A liter is about 4.23 U.S. cups. That is a little more than 4 cups, because a U.S. customary cup is 8 fluid ounces, or about 237 milliliters, per NIST household measures. A metric cup is 250 milliliters, so a liter is exactly 4 metric cups.
Quick conversion
| Measure | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 liter | 1,000 milliliters |
| 1 liter | about 4.23 U.S. customary cups |
| 1 liter | about 33.81 U.S. fluid ounces |
| 1 U.S. customary cup | 8 U.S. fluid ounces, about 237 mL |
| 1 metric cup (Australia, New Zealand and others) | 250 mL, so 4 metric cups = 1 liter |
| 1 U.S. legal cup (nutrition labels) | 240 mL, so 1 liter is about 4.17 legal cups |
These U.S. figures are customary liquid measures, not the rounded numbers on a nutrition label. The U.S. legal cup used for labeling is 240 milliliters. Neither is the same as a 250-milliliter metric cup. See the kitchen measurement conversion chart for the full cup-to-liter ladder.
A liter is a little more than four U.S. cups
Four U.S. cups equal 946 milliliters, or 0.946 liter — just short of a full liter. If a recipe written in liters needs a U.S. cup count, use 4¼ cups for a close kitchen measure, or weigh the liquid when precision matters. Related guides: milliliters in a cup, ounces in a liter and liters in a gallon. For why cup sizes differ by country, see U.S. cup vs. metric cup.
For drinks and soups, the difference between 4 cups and a liter is only 54 milliliters, a little more than 3 tablespoons, so a slight leftover in the pitcher is normal. For canning, chemistry or a tightly written baking formula, that gap matters, and a liter pitcher or a scale is the better tool. Imperial cups are larger still and should not be mixed into this U.S. and metric chart.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a liter?
About 4.23 U.S. customary cups. A metric cup is 250 mL, so a liter is exactly 4 metric cups.
Is a liter the same as 4 cups?
No. Four U.S. cups are 946 milliliters, a little less than a liter. A liter is about 4.23 U.S. cups.
How many cups are in a litre?
The same numbers apply. Litre is the spelling used in most countries outside the United States. A litre is 1,000 milliliters, or about 4.23 U.S. cups.
Helpful kitchen tools
- OXO Good Grips 1L Angled Measuring Jug — A 1-liter jug with milliliter, cup and fluid-ounce marks you can read from above.
- OXO Good Grips Glass Measuring Cup Set, 2-Cup and 4-Cup — A 2-cup pint cup and a 4-cup (1-quart) cup with U.S. and metric marks.
- OXO Good Grips 1-Cup Angled Measuring Cup — A 1-cup liquid cup with U.S. and metric marks, readable from above.
- Kitchen Conversion Chart Magnet (AKS Magnets) — An 11-by-8.5-inch fridge magnet for volume and weight conversions.
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