Convert US Cups to Milliliters
US cups to milliliters is the conversion for turning an American recipe measure into precise metric units. One US cup is exactly 236.5882365 milliliters, so the number gets bigger going from cups to mL because the milliliter is the smaller unit.
US Cups to Milliliters conversion table
| US Cups (cup) | Milliliters (mL) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 236.588237 |
| 2 | 473.176473 |
| 3 | 709.764709 |
| 5 | 1,182.941183 |
| 10 | 2,365.882365 |
| 20 | 4,731.76473 |
| 50 | 11,829.411825 |
| 100 | 23,658.82365 |
| 500 | 118,294.11825 |
| 1,000 | 236,588.2365 |
The formula
To convert US cups to milliliters, multiply the number of US cups by 236.5882365:
milliliters = US cups × 236.5882365
A worked example
Say a pancake batter calls for 3 US cups of milk and you want it in milliliters for a metric jug:
3 × 236.5882365 = 709.76 mL
So three US cups is about 710 mL.
US cup, not the metric cup
The US cup (236.6 mL) is smaller than the metric cup (250 mL), so measuring US-recipe cups with a 250 mL scoop overshoots by about 13 mL each time. Over several cups of flour or liquid that adds up enough to change how a bake turns out — worth getting right.
When you'll use it
Converting American recipes to metric measuring jugs, dosing or mixing from a cups-based formula in milliliters, buying metric containers sized to a US recipe, and cooking from US recipes with metric kitchen tools.
Frequently asked questions
How many milliliters are in a US cup?
Exactly 236.5882365 milliliters. That's the US customary cup, equal to 8 US fluid ounces. Some US labels round it to 240 mL, but 236.6 mL is the precise value.
Is a US cup the same as a 250 mL metric cup?
No. A US cup is about 236.6 mL; a metric cup is 250 mL. The metric cup is a bit bigger, so swapping them will slowly skew a recipe. This page converts the US cup.
What's a quick estimate for cups to milliliters?
Multiply by roughly 237, or think of each cup as just under 240 mL. So 2 cups is about 473 mL and 4 cups is about 946 mL — close to a liter.