Gallons to Liters (gal to L)

How to convert gallons to liters

Multiply U.S. gallons by 3.785411784:

liters = U.S. gallons × 3.785411784

5 gal × 3.785 = 18.93 L. For UK (imperial) gallons, multiply by 4.54609 instead — choose UK gallon above the field and the converter switches. Either way, the result also shows what the same number would be in the other gallon, so a mix-up is easy to spot.

To go the other way, divide liters by 3.785, or use the liters to gallons converter, which also turns fuel prices per liter into prices per gallon.

Gallons to liters chart

To convert a list — tank sizes, a fuel log — open Convert a list of values and paste the gallons one per line.

Buckets, drums and tanks

A gallon of water weighs about 8.34 lb (3.785 kg); a full 55-gallon drum of water is about 459 lb — see kg to lbs for other weights.

Homebrewing, gardening and pools

Several hobbies mix the two units. Homebrew recipes are written for 5-gallon batches — 18.93 L — while metric kits are sold for 19 L or 20 L fermenters. Garden sprayers and rain barrels are labeled in gallons; pesticide and fertilizer labels may give rates per liter. Pool chemicals are dosed per 10,000 gallons, which is 37,854 liters. When a label gives an amount per gallon and you measure in milliliters, convert the gallons first, then use gallons to ounces or the milliliters shown in the result.

Which gallon is it?

U.S. recipes, fuel pumps and product labels use the U.S. liquid gallon (3.785 L). British recipes before metrication, some older Canadian figures and UK fuel-economy quotes use the imperial gallon (4.546 L). The difference is about 20%, enough to ruin a recipe or a fuel calculation. If a source mentions pints of 20 fluid ounces, it is imperial; U.S. pints are 16 fluid ounces. For quarts and smaller measures, see quarts to liters.