Volume conversion
Convert Cups to Milliliters
1 US cup equals 236.6 milliliters. To convert cups to milliliters, multiply the number of cups by 236.588.
Cups to milliliters bridges US recipes and metric measuring tools — handy when you're cooking from an American cookbook with a metric jug, or scaling a recipe precisely. This page uses the US customary cup (236.6 mL). Enter any cup value for an instant milliliter result with the factor shown.
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Computed at full precision in your browser; the result is rounded for display.
How to convert cups to milliliters
Formula
milliliters = cups × 236.588 cups = milliliters ÷ 236.588The US customary cup is 236.588 mL. Watch out: the US legal cup (used on nutrition labels) is 240 mL, the metric cup is 250 mL, and the UK/imperial cup is about 284 mL — so always check which cup a recipe means.
| Cups (US) | Milliliters |
|---|---|
| 0.25 cup | 59.15 mL ¼ cup |
| 0.33 cup | 78.07 mL ⅓ cup |
| 0.5 cup | 118.29 mL ½ cup |
| 0.67 cup | 158.51 mL ⅔ cup |
| 0.75 cup | 177.44 mL ¾ cup |
| 1 cup | 236.59 mL 1 cup |
| 1.5 cup | 354.88 mL |
| 2 cup | 473.18 mL 1 pint |
| 3 cup | 709.76 mL |
| 4 cup | 946.35 mL 1 quart |
Worked example
A US cake recipe calls for 1½ cups of milk and your jug is marked in milliliters. Multiply 1.5 × 236.588 to get about 355 mL. A quarter cup of oil is 59 mL, and a full quart (4 cups) is 946 mL — just under a liter.
Shortcut. Quick estimate: treat 1 cup as 240 mL (the rounded label cup). It's within 1.5% of the customary 236.6 mL, fine for cooking but not for lab work.
Good to know
The big caveat with cups is that there's more than one. This page uses the US customary cup of 236.6 mL; nutrition labels use a 240 mL "legal" cup, and metric recipes often mean a 250 mL cup. Also remember a cup is a volume, not a weight — a cup of flour (~120 g) and a cup of sugar (~200 g) weigh very different amounts, so for baking precision a kitchen scale beats measuring cups.
Frequently asked questions
How many mL is 1 cup?
One US customary cup is 236.6 milliliters. The US legal cup on nutrition labels is 240 mL, and a metric cup is 250 mL.
What is 1/2 cup in mL?
Half a US cup is about 118 mL. A quarter cup is 59 mL and three-quarters of a cup is 177 mL.
Is a US cup the same as a metric cup?
No. A US customary cup is 236.6 mL while a metric cup is 250 mL — a difference of about 13 mL, which can matter when baking.
How many mL in 2 cups?
2 US cups is about 473 mL, which is one US pint. 4 cups (a quart) is 946 mL.
Should I weigh or measure by cups?
For liquids, cups are fine. For flour and sugar, weighing in grams is more accurate because the same cup can hold different amounts depending on packing.