Quarts to Gallons

About Quarts and Gallons

Quarts (qt): Two pints, or one quarter of a gallon (the name comes from this — 'quart' from 'quarter'); the US quart is 946 mL, UK imperial quart 1,136 mL. Common uses: Milk and juice container sizes in the US, motor oil, and large cooking measurements (stocks, broths).

Gallons (gal): The US gallon (3.785 L) descends from Queen Anne's 1707 wine gallon; the UK switched to a larger imperial gallon (4.546 L) in 1824, but the US kept the original definition. Common uses: US fuel sales, US milk packaging, lawn and garden chemicals, swimming pool volumes, and aquariums.

How the conversion works

Volume conversions use US customary measure (the cup, fluid ounce, and gallon are US definitions, not imperial). 1 US cup = 236.588 mL, 1 US gallon = 3.785411784 L.

The exact relationship is gallons = quarts × 2.50000132e-1, which the calculator at the top of this page applies in both directions. Type into either field and the other updates immediately.

When this conversion matters

Converting between quarts and gallons comes up wherever volume measurements move between systems — from one country's conventions to another's, from a scientific reference to a practical specification, or from one industry's working unit to another's. The calculator and reference table above cover the everyday range; for unusual values you can type any number into either field.