How to Convert Liters to Gallons
Liters and gallons are volume units from different measurement systems. Liters belong to the metric system, while gallons are used in imperial and US customary systems. It's important to note there are two types of gallons: the US gallon (3.785 L) and the UK/Imperial gallon (4.546 L).
The Conversion Formulas
US Gallons:
US Gallons = Liters Γ· 3.785
UK/Imperial Gallons:
UK Gallons = Liters Γ· 4.546
Liters from US Gallons:
Liters = US Gallons Γ 3.785
Step-by-Step Example
Your car's fuel tank holds 60 liters. How many US gallons is that?
- 60 Γ· 3.785 = 15.85 US gallons
Reference Table (Liters to US Gallons)
| Liters | US Gallons |
|---|---|
| 1 L | 0.264 gal |
| 5 L | 1.32 gal |
| 10 L | 2.64 gal |
| 20 L | 5.28 gal |
| 50 L | 13.21 gal |
| 100 L | 26.42 gal |
Why Gallons Differ Between Countries
The US gallon is based on the old English wine gallon of 231 cubic inches, while the imperial gallon was redefined in 1824 as the volume of 10 pounds of water. This is why UK gas mileage (mpg) figures appear higherβthe UK gallon is larger.
When buying fuel abroad, checking whether prices are per US gallon, imperial gallon, or liter prevents costly surprises.
Use our liters-to-gallons calculator to convert any volume instantly.