Gallons to Liters Converter
Convert between gallons and liters instantly. Choose US liquid gallons, US dry gallons, or UK Imperial gallons for accurate results in cooking, automotive, and industrial applications.
Common Quick Presets
Enter an amount to see the conversion…
US Liquid Gallons to Liters
| US Gallons | Liters | US Quarts | US Pints | US Cups | US fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 (1/4) | 0.946 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 32 |
| 0.5 (1/2) | 1.893 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 64 |
| 0.75 (3/4) | 2.839 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 96 |
| 1 | 3.785 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 128 |
| 2 | 7.571 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 256 |
| 3 | 11.356 | 12 | 24 | 48 | 384 |
| 5 | 18.927 | 20 | 40 | 80 | 640 |
| 10 | 37.854 | 40 | 80 | 160 | 1,280 |
| 13.2 | 49.968 | 52.8 | 105.6 | 211.2 | 1,689.6 |
| 15 | 56.781 | 60 | 120 | 240 | 1,920 |
| 20 | 75.708 | 80 | 160 | 320 | 2,560 |
| 50 | 189.271 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 6,400 |
| 100 | 378.541 | 400 | 800 | 1,600 | 12,800 |
| 275 | 1,040.99 | 1,100 | 2,200 | 4,400 | 35,200 |
| 500 | 1,892.71 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 64,000 |
Liters to US Liquid Gallons
| Liters | US Gallons | US Quarts | Milliliters | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.132 | 0.528 | 500 | Water bottle (small) |
| 1 | 0.264 | 1.057 | 1,000 | Standard bottle |
| 1.5 | 0.396 | 1.585 | 1,500 | Wine bottle |
| 2 | 0.528 | 2.113 | 2,000 | Large soda bottle |
| 3 | 0.793 | 3.170 | 3,000 | Jug of water |
| 5 | 1.321 | 5.283 | 5,000 | Large water jug |
| 10 | 2.642 | 10.567 | 10,000 | Camping water |
| 20 | 5.283 | 21.134 | 20,000 | Jerry can |
| 50 | 13.209 | 52.834 | 50,000 | Small drum |
| 100 | 26.417 | 105.669 | 100,000 | Standard drum |
| 200 | 52.834 | 211.338 | 200,000 | Large drum |
| 1,000 | 264.172 | 1,056.688 | 1,000,000 | IBC tote |
All Three Gallon Types Compared
| Gallons | US Liquid (L) | US Dry (L) | UK Imperial (L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.785 | 4.405 | 4.546 |
| 2 | 7.571 | 8.810 | 9.092 |
| 5 | 18.927 | 22.024 | 22.730 |
| 10 | 37.854 | 44.049 | 45.461 |
| 20 | 75.708 | 88.098 | 90.922 |
| 50 | 189.271 | 220.244 | 227.305 |
| 100 | 378.541 | 440.488 | 454.609 |
Why there are three types of gallons
The word “gallon” originated in England but was never standardized into a single value worldwide. The US adopted one definition for liquid measurements and a separate one for dry goods. The UK retained the older Imperial definition, which is larger than both US versions. This means a “gallon” is not the same volume depending on which country you are in, which is why specifying the type matters.
US liquid gallon (3.785 liters)
This is the most commonly used gallon in the world. It is the standard for fuel economy in the United States (miles per gallon), recipes, gasoline sales, milk jugs, and water containers. One US liquid gallon equals exactly 231 cubic inches, which was legally defined in the US in the 19th century. If someone in the US says “a gallon of milk” or “a 10-gallon tank,” they mean US liquid gallons.
US dry gallon (4.405 liters)
The US dry gallon is rarely used in everyday life. It is based on the Winchester bushel, an old agricultural measure. It is occasionally encountered in farming, commodity trading, or older American recipes for dry ingredients like grains, berries, or apples. One US dry gallon equals exactly 1/8 of a Winchester bushel or 268.8025 cubic inches. If you are not specifically measuring dry agricultural commodities, you almost certainly need the US liquid gallon.
UK Imperial gallon (4.546 liters)
The Imperial gallon is used in the United Kingdom, Canada (for fuel economy), and some Caribbean nations. It is about 20% larger than a US liquid gallon, which is a significant difference. The Imperial gallon was defined in 1824 as the volume of 10 pounds of water at 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The UK officially switched to metric for most uses, but fuel economy is still commonly expressed in miles per Imperial gallon (MPG). If you see a car’s fuel efficiency listed in the UK or Canada, it uses Imperial gallons.
How the 20% difference affects things
Because a UK gallon is about 20% larger than a US gallon, converting between the two incorrectly can cause significant errors. A car that gets 40 MPG (Imperial) gets roughly 33 MPG (US) — a meaningful difference when comparing fuel economy across countries. Similarly, a recipe calling for “1 gallon” of stock from a British cookbook requires 4.546 liters, not 3.785 liters. Always check which gallon is being referenced before converting.
Quick mental math
To convert US gallons to liters, multiply by 3.8 (close enough for estimates). To convert liters to US gallons, divide by 3.8. For UK gallons to liters, multiply by 4.5. For UK gallons to US gallons, multiply by 1.2 (since UK is 20% larger). For US gallons to UK gallons, divide by 1.2 or multiply by 0.83. These shortcuts are useful for quick estimates but not precise enough for scientific or medical use.
What is a Gallons to Liters Converter?
A gallons to liters converter is a volume conversion tool that changes measurements between gallons and liters. Because there are three different gallon definitions in use around the world, this calculator lets you choose the correct one: US liquid gallons, US dry gallons, or UK Imperial gallons. It also provides related conversions into quarts, pints, cups, fluid ounces, and milliliters.
Why this conversion is so common
Gallons and liters are the two most widely used volume units globally, and they belong to different measurement systems. The United States uses gallons for fuel, milk, paint, and many consumer products, while virtually every other country uses liters. This creates a constant need for conversion when reading product labels, comparing prices, calculating fuel costs while traveling, or following recipes from other countries.
How the conversion works
The conversion is a straightforward multiplication or division using a fixed ratio. To convert gallons to liters, multiply by the appropriate factor: 3.78541 for US liquid, 4.40488 for US dry, or 4.54609 for UK Imperial. To convert liters to gallons, divide by the same factor. The calculator performs this operation and then derives all related measurements using standard US volume relationships (4 quarts per gallon, 2 pints per quart, 2 cups per pint, 8 fl oz per cup).
Real-world applications
Fuel economy is the most common use case. A car rated at 30 MPG (US) uses 7.84 liters per 100 km, while the same car rated at 30 MPG (Imperial) uses 9.42 liters per 100 km. Pool owners need this conversion to calculate chemical doses when pool capacity is in gallons but chemical instructions are in liters per 1,000 liters. Homebrewers and cooks convert between gallon recipe batches and liter measurements. Industrial users convert tank capacities between the two systems for shipping and regulatory compliance.
Who this converter is for
This tool is for drivers comparing fuel economy across countries, travelers figuring out gas costs, home cooks adapting recipes, pool and aquarium owners calculating water volumes, students solving physics or chemistry problems, and anyone who encounters both measurement systems. The gallon type selector ensures accuracy whether you are working with American fuel ratings, British MPG figures, or US dry agricultural measurements.