While pints and gallons are two common units for measuring liquid volume in the US, knowing the conversion rate between these two units will help us save time and effort when working with recipes, measuring liquids, or filling containers. So, how many pints in a gallon? Let’s deep dive into the US customary system of measurements to learn about the conversion between pints and gallons.
Understanding the US Customary Measurement System
The US measurement system follows the imperial system, rather than the metric system. The units that the imperial system uses for measuring liquid volume are as follows-
(From the smallest to the biggest)
- Teaspoon, b) Tablespoon, c) Fluid Ounce, d) Cup, e) Pint, f) Quart, and g) Gallon.
One thing to note here is that the US imperial system is slightly different from the actual imperial system. For instance, whereas one British pint is equal to 568.261 milliliters, one US pint is smaller, which is equal to 473.176 milliliters. Therefore, the US imperial system is quite unique. This measurement system is also known as the US customary unit system.
Here, we will only discuss the US version of how many pints in a gallon.
How Many Pints in a Gallon (US Customary Measurement System)?
In the US measurement system, a gallon consists of 128 fluid ounces, and each pint equals 16 fluid ounces. Therefore, it’s easy to calculate how many pints in a gallon by using the following calculation.
1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces. |
1 pint = 16 fluid ounces. |
Therefore, 1 gallon = 128 / 16 pints = 8 pints. |
Gallon to Pint Conversion
From the above calculation, we have learned that there are 8 pints in one gallon. Therefore, 1 pint is equivalent to 1/8 gallon.
Let’s take a look at the table below, which demonstrates some common conversions between gallons and pints-
Pint (pt) | Gallon (gal) |
1 pt | 1/8 gal |
2 pt | ¼ gal |
4 pt | ½ gal |
8 pt | 1 gal |
16 pt | 2 gal |
24 pt | 3 gal |
32 pt | 4 gal |
While the table above shows common conversions, you can easily convert any number of gallons to pints and vice versa by following two simple rules.
Rule 1: Gallon to Pints
When the number of gallons is given, simply multiply it by 8 to find the equivalent amount in pints.
Rule 2: Pints to Gallons
When the number of pints is given, simply divide it by 8 to get the equivalent amount in gallons.
US Customary System for Liquid Measurement and Conversion Chart
We have already mentioned two important units for measuring liquid volume in the US customary system. Now, it’s time to learn about two other imperial units, such as the Quart and Cup and their conversion chart.
Rule 3: Quarts to Pints
When the number of quarts is given, multiply it by 2 to get the equivalent amounts in pints.
Rule 4: Cups to Pints
When the number of cups is given, divide it by 2 to get the equivalent amounts in pints.
Gallon (gal) | Pints (pt) | Quart (qt) | Cup (c) |
1 gal | 8 pt | 4 qt | 16 c |
¾ gal | 6 pt | 3 qt | 12 c |
2/3 gal | 5 1/3 pt | 2 2/3 qt | 10 2/3 c |
½ gal | 4 pt | 2 qt | 8 c |
3/8 gal | 3 pt | 1 ½ qt | 6 c |
1/3 gal | 2 2/3 pt | 1 1/3 qt | 5 1/3 c |
¼ gal | 2 pt | 1 qt | 4 c |
1/6 gal | 1 1/3 pt | 2/3 qt | 2 2/3 c |
1/8 gal | 1 pt | ½ qt | 2 c |
1/16 gal | ½ pt | ¼ qt | 1 c |
Hopefully, the conversion rules and charts above will help you easily measure how many pints are in a gallon, along with other unit conversions.