There are some key differences between the Canadian and US measurement systems when it comes to volume measurements like gallons and litres. Both countries measure volume using gallons and litres, but the actual quantities represented by these units differ. Understanding the relationship between US and Canadian gallons and litres is important for proper conversions and calculations.
Quick Answer
There are approximately 3.78541 Canadian litres (L) in 1 US liquid gallon. The US liquid gallon is approximately 0.264172052358148 Canadian gallons. To convert between US gallons and Canadian litres, multiply the US gallons by 3.78541 to get Canadian litres. Multiply Canadian litres by 0.264172052358148 to get US gallons.
The Difference Between US and Canadian Gallons
The main difference lies in the actual volumes represented by the gallon in each country. The US gallon and Canadian gallon are not the same unit.
US Gallons
The US gallon (sometimes referred to as the US liquid gallon to distinguish from US dry gallons) is the most common gallon used in the United States. One US liquid gallon equals exactly 231 cubic inches, which is equivalent to exactly 3.78541 litres. This means 1 US gallon contains 0.133680555 litres.
The US previously used the wine gallon and the corn gallon, but these are now obsolete. The US gallon is now defined in metric units for standardization.
Canadian Gallons
Canada uses the Imperial gallon defined by the British Imperial system. The Imperial gallon is approximately 20% larger than the US gallon.
One Canadian (Imperial) gallon equals exactly 4.54609 litres. This is equivalent to 277.42 cubic inches. So the Canadian gallon differs from the US gallon in the volume and fluid ounces it contains.
Comparing US Gallons and Canadian Litres
Since the US and Canadian systems use different definitions for their gallons, conversions between US gallons and Canadian litres require a conversion factor. The main aspects to note are:
- 1 US gallon = approximately 3.78541 litres
- 1 Canadian (Imperial) gallon = exactly 4.54609 litres
So Canadian gallons contain more litres than US gallons, even though the gallon is the same imperial unit.
The exact conversion factor between US gallons and Canadian litres is:
1 US gallon = 3.78541 Canadian litres
This means 1 US liquid gallon contains 3.78541 litres as defined by the Canadian metric measurement system.
Converting Gallons and Litres Between US and Canada
Using the exact conversion factor, you can convert between US gallons and Canadian litres as follows:
US Gallons to Canadian Litres
To convert US gallons to Canadian litres, multiply the US gallons by 3.78541
For example:
- 1 US gallon x 3.78541 = 3.78541 Canadian litres
- 2 US gallons x 3.78541 = 7.57082 Canadian litres
- 5 US gallons x 3.78541 = 18.92705 Canadian litres
Canadian Litres to US Gallons
To convert Canadian litres to US gallons, divide the Canadian litres by 3.78541
For example:
- 3.78541 Canadian litres / 3.78541 = 1 US gallon
- 7.57082 Canadian litres / 3.78541 = 2 US gallons
- 18.92705 Canadian litres / 3.78541 = 5 US gallons
So dividing Canadian litres by 3.78541 will convert to the equivalent number of US liquid gallons.
Comparing Fluid Ounces
The differing gallon sizes also means the fluid ounces in the US and Canada represent slightly different volumes.
US Fluid Ounces
There are exactly 128 US fluid ounces (fl oz) in a US gallon by definition. So one US fluid ounce = 1/128 of a US gallon.
Each US fluid ounce is exactly 1.8046875 cubic inches in volume.
Canadian Fluid Ounces
The Canadian system uses Imperial fluid ounces defined by the British Imperial system. There are 160 Imperial fluid ounces in an Imperial gallon.
One Canadian fluid ounce equals exactly 1.7339805 cubic inches or exactly 28.4130625 millilitres. So a Canadian fluid ounce contains a slightly larger volume than a US fluid ounce.
Converting Between US and Canadian Fluid Ounces
To convert between US and Canadian fluid ounces:
US Fluid Ounces to Canadian Fluid Ounces
Multiply the number of US fl oz by 0.96076
For example:
- 1 US fl oz x 0.96076 = 0.96076 Canadian fl oz
- 16 US fl oz x 0.96076 = 15.37216 Canadian fl oz
Canadian Fluid Ounces to US Fluid Ounces
Multiply the number of Canadian fl oz by 1.04084
For example:
- 1 Canadian fl oz x 1.04084 = 1.04084 US fl oz
- 15.37216 Canadian fl oz x 1.04084 = 16 US fl oz
So this conversion factor allows easy conversion between the different fluid ounce measurements used in the US and Canada.
How Volume Conversions Are Used
Being able to accurately convert between US gallons, Canadian litres, and fluid ounces is essential for:
- Commercial trade between the United States and Canada
- Transporting goods such as fuel and oil between countries
- Food and beverage labelling and sales in Canada and the US
- Following recipes from each country requiring accurate liquid measurements
- Understanding fluid volumes in industries like petroleum, manufacturing, etc.
Many products are manufactured in one country and exported to the other. For example, an American recipe may specify volumes in US customary cups and fluid ounces. The Canadian importer and consumer needs to be able to convert these to metric volumes in millilitres and litres.
Likewise, a Canadian textbook may list liquid volumes in litres and millilitres whereas an American publisher using the material would need to convert these to US liquid gallons, quarts, pints etc.
