entries are the US customary cup and the 250 mL metric cup, and neither menu has the 240 mL nutrition label cup, so use mL for that one. A comma followed by one or two digits counts as a decimal comma (2,5 is 2.5). Letters and currency symbols are blocked with a hint, and anything above 1e24 is refused.
Sources: NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8; NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C.
Volume converter FAQ
What is the difference between a US gallon and a UK gallon?
A US gallon is 3.785411784 liters. A UK (imperial) gallon is 4.54609 liters, about 20 percent bigger, so 1 UK gal is 1.2009499 US gal. Pints, quarts and fluid ounces also differ between the two systems.
How many milliliters are in a cup?
A US cup is 236.5882365 mL, which the converter shows as 236.58824 mL. The metric cup used in Australia, New Zealand and Canada is 250 mL, and the US nutrition label cup is rounded to 240 mL.
How many gallons are in a cubic foot?
One cubic foot holds 7.4805195 US gallons, or 28.316847 liters.
Is a cc the same as a mL?
Yes. One cubic centimeter (cc) is exactly one milliliter, because a liter is 1,000 cubic centimeters. Engine sizes in cc and syringe sizes in mL use the same unit.