Liters to Gallons Converter

How to Use the Liter to Gallon Converter

1. Type the number of liters you want to convert.
2. Tap Swap to convert gallons to liters instead.
3. Read the US gallons, with imperial gallons and US quarts listed underneath.

Type a number of liters into the box. The converter instantly shows the volume in US gallons, imperial gallons and US quarts, rounded to four decimal places, with a one-line summary of the conversion underneath.

Need the opposite direction? Press the swap button and the input switches to gallons. A toggle then lets you choose US or imperial gallons, and the results then show liters, milliliters and the other gallon.

Every figure uses the exact legal definitions, so you can trust the answer for fuel, cooking, aquariums or shipping. Change the value at any time and all three results update without pressing any extra button.

Liters to Gallons Formula

To get US gallons, divide by 3.785411784, the exact number of liters in one US gallon. You can also multiply by 0.264172 for the same answer, because that conversion factor is one divided by 3.785411784.

For imperial gallons, divide by 4.54609 liters, which is also an exact definition. As a worked example, a typical 60 liter fuel tank holds 60 ÷ 3.785411784 = 15.8503 US gallons, or 60 ÷ 4.54609 = 13.1982 imperial gallons.

Keep full precision until the very last step and round only the final answer. Rounding the factor to 3.8, as some quick guides do, makes a 1,000 liter result about one full gallon too small.

Liters to Gallons Conversion Table

This conversion table covers common container and tank sizes. Values are rounded to four decimal places, and each row was produced with the same exact factors the converter uses, so the numbers match the tool.

Two rows are especially worth remembering. 1 liter is 0.2642 US gallons, roughly a quarter of a gallon. Twenty liters, the standard size of many bottled water jugs and jerry cans, equals 5.2834 US gallons.

For larger volumes, scale the table: 100 liters is 26.4172 US gallons and 1,000 liters, one cubic meter, is 264.1721 US gallons. Imperial figures are always smaller because each imperial gallon holds noticeably more liquid.

US Gallon vs Imperial Gallon

The US liquid gallon is defined as exactly 231 cubic inches, which equals 3.785411784 liters. It is the gallon used for gasoline, milk and paint in the United States and in American recipes and manuals.

The imperial gallon is 4.54609 liters, about 20% larger. It comes from the United Kingdom and is still defined in Canada's Weights and Measures Act, so older Canadian manuals and boat specifications quote imperial gallons.

A third unit, the US dry gallon of about 4.405 liters, was used for grain and produce and is rarely seen today. When a source simply says gallons, check its country before converting any volume.

What Is a Liter and What Is a Gallon?

A liter (litre) is the metric system unit of volume accepted for use with SI. It equals one cubic decimeter, a cube 10 centimeters on each side, which is 1,000 cubic centimeters or 1,000 milliliters.

A US gallon belongs to the US customary system. It divides into 4 quarts, 8 pints, 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces, so one liter is about 33.8 US fluid ounces or 1.0567 US quarts.

In the United States, the National Institute of Standards and Technology publishes the conversion factors for customary units. Those exact values are what this converter uses, so results agree with laboratory, trade and legal measurement.

Gallons to Liters

Going from gallons to liters, multiply by 3.785411784 for US gallons or by 4.54609 for imperial gallons. In everyday terms, a US gallon is about 3.785 liters and an imperial gallon is about 4.546 liters.

So 3 US gallons equals 11.3562 liters, and 5 imperial gallons equals 22.7305 liters. Use the swap button in the converter above, pick the correct gallon type, and convert any other amount you need instantly.

A handy check: one imperial gallon is about 1.2 US gallons, and one US gallon is about 0.83 imperial gallons. If your two answers differ by that ratio, you have mixed up the gallon types.

Everyday Liter to Gallon Conversions

A car's fuel tank is listed in liters in Canada and in gallons in the United States. A 60 liter tank holds about 15.85 US gallons, useful when comparing fuel economy figures across the border.

The familiar 4 liter milk jug in Canada is 1.0567 US gallons, slightly more than an American gallon jug. A 20 liter water jug holds 5.28 US gallons, and a 200 liter drum holds 52.83.

Aquarium sizes, paint cans and recipes often mix the two systems. Convert once with full precision, write the result down, and use the same gallon type throughout a project to avoid small errors adding up.

Frequently asked questions