The factor is a flat 4
cups = quarts × 4, quarts = cups ÷ 4
One US liquid quart holds exactly 4 cups, so converting is just multiplying or dividing by 4. A quart is a quarter of a gallon, which is where the name comes from.
Quick reference
| Quarts | Cups | Also |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ qt | 1 cup | 8 fl oz |
| ½ qt | 2 cups | 1 pint |
| 1 qt | 4 cups | 946 mL |
| 1½ qt | 6 cups | 1.42 L |
| 2 qt | 8 cups | ½ gallon |
| 3 qt | 12 cups | 2.84 L |
| 4 qt | 16 cups | 1 gallon |
Whole chain: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fl oz.
The two traps: dry quarts and UK quarts
- Dry quart is bigger. A US dry quart (used for berries, grain and produce) is 1101 mL versus 946 mL for the liquid quart, about 16 percent more. The 4-cups rule is for liquid measure.
- Imperial quart is bigger still. A UK quart is 1137 mL, roughly 20 percent above the US quart. Use US cups for US recipes and imperial cups for British ones, or you will be off by a fifth.
- Volume, not weight. 4 cups of water and 4 cups of flour are the same volume but very different weights. A recipe in cups measures space, not mass.
Common questions
How many cups are in a quart?
A US liquid quart is exactly 4 cups. So 2 quarts is 8 cups and 3 quarts is 12 cups. This is the US customary system that most American recipes use.
How many cups are in a gallon?
16 cups. The chain is easy to remember: 1 gallon is 4 quarts, and each quart is 4 cups, so 4 times 4 is 16 cups per gallon.
Is a US quart the same as a UK quart?
No. A US quart is 946 mL and an imperial (UK) quart is 1137 mL, about 20 percent larger. Both still split into 4 cups, but a UK cup holds more, so a British recipe calling for 2 quarts gives more liquid than an American one.
