A liters to gallons calculator converts a metric volume to US gallons using the exact factor 1 L = 0.264172052 US gal. Enter the liter value and the calculator returns the gallon equivalent.
Useful for fuel-economy comparisons (the metric world reports L/100 km; the US reports MPG, converting tank capacity from one to the other helps with cross-system math), shopping for beverages, sizing aquariums and pools, and translating any tank or container volume.
Key takeaway
There are two different "gallons": the US gallon (3.785 L) and the UK / imperial gallon (4.546 L). They differ by about 20%, which is large enough to cause real errors if the wrong one is used. This calculator converts to US gallons, the standard for North American fuel and container measurement. The UK uses imperial gallons for some legacy contexts but has otherwise moved to liters.
How it's calculated
The conversion:
US gallons = liters × 0.264172052
Equivalently, liters ÷ 3.785411784. The US gallon is defined as exactly 231 cubic inches = 3.785411784 L; inverting gives the L-to-gal factor of 0.264172052.
For the imperial (UK) gallon, the factor is 0.219969, multiply liters by this instead. Imperial gallons are about 20% larger than US gallons, a meaningful gap that matters in fuel-economy and bulk liquid contexts.
A useful rule of thumb: 4 L is just over 1 US gal. Specifically, 4 L = 1.057 US gal, so the standard 4-liter water jug is just slightly bigger than a US gallon jug.
Source: NIST exact conversion, 1 L = 0.264172052 US gallons
Examples
10 liters, small fuel can
- Volume 10 L
10 L converts to 2.642 US gal. A common European fuel can size, which compares to standard US 1-gal and 2.5-gal cans. Mental shortcut: 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5 gal (close to actual 2.64).
60 liters, typical European car tank
- Volume 60 L
60 L is 15.85 US gal, a common European car-tank capacity. US sedans typically hold 12-16 gal (45-60 L), so the two markets' ranges overlap. At $4/gal that's about $63 to fill; in Europe at €1.80/L that's roughly €108, fuel pricing differences swamp tank size in determining trip cost.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert liters to US gallons?
Multiply by 0.264172 for the exact answer, or divide by 4 for a quick mental estimate within ~5%. So 30 L × 0.264 = 7.93 US gal (or 30 ÷ 4 = 7.5, close). For better mental accuracy, multiply by 0.26.
What's the difference between US and UK (imperial) gallons?
A US gallon = 3.785 L (defined as 231 cubic inches). An imperial gallon = 4.546 L, about 20% larger. The UK officially uses metric for retail, but imperial gallons still appear in some legacy contexts (older fuel pricing references, traditional pubs for some beer measures, navigation). The US, Liberia, and a few Caribbean islands still use US gallons; everyone else uses liters.
How does "liters per 100 km" compare to MPG?
They're inverse measures of fuel economy with different scales. MPG (miles per gallon), higher is better. L/100 km, lower is better. To convert: MPG = 235.215 ÷ (L/100km). So 6 L/100 km = ~39 MPG; 10 L/100 km = ~24 MPG. The 235.215 magic number is just the unit conversion folded in.
Are aquarium and pool volumes the same in either system?
The physical volume is identical; only the unit changes. A "55-gallon" US fish tank holds 208 L; a "200-liter" tank holds 52.8 US gal. UK retail uses liters for tanks and pools, so the conversion is straightforward, but if you're translating chemical dosing instructions across borders, double-check that the gallon being referenced is US (most likely) or imperial (older UK references).