One US liquid gallon equals approximately 3.78541 liters. One Imperial gallon equals approximately 4.54609 liters. A conversion can therefore produce different answers depending on the gallon standard being used.
Liters to US gallons
To obtain US liquid gallons, divide liters by 3.78541. For example, 20 liters is approximately 5.28 US gallons, while 50 liters is approximately 13.21 US gallons.
Liters to Imperial gallons
For Imperial gallons, divide liters by 4.54609. Twenty liters is therefore approximately 4.40 Imperial gallons. The difference becomes increasingly noticeable as the volume grows.
Fuel and vehicle specifications
Fuel tank capacities may be listed in liters in one market and gallons in another. Before comparing figures, determine whether the source means US or Imperial gallons. The same caution applies to fuel-economy measurements because MPG values also depend on which gallon definition is used.
Tanks and containers
Aquariums, water tanks and storage containers are another common use case. A manufacturer may provide capacity in liters while an overseas product listing uses gallons. Converting the capacity makes products easier to compare, but physical usable capacity can differ from a nominal specification.
Use the volume converter
For supported volume units, choose the volume category in the Nujiz Unit Converter and select the appropriate source and destination units. Always confirm the gallon convention required by your source.
Convert volume measurements:
Summary
There is no single liters-to-gallons calculation until the gallon type is known. For US liquid gallons divide liters by approximately 3.78541; for Imperial gallons divide by approximately 4.54609.