US Gallon (gal)

US customaryCurrent unit

Exactly 231 cubic inches or 3.785411784 liters (128 US fluid ounces). About 17% smaller than the imperial gallon.

1 US gallon = 3.785411784 liters (exactly).

1 US gallon = 3.785411784 liters

About the US gallon

The US gallon is a survivor of English wine trade. Around 1706, a statute in Queen Anne's reign fixed the wine gallon at exactly 231 cubic inches, settling confusion among the competing gallons for wine, ale and corn. British colonies in North America used that wine gallon, and in 1824 Britain replaced all its gallons with a new imperial one while the United States kept the old measure. It was adopted as the legal US standard in 1836 and is still defined as exactly 231 cubic inches, or 3.785411784 liters.

That makes the US gallon about 17 percent smaller than the imperial gallon, a difference that explains why American and British fuel-economy figures cannot be compared directly. Everyday uses are milk jugs, paint cans and gasoline pumps. One gallon divides evenly into four quarts, eight pints, sixteen cups and 128 fluid ounces. A gallon of water weighs a little over 8 pounds, an easy figure to remember when loading a car with water jugs.

Sources: Wikipedia: Gallon; NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8: conversion factors for volume

US Gallon conversion chart

1 US gallon expressed in every other volume unit:

Unit1 US gallon
Liters3.785411784
Milliliters3,785.411784
US Cups16
US Fluid Ounces128
Cubic Meters0.003785411784
Cubic Centimeters3,785.411784
US Quarts4
US Pints8
US Tablespoons256
US Teaspoons768
Metric Cups15.14164714
Metric Tablespoons252.3607856
Metric Teaspoons757.0823568
Imperial Gallons0.8326741846
Imperial Pints6.661393477
Imperial Fluid Ounces133.2278695
Cubic Inches231
Cubic Feet0.1336805556
Cubic Yards0.004951131687
Oil Barrels0.02380952381
Cubic Millimeters3,785,411.784
Microliters3,785,411.784
Centiliters378.5411784
Deciliters37.85411784
Hectoliters0.03785411784
Cubic Kilometers3.785411784×10⁻¹²
Australian Tablespoons189.2705892
US Legal Cups15.7725491
Imperial Quarts3.330696739
Cubic Miles9.081685835×10⁻¹³
Wine Bottles5.047215712
Magnums2.523607856
Jeroboams1.261803928
Methuselahs0.630901964
Nebuchadnezzars0.2523607856
US Gills32
US Fluid Drams1,024
US Minims61,440
Jiggers85.33333333
Pinches12,288
Dashes6,144
Imperial Gills26.64557391
US Bushels0.1074208759
US Pecks0.4296835037
US Dry Quarts3.43746803
US Dry Pints6.874936059
US Dry Barrels0.03273809524
US Liquid Barrels0.03174603175
UK Beer Barrels0.02312983846
Firkins0.09251935385
Kilderkins0.04625967692
Hogsheads (ale)0.01541989231
Tierces0.02380952381
Hogsheads (wine)0.01587301587
Puncheons0.0119047619
Butts (pipe)0.007936507937
Tuns0.003968253968
Acre-feet0.000003068883277
Cords0.00104437934
Board Feet1.604166667
Cyathi83.2212667
Sextarii6.935105558
Congii1.155850926
Modii0.4334440974
Amphorae0.1444813658
Omers1.72064172
Hin1.032385032
Baths (biblical)0.172064172
Homers0.0172064172
Gō20.9845193
Shō2.09845193
Tō0.209845193
Koku0.0209845193
Charkas30.77718186
Shtofs3.077718186
Vedros0.3077718186

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