Where L-to-gallons matters
The conversion is most useful in three situations: comparing vehicle fuel economy between metric and US figures, sizing aquariums and tanks, and converting container volumes for shipping, storage or cooking.
- • Use L For: European fuel economy (L/100 km), Metric jerry cans and containers, European recipes and liquid products, Scientific and aquarium volumes
- • Use gal For: US fuel economy (mpg), US gallon containers, US aquarium dosing instructions, US recipes and packaging
Rule of Thumb: For fuel economy: US mpg = 235.215 ÷ (L/100 km). So 8 L/100 km is about 29.4 mpg.
Liters to Gallons Conversion Formula — How to Convert L to gal
US gallons = liters × 0.264172
UK gallons = liters × 0.219969
Step-by-Step L to gal Conversion Examples:
- •A 10 L fuel can:10 × 0.264172 =2.64 US gal
- •A 20 L aquarium:20 × 0.264172 =5.28 US gal
- •A 50 L water tank:50 × 0.264172 =13.21 US gal
- •The same 20 L in UK gallons:20 × 0.219969 =4.40 UK gal
Why the Liters to Gallons Conversion Works & Common L to gal Converter Mistakes to Avoid
A US liquid gallon is defined as exactly 231 cubic inches, which is 3.785411784 liters, so dividing 1 by that gives 0.264172 US gallons per liter. A UK imperial gallon is a different unit of 4.54609 liters, so one liter is only about 0.22 UK gallons. This page uses the US gallon unless it says otherwise.
The Common L to gal Converter Mistake: Using the US factor for a UK source, or the other way round. A UK gallon is about 20% larger, so a UK fuel figure converted with the US factor will come out noticeably wrong. Check the country and the source before choosing a factor, especially with older documents, vehicle specifications and recipes.
Liters to Gallons Real-World Size Comparison Table
These are the liter values that come up most often for fuel, tanks and water containers, shown in US gallons.
| Liters (L) | Gallons (gal) | Real-World Size Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| 1 L | 0.26 gal | A little over a quarter of a US gallon |
| 3.785 L | 1 gal | Exactly one US gallon |
| 5 L | 1.32 gal | A 5 L jug or fuel can |
| 10 L | 2.64 gal | A common jerry can size |
| 19 L | 5.02 gal | A typical water cooler bottle (often 18.9 L, which is 5 US gallons) |
| 20 L | 5.28 gal | A small aquarium |
| 40 L | 10.57 gal | A medium aquarium |
| 100 L | 26.42 gal | A large water tank or rain barrel |
L to gal Converter in Spreadsheets — Spreadsheet Shortcut (Excel & Google Sheets)
For liters to US gallons, use =A1*0.264172. For the reverse, use =A1/0.264172. To convert L/100 km straight to US mpg, use =235.215/A1. The built-in =CONVERT(A1,"l","gal") converts to US gallons in Excel.
Liters to Gallons Conversion — Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert liters to gallons?
Multiply the liters by 0.264172 for US gallons, or by 0.219969 for UK gallons. For example, 20 L × 0.264172 = 5.28 US gallons.
How many liters are in a gallon?
A US gallon is 3.785 liters and a UK (imperial) gallon is 4.546 liters.
How many gallons are in 4 liters?
4 liters is about 1.057 US gallons, slightly more than one gallon. In UK gallons it is 0.88.
How many gallons is 20 liters?
20 liters is 5.28 US gallons or 4.40 UK gallons.
Is a liter bigger than a gallon?
No. A liter is much smaller. It takes nearly 4 liters to make one US gallon.
What is the difference between US and UK gallons?
They are different units. A UK gallon is about 20% larger than a US gallon, which is why a car's mpg figure looks higher in the UK than the same car's figure in the US.
How do I convert L/100 km to mpg?
Divide 235.215 by the L/100 km figure for US mpg. For example, 8 L/100 km is about 29.4 mpg. For UK mpg, divide 282.481 by the figure.
Is it liters to gallons or litres to gallons?
Both are correct. Litres is the spelling in the UK, Ireland, Australia and most other countries, and liters is American. The conversion is identical.
L to gal Quick-Reference Conversion Table
The conversions people look up most for fuel, containers and everyday measurement.
| To convert | Operation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| L → US gal | × 0.264172 | 10 L → 2.64 US gal |
| US gal → L | × 3.78541 | 1 US gal → 3.785 L |
| L → UK gal | × 0.219969 | 10 L → 2.20 UK gal |
| L/100km → mpg | 235.215 ÷ L/100km | 8 L/100km → 29.4 mpg |