Convert Liters to US Gallons
Liters to US gallons is the conversion you need when a metric volume has to make sense in American units — think fuel, aquariums, or water tanks. One liter is about 0.264172 US gallons, so the number gets smaller going from liters to gallons because a gallon is much bigger than a liter.
Liters to US Gallons conversion table
| Liters (L) | US Gallons (gal) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.264172 |
| 2 | 0.528344 |
| 3 | 0.792516 |
| 5 | 1.32086 |
| 10 | 2.641721 |
| 20 | 5.283441 |
| 50 | 13.208603 |
| 100 | 26.417205 |
| 500 | 132.086026 |
| 1,000 | 264.172052 |
The formula
To convert liters to US gallons, multiply the volume in liters by 0.264172:
US gallons = liters × 0.264172
A worked example
Say you fill your car with 40 liters of fuel and want that in US gallons:
40 × 0.264172 = 10.57 US gal
So a 40-liter fill-up is just over ten and a half US gallons.
US gallon, not imperial
This is the one place people get burned. A US gallon is 3.785 liters, but a UK/imperial gallon is 4.546 liters — nearly a fifth larger. If you're reading a British car's "miles per gallon" or an old British recipe, those gallons are the bigger imperial kind, and using the US factor will throw your numbers off.
When you'll use it
Converting fuel tank sizes and fill-ups, sizing aquariums sold in liters against US-gallon equipment, working out water-tank or pool volumes, and comparing product sizes between metric and American labeling.
Frequently asked questions
How many US gallons are in a liter?
About 0.264172 US gallons. This is the US gallon, defined as exactly 3.785411784 liters. A UK (imperial) gallon is larger — about 4.546 liters — so it works out to only about 0.22 imperial gallons per liter. Make sure you're using the US figure.
Why is a US gallon different from a UK gallon?
They're simply two different historical definitions. The US gallon is 3.785 liters (231 cubic inches); the imperial gallon used in the UK is about 4.546 liters, roughly 20% bigger. Fuel economy and recipe volumes can be way off if you mix them up.
Is the liters-to-gallons factor exact?
The reverse direction is exact — one US gallon is defined as exactly 3.785411784 liters. Going from liters to gallons uses 0.264172, which is that value rounded, so tiny display rounding is normal.