Liters to Gallons Converter
Enter a number of liters, choose US or imperial gallons, and see the gallons at once. One liter is about 0.2642 US gallons or 0.22 imperial gallons, so a 50 liter fuel tank holds about 13.21 US gallons. This is the liter-first direction, for when a label or spec sheet is metric and you want gallons. Quarts, cups and fluid ounces appear beside the result.
Last updated November 4, 2026
Liters, 0 or more. Decimals are fine.
Result
10 liters = 2.6417205 US gallons
| Unit | Volume |
|---|---|
| US gallons | 2.6417205 |
| Imperial gallons | 2.1996925 |
| US quarts | 10.566882 |
| US cups | 42.267528 |
| US fluid ounces | 338.14023 |
| Milliliters | 10,000 |
Show the work
Formula: gallons = liters / liters per gallon (US 3.785411784)
- Start with the volume: 10 liters.
- US gallons: 10 / 3.785411784 L per gallon = 2.6417205.
- US quarts: 2.6417205 US gallons x 4 = 10.566882.
- US cups: 2.6417205 US gallons x 16 = 42.267528.
- US fluid ounces: 2.6417205 US gallons x 128 = 338.14023.
Result: 10 liters = 2.6417205 US gallons
The liters to gallons formula
US gallons = liters ÷ 3.785411784 · imperial gallons = liters ÷ 4.54609
To change liters into gallons, divide by the number of liters in one gallon. For US gallons that is exactly 3.785411784, because the US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches. For imperial gallons it is exactly 4.54609, the value fixed in United Kingdom weights and measures law. Equivalently, multiply by 0.264172052 for US gallons or 0.219969248 for imperial gallons.
The smaller US units follow from the US gallons: multiply by 4 for quarts, 16 for cups and 128 for fluid ounces. Milliliters are the liters times 1,000. Neither gallon factor is an approximation, so the only rounding comes from the digits displayed, here 8 significant digits.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Also useful alongside this calculator: MPG Calculator and Cups to Tablespoons Calculator.
US and imperial gallons give different answers
Ten liters is 2.6417 US gallons but 2.1997 imperial gallons. The imperial gallon is about 20% larger, so the same liters make fewer of them. The US gallon descends from the old English wine gallon. The United Kingdom replaced its several gallons in 1824 with one imperial gallon, based on ten pounds of water. American sources, US fuel prices and American recipes mean the US gallon. British sources, and older Canadian or Commonwealth material, may mean imperial.
If a figure does not say which one, check where it was written, or convert both and see whether the difference matters.
Fuel tanks and fuel economy
A 50 liter tank is 13.21 US gallons or 11.00 imperial gallons. A 60 liter tank is 15.85 US gallons or 13.20 imperial gallons. Fuel economy is where the two units collide: European cars quote liters per 100 km, American cars quote miles per US gallon, and older British figures use miles per imperial gallon. Convert the volume first, then use the MPG calculator for the economy figure.
Aquariums, water and containers
A 100 liter aquarium holds 26.42 US gallons, and a 20 liter water jug is 5.28 US gallons, or 676.28 US fluid ounces. In US cups, one liter is 4.2268 cups and a 1.5 liter bottle is 6.34 cups. Those cup values are US cups of 236.59 mL, not the metric cup of 250 mL used in Australia and Canada.
Liters are volume, not weight
A liter measures volume. Only for water does it line up with mass: a liter of water is about one kilogram. Fuel, milk and oil are lighter or heavier, so do not convert liters to pounds by assuming a liter equals a kilogram.
How to use the Liters to Gallons Converter
- Enter the number of liters as 0 or more; decimals such as 2.5 are fine.
- Choose US gallons or imperial gallons for the headline answer and the Show the work steps.
- Read both gallons, plus quarts, cups, fluid ounces and milliliters, in the table.
- Use Copy, Print or Share to keep the result.
Worked example: a 10 liter container
Divide 10 liters by 3.785411784 to get 2.6417205 US gallons, which is 10.566882 quarts, 42.267528 cups or 338.14023 fluid ounces. Divide by 4.54609 instead and you get 2.1996925 imperial gallons, about 0.44 US gallons fewer.
| Liters | US gallons | Imperial gallons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.2642 | 0.2200 |
| 5 | 1.3209 | 1.0998 |
| 10 | 2.6417 | 2.1997 |
| 20 | 5.2834 | 4.3994 |
| 50 | 13.2086 | 10.9985 |
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons are in a liter?
One liter is about 0.2642 US gallons or 0.2200 imperial gallons. Use the US value unless the source is British.
How do I convert liters to gallons by hand?
Divide the liters by 3.785411784 for US gallons, or by 4.54609 for imperial gallons. A rough shortcut is to divide by 4 for US gallons.
How many gallons is a 50 liter tank?
A 50 liter tank holds about 13.21 US gallons or about 11.00 imperial gallons, so check which gallon the vehicle manual uses.
Is a US gallon the same as an imperial gallon?
No. The imperial gallon is about 20% larger, at roughly 1.2009 US gallons, so the same liters give a smaller imperial gallon count.
How do I convert gallons back to liters?
Multiply US gallons by 3.785411784 or imperial gallons by 4.54609. The Gallons to Liters page does this and shows both side by side.