Convert volume units — liters, gallons, cups, milliliters, cubic meters, barrels and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 gal | 0.00378541 L | |
| 0.01 gal | 0.0378541 L | |
| 0.1 gal | 0.378541 L | |
| 1 gal | 3.78541 L | |
| 5 gal | 18.927 L | |
| 10 gal | 37.8541 L | |
| 50 gal | 189.27 L | |
| 100 gal | 378.541 L | |
| 1000 gal | 3785.41 L |
Common us gallon values converted to liter — factor: 1 gal = 3.785 L
| US Gallon (gal) | Liter (L) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0078 gal | 0.02953 L | Tablespoon |
| 0.031 gal | 0.1173 L | Quarter cup |
| 0.0625 gal | 0.2366 L | Cup |
| 0.125 gal | 0.4732 L | Pint |
| 0.25 gal | 0.9464 L | Quart |
| 0.5 gal | 1.893 L | Half gallon |
| 1 gal | 3.785 L | Gallon jug |
| 2 gal | 7.571 L | Two gallons |
| 5 gal | 18.93 L | Jerrycan |
| 10 gal | 37.85 L | 10-gallon drum |
| 20 gal | 75.71 L | 20-gallon tank |
| 42 gal | 159 L | Oil barrel |
| 55 gal | 208.2 L | Drum barrel |
| 100 gal | 378.5 L | Large drum |
| 1,000 gal | 3,785 L | Tank |
Converting us gallon to liter comes up frequently in cooking, chemistry, medicine, and engineering. A recipe written in metric units may need to be adapted for a kitchen using liter, or a laboratory protocol may specify volumes in us gallon that need to be measured with equipment calibrated in liter.
In everyday use, knowing that 5 gal = 18.93 L and 10 gal = 37.85 L covers most common situations. For bulk calculations, 100 gal = 378.5 L is a useful anchor. The reverse conversion — liter back to us gallon — uses the factor 0.2642, so 1 L = 0.2642 gal.
All conversions use the internationally recognized factor of exactly 1 gal = 3.785 L. Calculations are performed in IEEE 754 double-precision floating point, giving accuracy to at least 8 significant figures — more than sufficient for any practical application.
Formula: Liter = US Gallon × 3.78541
Multiply any us gallon value by 3.78541 to get liter. One us gallon equals 3.78541 L.
Reverse: US Gallon = Liter × 0.26417218
US gallons × 3.785 = liters. Round to × 3.8 for quick estimates.
One gallon is almost exactly 3¾ liters.
A 5-gallon bucket holds 18.93 liters — memorize this anchor.
Prices fuel in USD per gallon and tracks daily sales volume in thousands of gallons.
Calculates pesticide and fertilizer application rates in gallons per acre.
Measures pool volume in gallons to calculate chlorine and pH chemical dosages.
Purchases engine oil, transmission fluid, and coolant in quart and gallon containers.
Estimates coverage (one US gallon covers about 350 sq ft) and quotes by the gallon.
Specifies water heater tank capacity (40, 50, 80 gallons) for residential systems.
The US liquid gallon is defined as exactly 231 cubic inches, or 3.785411784 liters. It traces its origins to the Queen Anne wine gallon of 1707, which American colonies adopted.
The US gallon differs from the UK Imperial gallon by about 16.5%. This matters for fuel economy: a US MPG figure is lower than the equivalent UK MPG for the same car.
Interesting fact: The United States, Liberia, and Myanmar are the only countries using the US gallon as a primary everyday volume unit.
The liter was introduced by the French metric system in 1793, defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water at 4°C. The word derives from the older French unit litron, from Medieval Latin litra. It was redefined in 1964 as exactly 1 cubic decimeter.
France adopted the liter as part of revolutionary metric standardization, spreading across Europe with Napoleonic expansion. Today it is the standard unit for liquids in most of the world, from soda bottles to fuel pumps.
Interesting fact: A liter of water at 4°C weighs almost exactly 1 kilogram, which is why the kilogram was originally defined through it.