How to Convert Litres to US cups (L to cup)
Volume conversions help with baking from American recipes, comparing petrol prices quoted per gallon abroad with pump prices per litre here, and reading PUB water bills in cubic metres. This guide shows how to convert litres into us cups by hand, with examples and a quick-reference table.
The conversion
To convert litres to us cups, multiply the value by 4.2267570629. To go the other way, divide by the same number (or multiply by 0.236588). For a quick estimate, multiply by about 4.2.
US cups = litres × 4.2267570629
Worked examples
- 3 L = 12.6803 cup
- 12.5 L = 52.8345 cup
- 75 L = 317.0068 cup
Litres to US cups table
| Litres | US cups |
|---|---|
| 1 L | 4.2268 cup |
| 2 L | 8.4535 cup |
| 5 L | 21.1338 cup |
| 10 L | 42.2676 cup |
| 20 L | 84.5351 cup |
| 25 L | 105.6689 cup |
| 50 L | 211.3379 cup |
| 100 L | 422.6757 cup |
| 250 L | 1,056.69 cup |
| 500 L | 2,113.38 cup |
| 1,000 L | 4,226.76 cup |
Common questions
Is L to cup exact?
The factors used here are the internationally defined values where they exist; results are rounded for display only.
How do I convert back?
Use the US cups to Litres converter.
Mistakes to avoid
Rounding the factor too early
Using 3 instead of 3.28 for feet per metre introduces an error of almost 9% before you have started.
Multiplying when you should divide
Converting to a smaller unit gives a bigger number, and converting to a larger unit gives a smaller one. If your answer moves the wrong way, you have inverted the factor.
Mixing similar-sounding units
US and imperial gallons, pints and tons are different sizes, and decimal kilobytes differ from binary kibibytes.
Background
Unit conversion is simply multiplication by a fixed ratio. The ratio between two units of the same quantity never changes, so once you know it you can convert any value in either direction.
For everyday use, three or four significant figures are usually enough. Engineering, science and trade documents may need more, and rounding should happen only at the end of a calculation.
A conversion table is handy for common values, but a calculator is faster and avoids interpolation errors for anything in between.
For any value, use the Litres to US cups Converter or browse all volume converters.
Run your own numbers: Litres to US cups Converter