Convert US quarts to liters easily.
1 qt x 0.946353 = 0.946353 L
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Ever tried doubling a soup recipe that uses quarts when your measuring cup only shows liters? Or maybe you’ve stared blankly at a European car manual mentioning oil capacity in liters while holding a quart-sized container. Converting between US quarts and liters doesn’t have to feel like solving a riddle – let’s break it down together.
Unit definitions
What is a US quart (qt)?
- Description: A unit of liquid volume in the US customary system
- Symbol: qt
- Common uses: Measuring milk, motor oil, and soup portions
- Definition: Exactly 1/4 of a US gallon or 32 US fluid ounces
What is a liter (L)?
- Description: The base metric unit for volume
- Symbol: L
- Common uses: Beverage bottles, fuel measurements, scientific experiments
- Definition: Equal to 1 cubic decimeter (10cm × 10cm × 10cm)
Conversion formula
The magic number you need:
1 US quart = 0.946353 liters
To convert quarts to liters:
Liters = Quarts × 0.946353
Need to go the other way?
Quarts = Liters ÷ 0.946353
Example calculations
Example 1:
Your camping jug holds 5 quarts. How many liters is that?
5 qt × 0.946353 = 4.731765 L → Rounded to 4.7318 L
Example 2:
A wine recipe requires 3 liters of water. How many quarts?
3 L ÷ 0.946353 ≈ 3.17006 qt → Rounded to 3.1701 qt
Conversion tables
US quarts to liters
| Quarts | Liters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.9464 |
| 2 | 1.8927 |
| 3 | 2.8391 |
| 4 | 3.7854 |
| 5 | 4.7318 |
| 6 | 5.6781 |
| 7 | 6.6245 |
| 8 | 7.5708 |
| 9 | 8.5172 |
| 10 | 9.4635 |
Liters to US quarts
| Liters | Quarts |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.0567 |
| 2 | 2.1134 |
| 3 | 3.1701 |
| 4 | 4.2268 |
| 5 | 5.2834 |
| 6 | 6.3401 |
| 7 | 7.3968 |
| 8 | 8.4535 |
| 9 | 9.5102 |
| 10 | 10.5669 |
Historical background
The quart’s story begins with medieval English wine gallons – those 13th century merchants needed consistent measures for taxation. When America broke from Britain, they kept the quart but tweaked its size slightly compared to the imperial system. Fun fact: the word “quart” comes from Latin “quartus” meaning “fourth,” through Old French “quarte.”
The liter emerged during the chaos of the French Revolution (1795), part of the metric system’s push for decimal-based measurements. Early liters were defined using water’s properties – one kilogram of water at 4°C occupied exactly one liter. Though redefined in 1964 using cubic meters, that original water connection makes it intuitive for everyday use.
Interesting facts?
- Kitchen crossover: Most US measuring cups show both cups and milliliters, but rarely liters
- Soda paradox: A 2-liter bottle contains ≈2.113 US quarts
- Auto anatomy: Your car’s engine might need 5 quarts of oil (≈4.73L) for an oil change
- Global oddity: Canada uses liters for gasoline but quarts for milk
- Sporting quarts: NFL footballs are inflated to 12.5-13.5 psi – about the pressure of 1 quart of air at sea level
FAQ
The US customary system persists due to tradition, though liters are increasingly used in science and international trade.
Multiply quart measurements by 0.946. For 4 quarts of soup, you’d use about 3.785 liters.
No! A US quart equals 0.946 liters, while an imperial quart is about 1.136 liters.
2 liters (≈2.113 quarts) are slightly larger than 2 US quarts.
Most US vehicles specify oil in quarts, while European models use liters. Always check your manual!