liters to gallons calculator
A liters to gallons calculator multiplies liters by 0.264172: a 250 L tank holds 66.043 US gallons, and 100 liters is 26.417 gallons or 3.531 cubic feet.
Liters to gallons calculator formula
A liters to gallons calculator multiplies the liters by 0.264172 to get US gallons. The formula is gallons = liters × 0.264172.
The calculator also gives cubic feet, using liters × 0.0353147. That is useful when you are sizing a tank, a trench or a pit and need a volume you can compare with a cubic yard of material. The default of 100 liters shows 26.417 gallons and 3.531 cubic feet.
Worked examples
Example 1 is a cistern rated at 250 liters.
- Gallons: 250 × 0.264172 = 66.043
- Cubic feet: 250 × 0.0353147 = 8.829
Example 2 is a 100 liter rain barrel.
- Gallons: 100 × 0.264172 = 26.417
- Cubic feet: 100 × 0.0353147 = 3.531
The first tank holds about 66 gallons, about a standard 55 gallon drum plus two 5 gallon buckets.
Common conversions
| Liters | US gallons | Cubic feet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.264 | 0.035 |
| 5 | 1.321 | 0.177 |
| 10 | 2.642 | 0.353 |
| 20 | 5.283 | 0.706 |
| 50 | 13.209 | 1.766 |
| 100 | 26.417 | 3.531 |
| 200 | 52.834 | 7.063 |
| 500 | 132.086 | 17.657 |
| 1,000 | 264.172 | 35.315 |
One more reference point: 3.785 liters is one US gallon, and 1,000 liters is one cubic meter.
Where the conversion shows up
- Water tanks and rain barrels are sold in liters in many countries.
- Pumps and pressure tanks list capacity in liters on imported units.
- Paint, primer and sealer cans from outside the US are labeled in liters, and coverage per gallon is how most US charts are written.
- Fuel and oil containers on imported generators and equipment use liters.
- Pool and spa volumes are quoted in liters in plans from outside the US. For chemical dosing, use the product label and the gallon figure here.
If a tank is round and you know its dimensions instead, the tank volume calculator gives gallons directly.
US gallons and imperial gallons
Two different gallons are in use, so check which one a spec sheet means before you convert.
| Volume | US gallons | Imperial gallons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 liter | 0.264 | 0.220 |
| 100 liters | 26.417 | 21.997 |
| 1,000 liters | 264.172 | 219.969 |
This calculator gives US gallons only. A tank from a UK or Commonwealth maker may state imperial gallons, and a pump chart from the same maker may do the same. When in doubt, convert from the liter figure, which is the same everywhere.
A third example, in cubic feet
Say a 1,000 liter tote sits in a corner of your shop and you want to know what floor area it needs for a pour or a fill.
- Gallons: 1,000 × 0.264172 = 264.172
- Cubic feet: 1,000 × 0.0353147 = 35.315
- That is 35.315 ÷ 27 = 1.308 cubic yards of space
A 1,000 liter tote of water weighs about 2,205 lb (1,000 kg), so do not put it on a floor or a platform that has not been checked for the load. A structural question like that belongs with an engineer or a contractor, not a conversion table.
How to check the number
- Divide the gallons back by 0.264172 and see if you get your liters.
- Use the rough rule of one gallon per 3.8 liters. 66 gallons × 3.8 is 251 liters, close to the starting 250.
- Check that the unit on the spec is liters and not milliliters. 500 mL is half a liter, or 0.132 gallons.
Common mistakes
- Using the imperial gallon factor. It is 0.219969 gallons per liter, not 0.264172, and the numbers differ by about 17 percent.
- Rounding the factor to 0.26 on a large volume. On 1,000 liters, that costs you about 4 gallons.
- Mixing up a tank’s total volume and its usable volume. A tank with a vent and a fill neck holds less than its rated capacity.
- Converting weight instead of volume. A liter of water weighs 1 kg, which is 2.2 lb, but a liter of other liquids does not.
- Forgetting that cubic feet and gallons are different. One cubic foot is 7.48 gallons.
Related calculators
Going the other way is easiest with the gallons to liters calculator. If your volume is in cubic feet, use the cubic feet to gallons calculator, and for a round tank, the tank volume calculator works from diameter and height.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons are in a liter?
One liter is 0.264172 US gallons, so a gallon is about 3.785 liters. A quick mental check is to divide liters by 4 and add a little, since 4 liters is slightly more than a gallon. 100 liters comes out at 26.417 gallons.
Why would I convert liters to gallons?
Imported tanks, pumps, paint, sealers and pool equipment are often sized in liters, while US suppliers quote gallons. It also comes up when a plan lists water volume in liters and you need to match a US pump curve, a chemical dosing chart or a delivery tank.
Does this use the US gallon or the imperial gallon?
The US gallon, which is 3.785 liters. An imperial gallon, used in the UK, is 4.546 liters, about 20 percent larger. If a spec sheet says imperial gallons, this result will be too high by roughly that much, so check which one the manufacturer means.
How do I convert a liter-rated tank to gallons for a US quote?
Multiply the tank's rated liters by 0.264172. A 250 L tank is 66.043 gallons, a 500 L tank is 132.086 gallons, and a 1,000 L tank is 264.172 gallons. Quote the working volume if the tank cannot be filled to the top.
How do I convert gallons back to liters?
Multiply US gallons by 3.78541. For example, 50 gallons is 189.27 liters. The gallons to liters calculator on this site does that directly and also shows cubic feet.
Estimates only. Verify quantities with your supplier before purchasing.