Quarts in a Gallon: Gallons to Quarts Converter
ConversionsType a number of gallons to get quarts, or switch direction to turn quarts into gallons. A US gallon is 4 quarts; pints, cups, fluid ounces and liters are shown too, with a fraction for quarts to gallons and two charts.
Step by step
1 × 4 = 4
- A US gallon holds 4 quarts, so to get quarts, multiply the gallons by 4: 1 × 4 = 4.
- Pints: 1 × 8 = 8. Cups: 1 × 16 = 16. Fluid ounces: 1 × 128 = 128.
- Liters: a gallon is 3.785411784 L, so 1 × 3.785411784 = 3.7854.
Once every entry is valid, you’ll see each step of the calculation here.
Formula
- gallons
- volume in US liquid gallons of 231 cubic inches
- quarts
- volume in US liquid quarts, each a quarter of a gallon
- fl oz
- US fluid ounces, a measure of volume
- 3.785411784
- liters in one US gallon, exact by definition
How it works
A US gallon is 4 quarts. The ladder is easy to rebuild: 2 cups make a pint, 2 pints make a quart and 4 quarts make a gallon, so a gallon holds 8 pints and 16 cups, or 128 fluid ounces. To change gallons to quarts, multiply by 4: half a gallon is 2 quarts and 5 gallons are 20 quarts. To change quarts to gallons, divide by 4: 6 quarts are 1.5 gallons, 10 quarts are 2.5 gallons, and 11 quarts are 2.75 gallons, which is 2 gallons and 3 quarts.
Many people remember the ladder with the picture of a big letter G for the gallon. Four Qs sit inside it, each Q holds two Ps, and each P holds two Cs. Counting them gives 4 quarts, 8 pints and 16 cups at a glance. The same picture shows why a half gallon is 2 quarts and a quarter gallon is a single quart.
The size of the gallon matters. The US liquid gallon is exactly 231 cubic inches, which is 3.785 liters, and this converter uses it. The imperial gallon of the UK is 4.546 liters, about 20% larger. It also holds 4 quarts, but they are imperial quarts of 1.137 liters, so the count of 4 stays the same while the volume does not. For smaller units, see the cups in a gallon converter and the ounces in a gallon converter; for metric volume, see the gallons to liters converter.
The formula
The 4 is part of the definition of the US liquid system: 4 quarts make a gallon, 2 pints make a quart and 2 cups make a pint. In metric terms the gallon is 231 cubic inches of 16.387064 cm³ each, which is 3,785.411784 cm³ or 3.785411784 liters, so a quart is exactly 0.946352946 liter. The converter keeps every digit and rounds only what it displays.
Pints are gallons × 8, cups are gallons × 16 and fluid ounces are gallons × 128. The fraction shown for quarts to gallons is exact for the number of quarts you typed, taken to three decimals, so 10 quarts give 2 1/2 gallons and 11 quarts give 2 3/4.
Example
A catering pot holds 11 quarts. How many gallons is that?
- A gallon holds 4 quarts, so divide: 11 / 4 = 2.75 gallons.
- As a mixed number that is 2 3/4 gallons: 2 gallons (8 quarts) plus 3 quarts, or 44 cups.
11 quarts = 2.75 gallons (2 3/4), or 10.4099 liters.
Load this example into the calculatorFrequently asked questions
How many quarts are in a gallon?
There are 4 quarts in a US gallon, so four quarts make a gallon. Half a gallon is 2 quarts and a quarter gallon is 1 quart. In the other direction, a quart is a quarter of a gallon, or 0.25 gallon.
Do 2 quarts make 1 gallon?
No. 2 quarts make half a gallon. It takes 4 quarts to make 1 gallon, which is also 8 pints or 16 cups.
Is half a gallon 4 quarts?
No. Half a gallon is 2 quarts, which is 4 pints or 8 cups. Four quarts are a whole gallon.
Is 1 gallon of oil 5 quarts?
No. A gallon of oil, like a gallon of water or milk, is 4 quarts. If a manual or a recipe calls for 5 quarts, that is 1 gallon plus 1 quart, or 1 1/4 gallons.
Does 2 pints make 1 quart?
Yes. 2 pints make 1 quart, and 4 cups make the same quart. A gallon then holds 8 pints, because 4 quarts × 2 pints = 8.
How many gallons are in a quart?
A quart is a quarter of a gallon, so there is 0.25 gallon (1/4 gallon) in a quart. Two quarts are 0.5 gallon, three quarts are 0.75 gallon and four quarts are 1 gallon. Divide any number of quarts by 4 to get gallons.
How many pints and cups are in a gallon?
A gallon holds 8 pints and 16 cups. Two gallons hold 16 pints and 32 cups. A pint is 2 cups, and 4 quarts make 16 cups, the same as 1 gallon.
How many quarts are in a half gallon, 2 gallons or 2.5 gallons?
A half gallon is 2 quarts, 2 gallons are 8 quarts and 2.5 gallons are 10 quarts. Five gallons are 20 quarts. Multiply the gallons by 4 for any amount.
What is the best way to remember the conversions from cups to pints to quarts?
Picture the letter G for gallon with four Qs inside it, two Ps inside each Q and two Cs inside each P. That gives 4 quarts, 8 pints and 16 cups in a gallon. Going up the ladder, 2 cups make a pint, 2 pints make a quart and 4 quarts make a gallon.
What is a US gallon (US gal)?
The US gallon, written gal, is a unit of liquid volume defined as exactly 231 cubic inches, which is 3.785 liters or 128 fluid ounces. It holds 4 quarts, 8 pints and 16 cups. Milk, fuel and paint are commonly sold by the gallon in the US.
What is a US quart?
The US liquid quart is a quarter of a gallon: 57.75 cubic inches, 0.946 liter or 32 fluid ounces. Qt is its abbreviation. It holds 2 pints or 4 cups.
What is the difference between a US gallon and an imperial gallon?
The imperial gallon of the UK is 4.546 liters, about 20% larger than the US gallon of 3.785 liters. Both hold 4 quarts, but an imperial quart is 1.137 liters against 0.946 liter. An imperial gallon is 160 imperial fluid ounces; a US gallon is 128 US fluid ounces.
How many dry quarts are in a gallon?
A liquid gallon holds about 3.44 US dry quarts, because a dry quart is larger (1.101 liters against 0.946 liter). The old US dry gallon, an eighth of a bushel, held 4 dry quarts but is no longer used. This converter is for liquid measure.
Why do I need to convert quarts to cups or cups to quarts?
The same liquid is measured in different units in different places: a recipe asks for cups, a pot or an oil bottle shows quarts, and milk, paint and fuel are sold by the gallon. Converting tells you whether a container is big enough, or how many smaller measures you need.
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
- Approximate Conversions from U.S. Customary Measures to Metric (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
- Gallon (US, imperial and dry gallons) (Wikipedia)
- Quart (liquid, dry and imperial quarts) (Wikipedia)