Cups to mL Converter (US Cups)
Convert cups to milliliters in one step. The input is the US customary cup (not the metric cup), with the formula, kitchen examples and a quick-reference table below.
Milliliters = US Cups × 236.5882365
US Cups to mL Formula
One US customary cup is exactly 236.5882365 milliliters (half a US pint, or 8 US fluid ounces), so multiplying the number of cups by 236.5882365 gives milliliters. To convert milliliters to cups, divide by 236.5882365. Input standard: US customary cup. A metric cup is 250 mL, a US legal (nutrition label) cup is 240 mL, and the old imperial cup is about 284 mL, so do not mix these with the value used here.
About US Cups and Milliliters
A US customary cup is a kitchen measure equal to 8 US fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons, which is exactly 236.5882365 milliliters. It is often rounded to 237 mL, or to 240 mL on nutrition labels. A milliliter (mL) is one thousandth of a liter, or one cubic centimeter, and is the standard small-volume unit in the metric system. Because “cup” means different volumes in different countries, this converter always takes US customary cups as the input.
How to Convert Cups to mL
- Enter the number of US cups. Decimals such as 0.75 or 1.5 are fine, so you can type a fraction like ⅓ as 0.3333.
- The answer in milliliters appears instantly, or press Convert Now. US fluid ounces, tablespoons and teaspoons are shown as side values.
- Use Swap Units to convert milliliters to cups, Copy Result to copy the answer, or Clear to start again.
By hand: multiply the cups by 236.59, or by 240 for a quick kitchen estimate: 2 cups is about 480 mL (exact: 473.176473 mL). Volume cannot be negative, so only zero and positive values are accepted.
Practical Examples
- One cup of milk: 1 cup × 236.5882365 = 236.588237 mL.
- Half a cup of oil: 0.5 cup = 118.294118 mL.
- Two and a half cups of flour (by volume): 2.5 cups = 591.470591 mL.
- A third of a cup of sugar: 1/3 cup = 78.8627 mL.
- A quart of stock: 4 cups = 946.352946 mL, just under a liter.
US Cups to mL – Common Values
Quick reference for frequently used conversions
| US Cups | Milliliters (mL) | US Fluid Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 29.57 mL | 1 fl oz |
| 1/4 cup | 59.15 mL | 2 fl oz |
| 1/3 cup | 78.86 mL | 2.67 fl oz |
| 1/2 cup | 118.29 mL | 4 fl oz |
| 2/3 cup | 157.73 mL | 5.33 fl oz |
| 3/4 cup | 177.44 mL | 6 fl oz |
| 1 cup | 236.59 mL | 8 fl oz |
| 1 1/2 cups | 354.88 mL | 12 fl oz |
| 2 cups | 473.18 mL | 16 fl oz |
| 2 1/2 cups | 591.47 mL | 20 fl oz |
| 3 cups | 709.76 mL | 24 fl oz |
| 4 cups (1 quart) | 946.35 mL | 32 fl oz |
| 5 cups | 1,182.94 mL | 40 fl oz |
| 8 cups (½ gallon) | 1,892.71 mL | 64 fl oz |
| 10 cups | 2,365.88 mL | 80 fl oz |
| 16 cups (1 gallon) | 3,785.41 mL | 128 fl oz |
Where and Why This Conversion Is Used
American recipes and measuring cups are written in cups, while most of the world’s measuring jugs, scales and food labels use milliliters.
- Cooking and baking: following a US recipe with metric measuring jugs, or the reverse.
- Nutrition labels: serving sizes shown in cups and in mL.
- Drinks and coffee: cup, glass and bottle sizes compared across markets.
- Baby feeding and health: fluid intake given in cups but recorded in mL.
- Gardening and cleaning: dilution instructions that mix cups with mL.
To go the other way use the mL to Cups Converter. For larger volumes try the Liters to Gallons Converter (US Gallons).