Liters to gallons converter
Type liters and see US gallons update live.
1 L = 0.2642 US gal, so divide liters by 3.785411784.
Liters to gallons conversion table
| Liters | US gallons |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.26 |
| 2 | 0.53 |
| 3 | 0.79 |
| 4 | 1.06 |
| 5 | 1.32 |
| 6 | 1.59 |
| 7 | 1.85 |
| 8 | 2.11 |
| 9 | 2.38 |
| 10 | 2.64 |
| 15 | 3.96 |
| 20 | 5.28 |
| 25 | 6.6 |
| 30 | 7.93 |
| 35 | 9.25 |
| 40 | 10.57 |
| 45 | 11.89 |
| 50 | 13.21 |
| 75 | 19.81 |
| 100 | 26.42 |
- Live two-way conversion
- US gallons
- Table up to 100 L
How to convert liters to gallons
- Type a value in the liters box.
- The gallons box updates as you type.
- Check the table for a tank or container size.
A metric unit against an old wine measure
The liter is defined as one cubic decimeter, part of the metric system and originally tied to the volume of one kilogram of water. The US gallon instead traces back to an old English wine gallon of 231 cubic inches, a definition that predates the metric system entirely and has nothing to do with water or a round metric number.
That mismatched history is why 1 US gallon converts to an irregular 3.785411784 liters instead of a clean figure.
Common container sizes in liters and gallons
| Container | Liters | US gallons |
|---|---|---|
| Soda bottle | 2 L | 0.53 gal |
| Paint or hardware bucket | 18.93 L | 5 gal |
| Water cooler jug | 20 L | 5.28 gal |
| Car fuel tank | 60 L | 15.85 gal |
A US gallon is also exactly 4 quarts or 8 pints, so American recipes and containers scale in clean whole numbers within the gallon system even though the liter equivalents come out as long decimals.
A quick way to estimate without a calculator
- Divide liters by 4 for a fast estimate. For 20 L: 20 divided by 4 is 5, close to the exact 5.28 gallons.
- Dividing by 3.8 instead gets closer, though it is harder to do without a calculator.
- For 15 L, dividing by 4 gives 3.75, close to the exact 3.96 gallons.
Liters to gallons FAQ
How many gallons is 10 liters?
10 liters equals about 2.64 US gallons.
How many liters is 1 gallon?
1 US gallon equals about 3.79 liters.
Is this US or UK gallons?
US gallons, which are smaller than UK (imperial) gallons by about 17 percent.
Where does this come up?
Fuel tanks, paint cans and coolers are often labeled in gallons in the US and liters everywhere else.
How many gallons is a 60 liter fuel tank?
A 60 liter fuel tank, common on midsize cars, holds about 15.85 US gallons.
Why do other countries measure fuel economy in liters per 100 km instead of miles per gallon?
It follows naturally from measuring fuel in liters and distance in kilometers, and it also scales more intuitively: a lower liters-per-100km number always means better economy, while a higher miles-per-gallon number means the same thing, the opposite direction.
How many gallons is a 2 liter soda bottle?
A 2 liter bottle equals about 0.53 US gallons.
How many liters is a 5 gallon bucket?
A 5 gallon bucket, a common size for paint and hardware, holds about 18.93 liters.