Liters to Gallons Converter (L to gal)
Enter liters or gallons and get the answer instantly. Choose between US liquid gallons (the everyday US volume unit), US dry gallons (grain and produce trade), or UK imperial gallons (used in the UK and Canada). The converter works in both directions - type either value and the other updates automatically.
Liters and gallons: which gallon?
The liter (L) is the standard SI unit of volume used worldwide. One liter equals exactly 1,000 cubic centimeters or 1 cubic decimeter. The gallon, however, comes in three distinct sizes that cannot be used interchangeably. The US liquid gallon (3.785 L) is the everyday gallon in the United States, used for fuel, milk, and beverages. The UK imperial gallon (4.546 L) is about 20 percent larger and is the legal standard in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and several other countries. The US dry gallon (4.405 L) is a specialized unit used in the grain and produce trade in the United States and is not used for everyday liquids. Always confirm which gallon is intended before converting, particularly for fuel economy comparisons or international trade.
How to convert liters to gallons
To convert liters to US liquid gallons, divide the number of liters by 3.785411784. For example, 10 liters divided by 3.785411784 equals approximately 2.6417 US liquid gallons. To convert to UK imperial gallons, divide by 4.54609. To convert to US dry gallons, divide by 4.40488377086. Going in the other direction (gallons to liters), multiply gallons by the appropriate factor. For US liquid gallons: liters = gallons x 3.785411784. For UK imperial gallons: liters = gallons x 4.54609.
Common real-world applications
Converting liters to gallons comes up frequently in everyday life and in industry. A full tank of petrol or gasoline is typically expressed in liters in most countries but in gallons in the United States. A standard US gallon of milk is 3.785 liters. A UK pint of beer is one-eighth of a UK imperial gallon (0.568 L), while a US pint is one-eighth of a US liquid gallon (0.473 L). In agriculture and irrigation, water volumes are often expressed in acre-feet or gallons in the US and in cubic meters or liters elsewhere. Swimming pool volumes, aquarium sizes, and water heater capacities are other contexts where this conversion is useful.
Why fuel economy figures differ between the US and UK
If you have ever noticed that miles per gallon (mpg) figures look very different between US and UK car specifications, the gallon size is the reason. A UK imperial gallon (4.546 L) is 20.1% larger than a US liquid gallon (3.785 L), so a car that gets 40 UK mpg would only get about 33 US mpg for the same actual fuel consumption. When comparing vehicle efficiency across borders, always convert to liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km), which avoids gallon ambiguity entirely. To convert US mpg to L/100 km: divide 235.215 by the US mpg figure. To convert UK mpg to L/100 km: divide 282.481 by the UK mpg figure.
Liters to gallons quick reference
| Liters (L) | US liquid gal | US dry gal | UK imperial gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.2642 | 0.2270 | 0.2200 |
| 2 | 0.5283 | 0.4540 | 0.4399 |
| 5 | 1.3209 | 1.1351 | 1.0998 |
| 10 | 2.6417 | 2.2702 | 2.1997 |
| 15 | 3.9626 | 3.4053 | 3.2995 |
| 20 | 5.2834 | 4.5404 | 4.3994 |
| 25 | 6.6043 | 5.6755 | 5.4992 |
| 50 | 13.2086 | 11.351 | 10.998 |
| 100 | 26.4172 | 22.702 | 21.997 |
| 200 | 52.8344 | 45.404 | 43.994 |
| 500 | 132.086 | 113.51 | 109.98 |
Conversion values for common volumes across all three gallon types (US liquid, US dry, UK imperial).
Frequently asked questions
How many liters are in a gallon?
It depends on which gallon you mean. One US liquid gallon equals 3.785411784 liters (exact, per NIST). One UK imperial gallon equals 4.54609 liters exactly (per the UK Weights and Measures Act 1985). One US dry gallon equals approximately 4.40488 liters. In everyday US usage, "gallon" means the US liquid gallon, so there are roughly 3.785 liters per gallon.
How do I convert liters to gallons quickly in my head?
For a rough US liquid gallon estimate, divide liters by 4 and then add back about 5 percent. For example, 20 liters divided by 4 is 5, plus 5 percent gives about 5.25 gallons (the exact answer is 5.283). For UK imperial gallons, dividing by 4.5 is close enough for rough estimates. For precise conversions, use this calculator.
Is a US gallon the same as a UK gallon?
No. The US liquid gallon is 3.785 liters while the UK imperial gallon is 4.546 liters - a difference of about 20 percent. This matters a great deal in fuel economy comparisons, recipe scaling from British cookbooks, and trade specifications. Always check which gallon is being used.
What is a US dry gallon and when is it used?
The US dry gallon (about 4.405 liters) is a specialized unit used in the US grain and produce trade for commodities like grains, berries, apples, and other dry goods. It is not used for liquids. Most people in everyday life will never encounter it - if you see "gallon" without a qualifier in a US context, it almost always means the US liquid gallon.
How many gallons is a liter?
One liter equals approximately 0.264172 US liquid gallons, 0.226971 US dry gallons, or 0.219969 UK imperial gallons. In practical terms, a liter is a little more than a quarter of a US gallon.
Why does my car get different mpg in the UK than the US?
UK mpg figures are based on the larger imperial gallon (4.546 L) while US mpg uses the smaller US liquid gallon (3.785 L). A car rated at 40 UK mpg actually has the same fuel consumption as one rated at about 33.2 US mpg. To compare on equal terms, convert both to liters per 100 km.