Cups → millilitres

Cups to ml: 1 Cup = 236.6 ml

1 US cup = 236.588 ml (≈ 236.6 ml). Metric cup: 250 ml. US legal cup (nutrition labels): 240 ml.

1 cup = 125 g

1 cup

236.6

Cups to ml chart

Three cups are in use. Pick the column that matches your recipe: US recipes mean the US cup; Australian, New Zealand and Canadian ones the metric cup.

CupsUS cup (236.588 ml)Metric cup (250 ml)US legal cup (240 ml)
¼ cup59.1 ml62.5 ml60 ml
⅓ cup78.9 ml83.3 ml80 ml
½ cup118.3 ml125 ml120 ml
⅔ cup157.7 ml166.7 ml160 ml
¾ cup177.4 ml187.5 ml180 ml
1 cup236.6 ml250 ml240 ml
1 ½ cups354.9 ml375 ml360 ml
2 cups473.2 ml500 ml480 ml
3 cups709.8 ml750 ml720 ml
4 cups946.4 ml1,000 ml960 ml

Millilitres to one decimal. A measuring jug marked every 25 ml or 50 ml is accurate to about 5 ml, so 78.9 ml and 80 ml pour the same.

How to convert cups to millilitres

ml = cups × 236.588 for US cups, × 250 for metric cups, × 240 for US legal cups.

Example: ¾ US cup is 0.75 × 236.588 = 177.4 ml; ¾ metric cup is 0.75 × 250 = 187.5 ml.

The US cup is half a US pint: a US gallon is 231 cubic inches, which makes 1 cup exactly 236.5882365 ml. It is also 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons or 8 US fluid ounces. The 240 ml legal cup exists only for nutrition labels, where the FDA rounds serving sizes to it; measuring cups sold in the US hold 236.6 ml.

Sources: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (US customary volumes); FDA, 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii) ("1 cup equals 240 mL").

Converting cups of an ingredient to its weight instead? See cups to grams.

More kitchen conversions

Frequently asked questions

How many ml in a cup?

A US cup is 236.588 ml, usually rounded to 236.6 ml (or 237 ml). A metric cup is 250 ml, and the US legal cup on nutrition labels is 240 ml.

Is a cup 250 ml or 240 ml?

Both, depending on the cup. Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and most modern UK recipes use the 250 ml metric cup. US nutrition labels use a 240 ml legal cup. US recipes and measuring cups use the 236.6 ml customary cup. They differ by less than 6%, which rarely matters outside baking.

How many ml is ½ cup, ⅓ cup and ¼ cup?

In US cups: ½ cup = 118.3 ml, ⅓ cup = 78.9 ml, ¼ cup = 59.1 ml. In metric cups: 125 ml, 83.3 ml and 62.5 ml.

How many cups is 1 litre?

4.23 US cups, or exactly 4 metric cups.

Is a UK cup the same as a US cup?

Today a UK recipe that uses cups almost always means the 250 ml metric cup. Older British recipes may mean the imperial cup of 10 imperial fluid ounces, about 284 ml.

Does a cup of flour also hold 236.6 ml?

Yes: a cup is the same volume whatever is in it. Its weight is what changes: 1 US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125 g, sugar 200 g, water 237 g. See cups to grams.