How many Cups are in a Gallon? [Free Printable Conversion Chart]
You’re just about to whip up that recipe you’ve been storing away for a special occasion, and you notice it’s calling for gallons. All you have is a cup measurement.
I’ve seen this movie before and know just how frustrating it can be to not have the right information in front of you. So, what is there to be done? Here is some guidance on how to handle this conversion.
So, how many cups are in a gallon exactly? It seems like a simple question, and yet, there are dry gallons, wet gallons, Imperial gallons, and US cup measurements, eek!
Before we get into all of that, let’s look at gallons in general.
If you like useful articles like this, check out how many tablespoons are 30ml or how many ounces are in a pint?
If you like printables, have a look at some more free kitchen conversion charts!
Cups to Gallons Calculator
What is a gallon?
A gallon is a way to measure volume, and there are 3 different styles of gallons currently used around the world.
Imperial gallon
This is rounded off at 4.54 liters and is used in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, the Caribbean countries, and Canada.
US gallon
This is set at roughly 3.78 liters and is used in the US.
US dry gallon
This is a unit of measurement for dry ingredients. This method of measuring is usually not used when converting to cups.
1 Imperial gallon is a little bigger than a US gallon, with the conversion being 1 Imperial gallon to 1.2 US gallons.
How many cups to a gallon?
There are 16 cups to a gallon. That’s the short of it. Here is a useful table to have on hand when trying to convert for baking. This table is a useful tool and quick reference if printed out and placed on the refrigerator.
This is especially true if you are trying to convert liquids or work out how many cups of water to a gallon, for example.
Fluid ounces | Gallons | Cups | Quarts | Pints |
8 fl oz | 1/16th gallon | 1 cups | ¼ quart | ½ pint |
16 fl oz | 1/8th gallon | 2 cups | ½ quart | 1 pint |
32 fl oz | ¼ gallon | 4 cups | 1 quart | 2 pints |
64 fl oz | ½ gallon | 8 cups | 2 quarts | 4 pints |
128 fl oz | 1 gallon | 16 cups | 4 quarts | 8 pints |
If you are purely interested in a US gallon-to-cup conversion table, here is one that’ll serve you.
US gallon | Cups |
1 | 16 |
2 | 32 |
3 | 48 |
4 | 64 |
5 | 80 |
6 | 96 |
7 | 112 |
8 | 128 |
9 | 144 |
10 | 160 |
How do gallons fit within the Metric and Imperial systems?
The metric and imperial systems differ slightly, and it’s important (for the evolving home cook and baker) to have a basic understanding of these two systems. Essentially, the Imperial system uses units of volume and weight based on units of 12.
Within the Imperial system, you will find teaspoons, tablespoons, ounces, pounds, pints, gallons, etc.
On the other hand, the number 10 forms the basis of the metric system. Working with the metric system, you will come across milliliters, liters, milligrams, grams, and kilograms.
You will generally find both grams and ounces on your scale, and a lot of measuring cups feature both gallons, pint, cup, and milliliter labels which make the process of trying to figure a cryptic recipe out less painful.
Beyond cooking and baking, the metric and the imperial systems are used to measure weight, distance, and volume. Here is a little breakdown of how this is rolled out by both systems:
Metric System | Imperial System | |
Distance | Meters, centimeters, kilometers | Inches, feet, yard, miles |
Weight | Ounces, grams | Pounds |
Volume | Fluid ounces, liters, milliliters | Cups, pints, quarts, gallons, tablespoons, teaspoons |
FAQs
Here are a couple of questions that pop up pretty much every time the topic of measurement conversion comes up. I hope you find these helpful.
A cup is a way to measure volume and is often used in baking and cooking. In terms of the US, a cup is equal to 7 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons, and one-half pint. These conversions are commonly found when reading through both local and foreign recipes.
To put it simply, 128 US fluid ounces is equal to a US gallon. This is also a common conversion requirement when baking and cooking.
Here is the conversion summary:
1 dry US gallon is equal to 18.62 cups (rounded off)
1 liquid or fluid US gallon is equal to 16 US cups.
Here is the conversion:
1 UK/Imperial gallon is equal to 18.18 (rounded off) metric cups
1 UK/Imperial gallon is equal to 16 Imperial cups
1 US cup is equal to 8 fluid ounces
2 US cups are equal to 16 fluid ounces
3 US cups are equal to 24 fluid ounces
There are 8 cups of water in half a gallon of water or milk.
Wrapping it up
So, there you have it, the answer to how many cups are in a gallon. This query is most likely linked to a wet ingredient, so go ahead and measure up 16 cups of milk or water, or whatever the ingredient is and enjoy the outcome of that recipe you’re making.
It can seem at times that the systems out there have been designed to hinder us as we figure out how to switch and swap from one to the other. As the world grows smaller and information continues to be shared across the world, learning how to convert within recipes becomes more important than ever.
As you continue your cooking and baking journey, you are likely to come across recipes that require you to convert from gallons to cups. I hope that this article provides you with clarity and that it will have you converting and baking or cooking up a storm in no time at all!