Cups to Gallons Converter

The Cups to Gallons Converter is a fast, accurate tool for converting between US customary cups and US gallons. Whether you are scaling a recipe, measuring ingredients for a large batch, or working on a science project, this converter handles bidirectional conversion with a visual fill diagram, multi-unit output, and a comprehensive reference table.

How Many Cups in a Gallon?

There are 16 US cups in 1 US gallon. This is the fundamental relationship in the US customary volume system:

And for the reverse:

US Volume Unit Hierarchy

Understanding how volume units relate to each other makes conversions intuitive:

Quick Reference Table

How to Use This Converter

1. Enter your value: Type the number of cups or gallons into the input field. Use the quick examples for common values.
2. Choose direction: Select "Cups → Gallons" or "Gallons → Cups". The swap button (⇄) toggles the direction instantly.
3. Set precision: Choose decimal precision from 2 to 12 places for your result.
4. Click Convert: View the result with a visual fill diagram, all equivalent units, step-by-step formula, and a full reference table.

Common Cooking Conversions

When scaling recipes, these common conversions come up frequently:

• 1 cup = 1/16 gallon = 1/4 quart = 8 fl oz = 236.588 mL
• 2 cups = 1/8 gallon = 1/2 quart = 1 pint
• 4 cups = 1/4 gallon = 1 quart
• 8 cups = 1/2 gallon = 2 quarts
• 16 cups = 1 gallon = 4 quarts

US vs Metric vs Imperial Cups

Not all "cups" are equal. This converter uses US customary cups:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cups are in a gallon?

There are 16 US cups in 1 US gallon. This means 1 cup equals 1/16 of a gallon, or 0.0625 gallons. This is based on the US customary measurement system where 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fluid ounces.

How do I convert cups to gallons?

To convert cups to gallons, divide the number of cups by 16. For example, 32 cups ÷ 16 = 2 gallons. Alternatively, multiply by 0.0625. This calculator performs the conversion instantly and also shows the result in quarts, pints, fluid ounces, and metric units.

How many cups in half a gallon?

There are 8 cups in half a gallon. Since 1 gallon = 16 cups, half a gallon (0.5 gallons) = 8 cups. This is equivalent to 2 quarts or 4 pints.

What is the difference between US cups and metric cups?

A US customary cup equals 236.588 mL (8 US fluid ounces), while a metric cup equals exactly 250 mL. The Imperial cup (used in the UK before metrication) equals 284.131 mL. This converter uses US customary cups and gallons.

How many cups in a quart and how does that relate to gallons?

There are 4 cups in 1 US quart, and 4 quarts in 1 gallon. So the hierarchy is: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups. Understanding these relationships helps when scaling recipes or converting between measurement units.

Additional Resources

• Cup (unit) - Wikipedia
• Gallon - Wikipedia
• US Customary Units - Wikipedia