Volume Converter
Convert liquid volumes between metric and US units — liters, milliliters, cubic meters, gallons (US and UK), quarts, pints, cups and fluid ounces. Ideal for cooking, fuel and everything in between.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the volume to convert.
- Choose the from and to units — note US and UK gallons differ.
- Press Convert to see all equivalents at once.
Formula used
US and imperial (UK) volumes share names but not sizes: a UK gallon is 20% larger than a US gallon, and a UK pint (568 mL) beats a US pint (473 mL). This converter uses US cups (236.6 mL); recipe "metric cups" are often rounded to 240 or 250 mL.
Example calculation
Convert 1 liter to US cups: 1 ÷ 0.23659 = 4.23 cups. The same liter is 0.264 US gallons but only 0.220 UK gallons.
The US vs UK volume trap
Volume is where unit confusion peaks: gallons, pints and fluid ounces all exist in two different sizes. The US kept older English wine measures; Britain redefined the imperial gallon in 1824. Result: a US gallon is 3.785 L, an imperial gallon 4.546 L.
For cooking, the practical anchors are: 1 cup ≈ 237 mL (US) or 250 mL (metric recipes), 1 tablespoon = 15 mL, 1 teaspoon = 5 mL, and 1 fl oz ≈ 30 mL.
Why use this calculator?
- Follow American recipes with metric measuring tools (and vice versa) accurately.
- Compare fuel prices per gallon vs per liter across countries.
- US and UK gallons handled separately — the mistake most converters let you make.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a liter?
About 4.23 US cups (236.6 mL each) or exactly 4 metric cups (250 mL each). For rough cooking purposes, 4 cups per liter works fine.
Why are US and UK gallons different?
They standardized different historical measures: the US adopted the 231-cubic-inch wine gallon; Britain defined the imperial gallon (4.546 L) in 1824. The UK pint and fluid ounce differ from US ones for the same reason.
How many liters in a gallon of fuel?
3.785 liters per US gallon, 4.546 per UK gallon. To compare fuel prices: price per US gallon ÷ 3.785 = price per liter.