Standard Conversion Factors
The following table summarizes some common conversion factors between US gallons, Canadian litres, and fluid ounces:
| From | To | Multiply By |
|---|---|---|
| US gallons | Canadian litres | 3.78541 |
| Canadian litres | US gallons | 0.26417 |
| US fl oz | Canadian fl oz | 0.96076 |
| Canadian fl oz | US fl oz | 1.04084 |
Using these standard conversion factors allows you to easily convert volumes between US and Canadian measurement systems.
Converting Between Common Volume Measurements
You can use the US gallon/Canadian litre conversion factor to convert between other common volume measurements:
Converting US Quarts to Canadian Litres
- 1 US gallon = 4 quarts
- So 1 US quart = 1/4 gallon = 0.94635 litres
Converting US Pints to Canadian Millilitres
- 1 US gallon = 8 pints
- So 1 US pint = 1/8 gallon = 473.176 millilitres
Converting Canadian Cups to US Fluid Ounces
- 1 Canadian cup = 227 millilitres
- 227 millilitres x 0.033814 = 7.708 US fluid ounces
You can use these factors to convert any volume measurements between US and Canadian systems.
Metric Conversions
The metric system is based on powers of 10 so metric conversions are straightforward. For example:
- 1 litre = 1000 millilitres
- 1 millilitre = 0.001 litres
So converting between litres, millilitres, cubic centimetres, etc. just requires moving the decimal place. No conversion factors are needed for metric conversions.
Converting Densities Between Measurement Systems
Density relates mass and volume. Because the US and Canada use different systems for mass (pounds vs. grams) and volume, density units differ between the imperial and metric systems.
A common example is converting gasoline density:
US Units
Gasoline density is around 0.74 g/ml
Canadian Units
Gasoline density is around 6.3 lb/gal
To convert density:
1. Convert mass units
2. Convert volume units
For example:
Convert 0.74 g/ml to lb/gal
1. 0.74 g/ml x 0.00220462 lb/g = 0.001633 lb/ml
2. 0.001633 lb/ml x 3.78541 ml/gal = 6.17 lb/gal
So 0.74 g/ml = 6.17 lb/gal
Density conversions are straightforward using this two-step method to convert the mass and volume units.
Temperature Conversions Between Fahrenheit and Celsius
The United States uses the Fahrenheit temperature scale while Canada uses the Celsius scale. Converting temperatures requires a formula:
Fahrenheit to Celsius
Subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9ths
C = (F – 32) x (5/9)
Celsius to Fahrenheit
Multiply by 9/5ths then add 32
F = (C x 9/5) + 32
So 35°F would convert to 1.7°C while 12°C converts to 53.6°F. Online calculators make it easy to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius.
Typical Volume Measurements
Some typical volume amounts include:
- Gasoline – sold by the US gallon or Canadian litre
- Milk – commonly sold in 1 US gallon (3.79 litre) jugs
- Wine – 750 ml (0.2 US gallons, 0.75 litres)
- Pop/soda – often 355 ml cans (12 US fl oz, 0.09 gallons)
- Water – 500 ml (0.13 gallons, 16.9 fl oz) bottles common
Understanding fluid volumes helps when buying, selling or measuring liquids including while cooking, mixing gas and oil, and consuming beverages.
Should the US Adopt the Metric System?
The use of non-standard customary units like gallons causes confusion and the need for conversions. This has led to debate about whether the US should fully adopt the metric system like Canada and most of the world.
Arguments for converting to the metric system include:
- Eliminates confusing conversions – volumes in metric units like litres relate easily as multiples of 10
- Simplifies manufacturing, trade, and labeling with international partners already on the metric system
- Standardizes scientific applications and record keeping
- Reduces errors caused by incorrect conversions between measurement systems
However, there is resistance and cost associated with changing entrenched manufacturing and cultural systems. The effort has stalled over several decades.
While many industries do use metric units, consumer products like bottled beverages still use fluid ounces and the automotive industry continues selling fuel by the US gallon. Full metric adoption does not appear imminent.
Efforts to Standardize Measurements
International organizations have promoted standardization of weights, measures, and conversions to improve international commerce and communication. These efforts include:
- The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defined the international system of units (SI) based on metric units.
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes standards including for measurement units and conversion factors.
- International Bureau of Weights and Measures helps standardize units worldwide.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) maintains standards and guidelines for US commerce and industry.
So while the US retains some non-metric customary units, standard conversion factors are established and applied for global trade and communication.
Summary
In summary, key facts about US and Canadian measurement units:
- 1 US gallon = approximately 3.78541 Canadian litres
- The US and Canada have different fluid ounce definitions
- Established conversion factors allow conversion between volume units
- Metric conversions are based on powers of 10 (millilitres to litres, etc.)
- Density requires converting mass and volume units
- Temperature uses different scales – Fahrenheit (US) and Celsius (Canada)
Understanding volume, density, and temperature conversions ensures accurate measurements and calculations when working with US and Canadian measurement units.
Conclusion
The Canadian litre and US gallon are different volume units due to the Imperial vs. US customary measurement systems. The US gallon equals 3.78541 Canadian litres. This conversion factor allows easy switches between US gallons and Canadian litres for purposes like trade, recipes, automobile fuel volumes and other applications requiring accurate liquid measurement. While definitions vary between units, international standards provide established conversion factors for interfacing between the metric and imperial systems used by Canada, the United States and other countries. Knowing how to convert between US and Canadian volume, density and temperature units ensures precision in science, manufacturing and everyday consumer activities.
