Litres to imperial gallons converter
Type a number in either box to convert between litres and imperial gallons. It works both ways and nothing is sent anywhere.
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How many imperial gallons are in a litre?
To convert litres to imperial gallons, multiply by 0.21996925. One L is 0.21996925 imp gal, and one imp gal is 4.54609 L, so to go the other way multiply imperial gallons by 4.54609 or divide by 0.21996925. The imperial gallon is defined as exactly 4.54609 litres, so the factor is exact. Type a number in either box below and the other one updates at once.
How to convert litres and imperial gallons
1 L = 0.21996925 imp gal, and 1 imp gal = 4.54609 L. The imperial gallon is defined as exactly 4.54609 litres, so the factor is exact.
One imperial gallon is exactly 4.54609 litres, so a litre is 0.219969 imperial gallons. It is about 20% larger than the US gallon (3.785 L), so a fuel economy of 40 imperial miles per gallon is only about 33 US miles per gallon.
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Common values
These are the conversions people look up most often, worked out from the exact factor and rounded to six significant digits.
| Litres | equals | Imperial gallons | equals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 L | 0.219969 imp gal | 1 imp gal | 4.54609 L |
| 4.54609 L | 1 imp gal | 4.54609 imp gal | 20.6669 L |
| 5 L | 1.09985 imp gal | 5 imp gal | 22.7305 L |
| 10 L | 2.19969 imp gal | 10 imp gal | 45.4609 L |
| 20 L | 4.39938 imp gal | 20 imp gal | 90.9218 L |
| 50 L | 10.9985 imp gal | 50 imp gal | 227.304 L |
| 100 L | 21.9969 imp gal | 100 imp gal | 454.609 L |
Where you meet it in Canada
Canada used the imperial gallon before metrication, so older Canadian figures, such as a car's old fuel economy in miles per gallon, an old tank or an older recipe, are in imperial gallons, and so are UK figures today. A car that got 30 mpg on a Canadian window sticker in the 1970s was getting about 9.4 L/100 km, while the same 30 mpg in a US source is 7.8 L/100 km. The wrong gallon changes the answer by a fifth.
When to use it
- Reading older Canadian or UK fuel economy and tank figures
- Converting a UK recipe or product volume
- Comparing imperial and US gallon figures
- Checking an old appliance or boat manual
Mistakes it helps you avoid
- Using the US gallon (3.785 L) for a British or old Canadian figure.
- Assuming 'gallon' means the same thing on both sides of the Atlantic.
- Comparing miles per gallon figures without checking which gallon.
- Rounding 4.546 to 4.5 on a large volume.
The formula
One multiplication each way.
imp gal = L × 0.21996925L = imp gal × 4.54609 (or imp gal ÷ 0.21996925)
The imperial gallon is defined as exactly 4.54609 litres, so the factor is exact. The result is rounded for display only; the figure in the box keeps up to eight significant digits. Factors come from NIST SP 811 Appendix B.
Example: 5 L in imperial gallons
Convert 5 litres to imperial gallons.
- Factor1 L = 0.21996925 imp gal
- Multiply5 × 0.21996925 = 1.09985
5 L = 1.09985 imp gal
Check: 1.09985 ÷ 0.21996925 gives back 5.
Terms on this page
- Imperial gallon
- A volume of exactly 4.54609 litres, used in the UK and in older Canadian sources.
- US gallon
- A volume of exactly 3.785411784 litres.
Common questions
How many imperial gallons are in one L?
One L is 0.21996925 imp gal.
How many litres are in one imp gal?
One imp gal is 4.54609 L.
Is the L to imp gal factor exact?
The imperial gallon is defined as exactly 4.54609 litres, so the factor is exact.
Why is the imperial gallon bigger?
It is defined as 4.54609 litres, from 10 pounds of water, while the US gallon is 231 cubic inches (3.785 L).
Does Canada still use imperial gallons?
Fuel and most volumes are metric, but older figures and some everyday talk still use the imperial gallon.
Is anything I type sent to a server?
No. The conversion happens in your browser and nothing you enter leaves your device.
Where these numbers come from
- NIST — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B.8 (conversion factors) The exact definitions used here, such as 1 inch = 2.54 centimetres and 1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms.
- Wikipedia — Gallon The imperial gallon and how it differs from the US gallon.
Last verified 2026-10-25 The method on this page is checked against the sources above at least once a year. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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