Kg to Gallons Converter
Convert kilograms of a liquid to US or UK gallons (or back) using its density. Covers honey, syrups, oils, glycols, alcohols and liquid fertilizer, or enter the density from a data sheet.
Gallons = kg ÷ density (kg/L) ÷ litres per gallon
Rounded; 0.998 at 20 °C
Gallons in 1 kg, 25 kg and a Tonne
US gallons. 25 kg is a common pail or jerrycan weight for oils, syrups and chemicals, and a tonne (1,000 kg) is how bulk liquids are often quoted.
| Liquid | kg/L | Gal per kg | Gal per 25 kg | Gal per tonne |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 1 | 0.264 | 6.6 | 264 |
| Vegetable oil (soybean, canola) | 0.92 | 0.287 | 7.18 | 287 |
| Honey | 1.42 | 0.186 | 4.65 | 186 |
| Maple syrup | 1.33 | 0.199 | 4.97 | 199 |
| Glycerin (glycerol) | 1.26 | 0.21 | 5.24 | 210 |
| Antifreeze concentrate (ethylene glycol) | 1.11 | 0.238 | 5.95 | 238 |
| Isopropyl alcohol (99%) | 0.786 | 0.336 | 8.4 | 336 |
| UAN 28% liquid fertilizer | 1.28 | 0.206 | 5.16 | 206 |
Using the Density From a Data Sheet
For anything not in the list, look in section 9 ("Physical and chemical properties") of the product's safety data sheet. It gives one of three figures, and all of them work in the converter:
- Density in kg/L or g/cm³: enter it as is. The two units give the same number.
- Specific gravity or relative density: the ratio to water, with no unit. Enter it as kg/L. Water at 4 °C is 1.000 kg/L, so the error is under 0.3% at room temperature.
- lb/gal: common on US sheets. Choose "lb per US gal" (divide by 8.345 to get kg/L yourself).
If the sheet gives a range (1.10–1.15, say), use the midpoint for planning and the upper value when checking a container's weight limit.
Worked Example: Bucketing a Honey Harvest
A beekeeper extracts 40 kg of honey and wants to know how many 5-gallon food-grade pails to have ready. (This is the calculator's Load Example.)
Step 1: Kilograms to litres (honey ≈ 1.42 kg/L)
Step 2: Litres to US gallons
Step 3: How much a full pail holds
That's two pails: one full and one about half full. A full pail of honey weighs almost 60 lb, so many beekeepers fill pails only part way to keep them manageable.
How Many kg Fit in Pails, Drums and Totes
Container capacity is a volume, so the weight it holds depends on the liquid. Brim-full figures are below. Real fills are a few percent less to leave room for expansion, and IBC totes also carry a maximum specific gravity rating, so a tote that is fine for water may not be rated for a full load of honey or fertilizer.
| Container | Volume | Litres | kg water | kg oil | kg honey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-gallon pail | 5 US gal | 19 | 19 | 17 | 27 |
| 55-gallon drum | 55 US gal | 208 | 208 | 192 | 296 |
| 1,000 L IBC tote | 264 US gal | 1,000 | 1,000 | 920 | 1,420 |
| 275-gallon IBC tote | 275 US gal | 1,041 | 1,041 | 958 | 1,478 |
| 330-gallon IBC tote | 330 US gal | 1,249 | 1,249 | 1,149 | 1,774 |
Bulk Liquids Ordered by the Tonne
Liquid fertilizer, syrups and industrial fluids are often invoiced by weight but stored, pumped and applied by volume. UAN 28% is a good example: it is sold by the ton but sprayed in gallons per acre.
- 1 tonne of UAN 28% (1.28 kg/L) = 1,000 ÷ 1.28 = 781 L = 206 US gallons.
- A US short ton (907 kg) of the same product is 187 US gallons.
- A 1,000 L tote holds 1,280 kg of it, more than many totes are rated for, so it is usually shipped in higher-rated or part-filled totes.
Fertilizer density changes with temperature and the exact blend, so use the figure on your supplier's data sheet when the gallons matter for application rates.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons is 1 kg?
For water, 0.264 US gallons (1 litre). Anything denser than water, such as honey or glycerin, gives fewer gallons per kg, and anything lighter, such as oil or alcohol, gives more.
How many gallons is 25 kg of oil?
About 7.2 US gallons of vegetable oil at 0.92 kg/L (25 ÷ 0.92 = 27.2 L). A 25 kg jerrycan of oil therefore holds a little over 27 litres.
Should I use US or UK gallons?
Use the gallon your container or invoice uses. A UK gallon is about 20% bigger (4.546 L against 3.785 L), so the same 100 kg of water is 26.4 US gallons but 22.0 UK gallons.
Can I convert kg of a powder to gallons?
Only with its bulk density, which depends on how loosely it is packed and is usually much lower than the solid material's density. Weigh a known volume of the powder and enter that figure as "Other".
Sources
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C: US gallon = 231 in³ = 3.785411784 L, and 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.
- UK Units of Measurement Regulations 1995: imperial gallon = 4.54609 L.
- OSHA Hazard Communication Standard: section 9 of a safety data sheet lists physical properties, including relative density.
- USDA US Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup: finished syrup density (at least 66 °Brix).
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