How Many Cups in a Gallon? (16 Cups)

Where do these numbers come from?

Checked Oct 23, 2026. 1 US cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL (NIST SP 811), so 250 mL = 1.057 cups.

How we calculate Corrections Changelog About CupRuler

Shaped dough resting under a dusting of flour — Weigh once, bake the same loaf every time. Photos: Tijana Drinic, Diego Arenas de Rodrigo, Vicky Ng / Unsplash.

Two loaves proofing in floured cane baskets — Weigh once, bake the same loaf every time. Photos: Tijana Drinic, Diego Arenas de Rodrigo, Vicky Ng / Unsplash.

Instant answersResults update as you type.
Private by designRuns in your browser. Nothing is sent.
Share, print or citeCopy a link with your numbers.

Gallons to cups chart

Gallons	Cups	Quarts	Pints
0.25	4	1	2
0.5	8	2	4
0.75	12	3	6
1	16	4	8
1.5	24	6	12
2	32	8	16
5	80	20	40

Remembering it: the “Gallon Man”

Many US classrooms teach this as a drawing: a big G (gallon) holds 4 Qs (quarts), each Q holds 2 Ps (pints), and each P holds 2 Cs (cups). Count the Cs: 4 × 2 × 2 = 16 cups.

Metric and UK cups

A US cup is about 236.6 mL, so a US gallon (3,785 mL) is 16 US cups. Using 250 mL metric cups (Australia, Canada and elsewhere), a US gallon is about 15.1 cups. An imperial gallon (4,546 mL) is about 19.2 US cups.

Practical examples

A gallon jug of milk pours 16 one-cup servings. Making a gallon of iced tea or lemonade? You need 16 cups of liquid total, ice included if it melts in. A 2-gallon drink dispenser holds 32 cups.

Definitions: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (US customary liquid volume). US units; UK imperial pints, quarts and gallons are about 20% larger.

Frequently asked questions

How many cups in a gallon?

16 US cups.

How many cups in a half gallon?

8 cups.

How many cups of water in a gallon?

16 cups; volume is the same for any liquid.

How many 8 oz cups in a gallon?

16, since one cup is 8 fluid ounces.

How many cups are in a gallon?