Equivalent in Quarts:
Table of Contents
The formula
Multiply liters by the quarts-per-liter factor:
qt = L × 1.05669
- qt — US liquid quarts (not imperial quarts, not US dry quarts).
- L — liters (1 L = 1 dm³ = 1000 mL).
- 1.05669 — derived from 1 ÷ 0.946353 (the liter equivalent of 1 US quart).
To reverse (quarts to liters): L = qt × 0.946353. Or use the quarts to liters converter.
Worked example
Default input: 1 liter.
- Apply the formula: 1 × 1.05669 = 1.0567 US quarts.
- Interpretation: 1 liter is 1 quart plus about 56 mL (nearly 2 US fl oz) extra.
Practical check: a 2-liter soda bottle = 2.113 quarts, just over 2 quarts (half a gallon).
Liters to quarts conversion table
| Liters | US Quarts |
|---|---|
| 0.5 L | 0.528 qt |
| 0.946 L | 1.000 qt |
| 1 L | 1.057 qt |
| 2 L | 2.113 qt |
| 3 L | 3.170 qt |
| 3.785 L | 4.000 qt (1 gal) |
| 5 L | 5.283 qt |
| 10 L | 10.567 qt |
| 15 L | 15.850 qt |
| 20 L | 21.134 qt |
| 25 L | 26.417 qt |
| 50 L | 52.834 qt |
| 100 L | 105.669 qt |
History & standards — the US vs UK quart gotcha
The litre was defined by France in 1795 as 1 dm³. The BIPM confirms it today as exactly 0.001 m³ (1000 mL). It is the SI unit for liquid volume worldwide.
The quart derives from the Latin quartus (“fourth”) because it is one quarter of a gallon. There are two distinct quart sizes:
- US liquid quart: 0.946353 L = 32 US fl oz = 2 US pints = 4 US cups.
- UK / Imperial quart: 1.13652 L = 40 imperial fl oz = 2 imperial pints — about 20% larger than the US quart.
Both quarts equal exactly one-quarter of their respective gallon. Since US and UK gallons differ by ≈20%, so do their quarts. This calculator uses the US liquid quart throughout.
Common applications
- Engine oil. Car engine oil is sold in 1-quart bottles in the US. If your owner’s manual gives oil capacity in liters (common for European cars sold in the US), this converter tells you how many quart bottles to buy.
- Cooking & canning. US canning jars come in pint (0.473 L) and quart (0.946 L) sizes. Metric recipes that specify “1 liter” fit just over a quart jar.
- Beverages. A 2-liter soda bottle is ≈2.11 US quarts — handy to know when following a punch recipe that calls for 2 quarts of soda.
- Homebrewing. Yeast starters are often grown in 1–2 liter quantities. Knowing the quart equivalent helps match to standard mason jars.
Limitations & gotchas
- US vs UK quart. A UK quart (1.137 L) is 20% larger than a US quart (0.946 L). Using the wrong factor in a UK recipe gives significantly off results.
- Dry quart. The US dry quart (1.101 L) is used for dry goods like berries and grain. It is larger than the liquid quart. This converter uses the liquid quart only.
- Oil capacity. Some European car manuals quote oil in liters; US oil bottles are quarts. A car needing 5.5 liters of oil takes about 5.81 quart bottles — buy 6 and top up precisely.
Sources & references
- NIST, “SI Units — Volume.” nist.gov.
- BIPM, “SI Units.” bipm.org.
FAQs
One liter equals 1.05669 US quarts. A liter is slightly larger than a quart — by about 6.7%. To convert liters to US quarts, multiply by 1.05669.
US and UK quarts trace to different gallon definitions. A US quart = ¼ of the US gallon (3.78541 L ÷ 4 = 0.946353 L). A UK (imperial) quart = ¼ of the imperial gallon (4.54609 L ÷ 4 = 1.13652 L) — about 20% larger than the US quart. This calculator uses US quarts only.
No. A US quart is 0.946353 L — about 5.7% smaller than a liter. A UK quart (1.13652 L) is slightly larger than a liter. On this page, “quart” always means the US quart unless stated otherwise.
There are exactly 4 US quarts in one US gallon (3.78541 L). There are exactly 4 imperial quarts in one imperial gallon (4.54609 L). The ratio of 4:1 holds in both systems.
5 US quarts × 0.946353 = 4.732 liters. An easy mental check: 4 quarts = 1 US gallon = 3.785 L, so 5 quarts ≈ 3.785 + 0.946 = 4.731 L.
US quarts are common for engine oil (sold in 1-qt bottles), milk (half-gallon = 2 qt), soups and stews (stockpots often marked in quarts), and homebrewing. One quart equals 2 US pints, 4 US cups, or 32 US fl oz.