litre (L)
1 litre = 1,000 millilitres
What is litre?
The litre is a metric unit of volume equal to one cubic decimetre. It is widely used for measuring liquid quantities in cooking, beverages, fuel, and laboratory work across metric countries.
Notes: Base unit for volume here
Real-world uses
Litres are the global standard for beverage volumes, fuel tank capacities, engine displacement, and liquid medications. Water intake recommendations are given in litres (about 2 L/day), and swimming pools are measured in thousands of litres.
History
The litre was originally defined in 1795 as one cubic decimetre. In 1901 it was redefined based on the mass of water, creating a tiny discrepancy with the cubic decimetre. In 1964, the original definition (1 L = 1 dm³ exactly) was restored.
Common mistakes
Confusing litres with liters (both are correct—"litre" is the international spelling, "liter" is American). Also, assuming 1 litre of any liquid weighs 1 kg; this is only true for water at 4°C.
When is this conversion used?
Fuel economy, beverage volumes, and liquid measurements frequently require converting between litres and US gallons, especially for automotive and cooking contexts across different markets.
How to convert litre to millilitre
To convert litre to millilitre, multiply the value by 1,000.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 1.0
Measurement standards
The cubic metre is the SI derived unit of volume. The litre, equal to exactly one cubic decimetre (0.001 m³), is accepted by the BIPM for use alongside SI units. Both the lowercase "l" and uppercase "L" are approved symbols for the litre.
Did you know?
An Olympic swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic metres of water — about 2.5 million litres. The Amazon River discharges roughly 209,000 cubic metres per second, enough to fill 84 Olympic pools every single second.
| litres | millilitres |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 500 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 25 | 25,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 250 | 250,000 |
| 500 | 500,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
Common values
| litres | millilitres | |
|---|---|---|
| A teaspoon | 0.005 litres | 5 millilitres |
| A cup of coffee | 0.25 litres | 250 millilitres |
| A water bottle | 0.5 litres | 500 millilitres |
| A bathtub | 300 litres | 300,000 millilitres |
| A swimming pool (Olympic) | 2,500,000 litres | 2.500000e+09 millilitres |
Full litre conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| millilitre | 1 L = 1,000 mL | × 1,000 |
| US gallon | 1 L = 0.26417205 gal (US) | × 0.26417205 |
| cubic metre | 1 L = 0.001 m³ | × 0.001 |
| Imperial gallon | 1 L = 0.21996925 gal (Imp) | × 0.21996925 |
| US fluid ounce | 1 L = 33.8140227 fl oz (US) | × 33.8140227 |
| Imperial fluid ounce | 1 L = 35.19507973 fl oz (Imp) | × 35.19507973 |
| teaspoon (metric) | 1 L = 200 tsp | × 200 |
| tablespoon (metric) | 1 L = 66.66666667 Tbsp | × 66.66666667 |
| cubic centimetre | 1 L = 1,000 cm³ | × 1,000 |