Gallons to Liters (gal to L)
Multiply US gallons by 3.785411784 to get liters. A 5-gallon bucket holds 18.93 L and a 40-gallon water heater holds 151.4 L. If your source is British, an imperial gallon is 4.54609 L.
Convert gallons to liters
Result
gallons to liters
5 gal = 18.9271 L
1 gal = 3.78541 L · 1 L = 0.264172 gal
Show the mathHow it was calculated
L = gal × 3.785411784
Uses exact legal definitions; results are rounded to 6 significant figures for display. Ounces, cups and gallons are US customary units unless noted.
How to convert gallons to liters
L = gal × 3.785411784
One US gallon is exactly 3.785411784 liters, so multiply by 3.785411784.
Worked example: converting 5 gal:
- L = gal × 3.785411784
- 5 gal × 3.785411784 = 18.9271 L
Gallons to liters conversion table
Common values, each computed with the exact formula and rounded to 6 significant figures.
| US gallons (gal) | Liters (L) | Imperial gallons (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 gal | 0.946353 L | 0.20817 |
| 0.5 gal | 1.89271 L | 0.41634 |
| 1 gal | 3.78541 L | 0.83267 |
| 1.5 gal | 5.67812 L | 1.249 |
| 2 gal | 7.57082 L | 1.6653 |
| 2.5 gal | 9.46353 L | 2.0817 |
| 3 gal | 11.3562 L | 2.498 |
| 4 gal | 15.1416 L | 3.3307 |
| 5 gal | 18.9271 L | 4.1634 |
| 6 gal | 22.7125 L | 4.996 |
| 7 gal | 26.4979 L | 5.8287 |
| 8 gal | 30.2833 L | 6.6614 |
| 10 gal | 37.8541 L | 8.3267 |
| 12 gal | 45.4249 L | 9.9921 |
| 15 gal | 56.7812 L | 12.49 |
| 20 gal | 75.7082 L | 16.653 |
| 25 gal | 94.6353 L | 20.817 |
| 30 gal | 113.562 L | 24.98 |
| 40 gal | 151.416 L | 33.307 |
| 50 gal | 189.271 L | 41.634 |
| 55 gal | 208.198 L | 45.797 |
| 60 gal | 227.125 L | 49.96 |
| 75 gal | 283.906 L | 62.451 |
| 80 gal | 302.833 L | 66.614 |
| 100 gal | 378.541 L | 83.267 |
| 250 gal | 946.353 L | 208.17 |
| 500 gal | 1,892.71 L | 416.34 |
| 1,000 gal | 3,785.41 L | 832.67 |
Quick reference: everyday US gallons in liters
One US quart (¼ gallon)
0.25 gal = 0.946353 L
One US gallon of milk or paint
1 gal = 3.78541 L
A 5-gallon bucket
5 gal = 18.9271 L
Common US water heater
40 gal = 151.416 L
A 55-gallon drum
55 gal = 208.198 L
Round 100 gallons
100 gal = 378.541 L
Paint and coatings: gallons vs. liters
US paint comes in gallons (3.79 L) and quarts (0.95 L). Most of the world sells 1 L, 2.5 L, 4 L and 10 L tins, so a 'gallon' is a little less than a 4 L tin. Coverage on US cans is quoted per gallon, often around 350–400 sq ft per coat. Metric tins quote square meters per liter, so convert the coverage figure along with the volume.
The paint calculator estimates how much paint a room needs in gallons or liters. To size a concrete or sealer job by volume rather than area, the concrete calculator handles cubic measures.
Water heaters, pools and household water
Tank water heaters in US homes are commonly 40 or 50 gallons, which is 151 L and 189 L. Water usage figures in US guides are also in gallons. A shower head rated at 2.5 gallons per minute uses 9.46 L per minute, and a 10-minute shower uses about 95 L.
Large volumes such as pools are quoted in thousands of gallons. A 10,000-gallon pool holds 37,854 L, or about 37.9 cubic meters. One cubic meter is 1,000 L, which is 264.2 US gallons.
Frequently asked questions
How many liters are in a gallon in the UK?
An imperial gallon, still used informally in the UK and for fuel economy in mpg, is exactly 4.54609 L. That's about 20% more than the US gallon of 3.785 L. The table on this page includes an imperial column, so you can check both. UK fuel is sold by the liter, so the imperial gallon mostly survives in mpg figures.
Is 4 liters the same as a gallon?
Close, but not quite. 4 L is 1.057 US gallons, about 5.7% more. Many metric countries sell paint and oil in 4 L containers because it's the nearest round size. If a US instruction says 'one gallon', a 4 L tin covers it with a little to spare.
How do I convert gallons per minute to liters per minute?
Multiply by the same factor, 3.785. A 2.5 gal/min shower head flows 9.46 L/min, and a 10 gal/min well pump delivers 37.9 L/min. Time units are the same in both systems, so only the volume part needs converting. For UK imperial gallons per minute, multiply by 4.546 instead.