Cups to Milliliters Guide

5 min read•June 1, 2025•Reviewed: June 1, 2026

✓Reviewed by Apex Conversion Editorial Team · Last reviewed June 1, 2026

One US cup equals 236.588 mL — usually rounded to 237 mL or 240 mL in recipes and measurement guides. This conversion appears constantly in cooking when adapting American recipes for metric measuring tools, or when a recipe calls for cups but your measuring jug is graduated in milliliters.

The practical rounding to 240 mL makes calculation easy: half a cup is 120 mL, a quarter cup is 60 mL, and two cups is 480 mL. These are the most common amounts in recipes, and the rounded values are accurate enough for any cooking application.

Conversion Formula and Reference Table

1 US cup = 236.588 mL  (exact)
         ≈ 237 mL       (scientific rounding)
         ≈ 240 mL       (practical cooking rounding)

Fractional cups:
  ⅛ cup  =  30 mL
  ¼ cup  =  60 mL
  ⅓ cup  =  79 mL  (80 mL rounded)
  ½ cup  = 120 mL
  ⅔ cup  = 158 mL  (160 mL rounded)
  ¾ cup  = 177 mL  (180 mL rounded)
   1 cup  = 240 mL
   2 cups = 480 mL
   4 cups = 960 mL  (≈ 1 liter)

Metric cup (AU/CA): 250 mL  (not 236.6 mL)

US Cup vs Metric Cup

The US cup is 236.588 mL. The metric cup used in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand is exactly 250 mL — about 5.5% larger. When following an Australian recipe that calls for '1 cup of flour' and you are using a US measuring cup, you will be slightly under the intended amount.

For most cooking purposes, the 13 mL difference per cup is negligible. For baking with multiple cups of flour, the cumulative difference can affect texture. The safest approach for baking: weigh ingredients in grams rather than relying on cup measurements.

Converting mL to Cups

To convert mL to US cups: divide by 236.6 (or by 240 for practical purposes). 500 mL ÷ 240 = 2.08 cups ≈ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon. 300 mL ÷ 240 = 1.25 cups = 1¼ cups.

The 240 mL rounding is convenient for mental math. 480 mL = 2 cups exactly; 720 mL = 3 cups exactly. For amounts that do not divide evenly, check the table above.

Quick Tips

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For recipes: 240 mL = 1 cup is accurate enough for cooking. For baking, use grams.
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A standard water glass holds about 240–250 mL — approximately 1 cup.
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Metric measuring cups (marked in 50 mL increments) work fine for US recipes; fill to 240 mL for each cup.
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Half a cup (120 mL) fits in a standard coffee mug about halfway.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mL is 2 cups?

2 US cups = 473.2 mL ≈ 480 mL. For practical purposes, 480 mL is an accurate enough conversion for cooking.

Is 250 mL the same as 1 cup?

Not exactly. 250 mL is a metric cup used in Australia and Canada. The US cup is 236.6 mL. The difference is about 13 mL per cup — negligible for most cooking but matters in precise baking.

How many cups is 1 liter?

1 liter = 1000 mL ÷ 236.6 = 4.23 US cups. Rounded: approximately 4 cups + 3 tablespoons.

How do I measure cups with a mL-only measuring jug?

Use the conversions above: 1 cup = 240 mL, ½ cup = 120 mL, ¼ cup = 60 mL, ¾ cup = 180 mL. These rounded values are accurate enough for all cooking purposes.

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