What this calculator does
Turn US cups into milliliters, or milliliters into cups, so any recipe works in your kitchen. American recipes measure liquids and many dry ingredients in cups. Most of the rest of the world uses milliliters and a measuring jug. Converting lets you follow a US recipe with a metric jug, or turn a European recipe into cups.
The US customary cup is half a US pint, or 8 US fluid ounces, which works out to exactly 236.5882365 mL. That is the cup this page uses. It is not the only "cup" in circulation, so the notes below explain the 250 mL metric cup and the 240 mL cup on US nutrition labels.
Where it's used
Why this math matters outside the classroom:
- Metric jugs. Bakers using a metric jug measure 2 US cups of milk as about 473 mL.
- Metric cups. A metric cup is 250 mL, about 13.4 mL more than a US cup.
- Drink sizes. A 12 fl oz can is 1.5 US cups, or about 355 mL.
- Nutrition labels. US food labels round a cup to 240 mL, which is why a 1 cup serving of juice is listed as 240 mL.
- Scaling recipes. Cooks doubling a recipe that uses 3/4 cup of stock measure about 355 mL in one go.
Grade level and standards: Grades 5–6; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 6.RP.A.3.d. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
How to use it
- Enter a number of cups (fractions as decimals: 1/3 cup is 0.3333) or a number of milliliters.
- Choose cups to milliliters or milliliters to cups.
- Read the result with its working; the table lists the usual measuring-cup fractions.
What the inputs mean
- Value to convert
- Cups for cups → mL, or milliliters for mL → cups. Use decimals for fractions: 0.25, 0.5, 0.75.
- Direction
- Which unit you entered. The quick-reference table follows the same direction.
Formula and method
mL = cups × 236.5882365 cups = mL ÷ 236.5882365
In the formulas, mL is the amount in milliliters and cups is the amount in US cups.
The US gallon is exactly 3.785411784 L and holds 16 cups. So one cup is 3.785411784 ÷ 16 L = 236.5882365 mL, with nothing rounded.
Milliliters to cups divides by the same number. 250 mL, for example, is 1.0567 US cups.
Worked example
A recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and you have a metric jug.
- 1 US cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL, so multiply: 1 × 236.5882365.
- 1 × 236.5882365 = 236.5882365 mL.
Result: 1 cup is about 237 mL. Filling the jug to 240 mL is close enough for almost any recipe.
Understanding the result
Mental shortcut: 1 cup ≈ 240 mL, which is only about 1.4% high. So ½ cup ≈ 120 mL, ¼ cup ≈ 60 mL and ⅓ cup ≈ 80 mL (exactly 78.9 mL). For mL to cups, divide by 240.
Handy equivalents: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 8 US fl oz. Two cups make a pint (473 mL) and four make a quart (946 mL).
Pitfall: Australian, New Zealand and many other metric recipes use a 250 mL cup, about 5.7% larger than the US cup. Over three or four cups of flour or liquid that difference is noticeable in baking, so check where a recipe comes from.
Second pitfall: cups measure volume. A cup of flour, sugar or butter has very different weights, so for weights use the grams-to-cups calculator instead.
Assumptions and limitations
- “Cup” means the US customary cup, 236.5882365 mL.
- The ingredient is measured level, by volume.
- Metric (250 mL) and US nutrition-label (240 mL) cups are not separate options; divide by those numbers if your recipe uses them.
- It does not convert cups to grams; that depends on the ingredient.
Frequently asked questions
How many mL are in a US cup?
Exactly 236.5882365 mL. Most people round it to 237 mL, or to 240 mL for quick kitchen maths.
Why do nutrition labels say 1 cup is 240 mL?
US food-labeling rules round household measures to convenient metric values, and for labeling a cup is taken as 240 mL. It is a labeling convention, about 1.4% larger than the customary cup.
How many cups is 1 liter?
About 4.23 US cups (1000 ÷ 236.5882365). In 250 mL metric cups it is exactly 4.
Does it matter if I use a liquid or a dry measuring cup?
Both hold the same volume in the US. Liquid cups have a spout and headroom so you can read the line at eye level; dry cups are filled to the brim and leveled. Using the right one improves accuracy, not the conversion.
How this calculator is checked
Method: US customary cup = 1/16 US gal = 3.785411784 L ÷ 16 = 236.5882365 mL exactly. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.
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