The liters to gallons factor
One US gallon equals 3.78541 liters, so to convert liters to US gallons you divide by 3.78541. For example, 10 L ÷ 3.78541 = 2.64 gal. Note this is the US liquid gallon; the imperial (UK) gallon is larger at 4.54609 L. Need the reverse? Use the gallons to liters calculator.
The two gallons differ by more than a fifth, so the same 10 L is 2.20 imperial gallons but 2.64 US gallons. The US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches, a survival of the old English wine gallon, while the imperial gallon was fixed in 1824 as the volume of ten pounds of water.
For the same task from a slightly different angle, try the quarts to cups calculator.
How to use this calculator
Enter a volume in liters and the converter instantly shows the equivalent in US gallons, rounded to two decimals — useful for fuel, fish tanks, and recipes. Just divide liters by 3.78541.
Worked examples: a 60 L car fuel tank holds 60 ÷ 3.78541 = 15.85 US gallons, and a 200 L aquarium is 52.83 US gallons. For a mental estimate, divide by 4 and add about 5% — 20 L gives 5, plus 5% is 5.25, close to the true 5.28 gal.
The same numbers feed straight into the mL to cups calculator.
Liters to gallons reference table
Common conversions:
| Liters | US gallons |
|---|---|
| 1 L | 0.26 gal |
| 5 L | 1.32 gal |
| 10 L | 2.64 gal |
| 20 L | 5.28 gal |
| 50 L | 13.21 gal |
One more memory aid: a US gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds while an imperial gallon weighs 10 pounds, a quick reminder of which measure is the larger of the two.
Once that is settled, the gallons to pounds calculator takes care of the next part.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert liters to gallons?
- Divide the liters by 3.78541 for US gallons. For example, 10 L ÷ 3.78541 = 2.64 gal.
- How many liters are in a US gallon?
- One US liquid gallon equals 3.78541 liters.
- What is 10 liters in gallons?
- 10 liters equals about 2.64 US gallons.
- Does this use US or imperial gallons?
- It uses the US liquid gallon (3.78541 L). The UK imperial gallon is larger at 4.54609 L.
- Which gallon do fuel economy figures use?
- US mpg figures use the 3.78541 L gallon, while UK mpg uses the 4.54609 L imperial gallon, so the same car looks about 20% more efficient in UK numbers. Check which gallon a quoted mpg is based on before comparing two cars.