Cubic Feet to Liters Calculator & Formula

This calculator converts a volume given in cubic feet to liters. Enter the number of cubic feet, and you get the equivalent volume in liters, along with the conversion factor used. The result is based on the exact definition that 1 cubic foot equals 28.316846592 liters.

Formula

The conversion from cubic feet to liters uses a single constant:

Liters = Cubic feet × 28.316846592

Where:

• Cubic feet (ft³) – the volume you start with, measured in cubic feet.
• Liters (L) – the resulting volume, measured in liters.
• 28.316846592 – the exact number of liters in one cubic foot.

This constant comes from the definitions of the inch and the liter: 1 foot = 0.3048 meters exactly, so 1 cubic foot = 0.3048³ cubic meters = 0.028316846592 m³. Since 1 liter is defined as exactly 0.001 m³, dividing gives 28.316846592 liters per cubic foot.

Worked Example

Using the default value of 1 cubic foot:

1. Start with the volume: 1 ft³.
2. Multiply by the conversion factor: 1 × 28.316846592 = 28.316846592.
3. Round to three decimal places: 28.317 liters.

So 1 cubic foot equals 28.317 liters (rounded). The calculator shows the same result when you enter 1.

Why Convert Cubic Feet to Liters?

Cubic feet are common in the United States and Canada for measuring large volumes like refrigerator capacity, shipping boxes, or room air volume. Liters are the standard unit of volume in most of the world and are used for everything from engine displacement to beverage containers. If you are comparing a US-made appliance with a European spec, or working with international shipping dimensions, you often need to switch between the two.

For example, a typical small refrigerator might be listed as 10 cubic feet. That is about 283 liters – a useful number when comparing to a European model that is advertised in liters. Similarly, a shipping carton that is 2 ft × 2 ft × 2 ft (8 ft³) holds about 226.5 liters of goods.

How to Do the Conversion Manually

If you need to convert without a calculator, multiply the cubic feet value by 28.317 (rounded). For most everyday purposes, that gives enough accuracy.

• To convert 5 ft³: 5 × 28.317 = 141.585 L.
• To convert 0.5 ft³: 0.5 × 28.317 = 14.1585 L.
• To convert 100 ft³: 100 × 28.317 = 2,831.7 L.

If you need an exact value, use the full constant 28.316846592. The difference is about 0.00015 liters per cubic foot – negligible for most real-world tasks.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most frequent error is confusing cubic feet with square feet or feet. Square feet measure area, not volume – you cannot convert them to liters directly. Another mistake is using the conversion for gallons instead of liters. One cubic foot is about 7.48 US gallons, not 28.317 gallons. If you accidentally use the gallon factor, your result will be off by a factor of roughly 3.78.

Also be careful with decimal placement. 1 ft³ = 28.317 L, but 0.1 ft³ = 2.8317 L. A misplaced decimal can change the answer by ten times. Always double-check the number of cubic feet you are entering.

Finally, remember that liters are a metric unit, so they are based on powers of ten. Converting from cubic meters to liters is easy (1 m³ = 1000 L), but cubic feet to liters requires the non-round factor above.

Limits of the Conversion

This conversion is purely mathematical – it works for any volume, regardless of what the volume contains. However, it assumes you are using the standard international foot (exactly 0.3048 m). In the US, the survey foot (0.3048006096 m) was historically used for land surveying, but it is now deprecated. The difference is tiny (about 0.0006% or 0.17 mL per cubic foot) and only matters in precise geodetic work.

Also, the conversion does not account for temperature or pressure. A liter is defined at a specific density for water, but as a unit of volume it is independent of what is inside. So the conversion is accurate for any gas, liquid, or solid.

Related Conversions and Comparisons

If you work with volumes often, these related factors may help:

• 1 cubic foot = 1,728 cubic inches (since 12³ = 1728).
• 1 cubic foot ≈ 7.4805 US gallons.
• 1 cubic foot ≈ 6.2288 imperial gallons.
• 1 liter ≈ 0.0353147 cubic feet.
• 1 cubic meter = 35.3147 cubic feet = 1,000 liters.

For example, a 55-gallon drum holds about 7.35 cubic feet (55 ÷ 7.4805) or 208.2 liters. A standard 2-liter soda bottle is about 0.0706 cubic feet – a useful mental image.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many liters are in a cubic foot?

Exactly 28.316846592 liters. For everyday use, rounding to 28.317 is fine. This is because a foot is 0.3048 meters, so a cubic foot is 0.028316846592 cubic meters, and a cubic meter is 1000 liters.

Can I convert cubic feet to liters for a refrigerator?

Yes. Most refrigerator capacities are listed in cubic feet in the US. Multiply that number by 28.317 to get liters. For instance, a 20 ft³ fridge is about 566 liters. This helps when comparing with international models that use liters.

What is the difference between cubic feet and square feet?

Cubic feet measure volume (length × width × height), while square feet measure area (length × width). You cannot convert between them directly because they are different dimensions. To get cubic feet, you need three dimensions; to get square feet, you need two.

Is a liter the same as a kilogram?

Only for water at 4°C, where 1 liter of water has a mass of approximately 1 kilogram. For other substances, the mass depends on density. The conversion from cubic feet to liters is about volume, not mass. If you need mass, multiply the volume in liters by the density in kg/L.

Why is the conversion factor not a round number?

Because the foot and the liter are defined independently. The foot is based on the meter (0.3048 m exactly), and the liter is based on the cubic decimeter. Since 0.3048³ is not a simple fraction, the conversion factor has many decimal places.

How do I convert liters back to cubic feet?

Divide the number of liters by 28.316846592. For example, 100 liters ÷ 28.316846592 ≈ 3.53 cubic feet. You can also multiply by 0.0353147, which is the reciprocal.

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in ft3 | Cubic feet | ft³ | 1 | 0
out L | Liters | L | ft3 * 28.316846592 | 3