There are 237 milliliters (mL) in a cup and 0.0042 cups in one mL. These conversions refer to the US cup. However, cup sizes can vary in different parts of the world. Read on to learn all the details about cups, and milliliters, and how to convert between the two.
How many milliliters are in a cup?
One cup is equal to 237 milliliters. For example, a cup of water will contain 237 mL. This measurement applies to the US cup.
In the US, there are two types of cups: the US customary cup, which is frequently used and is equal to 237 mL, and the US legal cup, which is used for nutritional labeling and is equal to 240 mL.
Variations:
Other places around the world use different sizes for a ‘cup’:
- Metric cup: In countries using the metric system, a metric cup equals exactly 250 milliliters.
- UK or Imperial cup: An imperial or UK cup typically measures 284 milliliters.
To summarize:
- 1 US customary cup = 237 mL
- 1 US legal cup = 240 mL (used for nutritional labeling)
- 1 UK cup or 1 Imperial cup = 284 mL
- 1 Metric cup = 250 mL
So, when you’re making a recipe, make sure you know which type of cup the recipe refers to. In the US, recipes usually use the US customary cup, which holds 237 mL. In most countries around the world, a metric cup is used.
- How many milliliters (mL) in a quarter cup? There are 59.25 mL in a quarter cup (0.25 cups).
- How many milliliters (mL) in a half cup? There are 118.5 mL in a half cup.
- How many milliliters (mL) in 2 cups? There are 474 mL in 2 cups.
- How many milliliters (mL) in 8 ounces (oz) cup? There are 237 mL in an 8-ounce (oz) cup, which is the standard size of a cup in the US.
How many cups are in a milliliter?
There are 0.0042 cups in a milliliter, there are 0.42 cups in 100 ml, 2.1 cups in 500 ml, and 4.2 cups in one liter. (refers to US cups)
For example, 500 mL of water will be equal to 2.1 cups of water.
Convert cups to milliliters
To convert any number of cups to milliliters, we can use 237 as the conversion factor. For example, to convert 3 cups to milliliters, multiply 3 by 237, which gives us 711 mL.
Variations:
- For metric cups, multiply the number of cups by 250. For example, 3 metric cups in milliliters would be 3 x 250 = 750 mL.
- For imperial cups, multiply the number of cups by 284. For example, 3 imperial cups in milliliters would be 3 x 284 = 852 mL.
1 mL = 0.0042 US cups = 0.004 Metric cups = 0.0035 Imperial cups
Cups to mL conversion chart
Below, you can find the chart that shows the conversion of different sizes of US cups to milliliters.
| Cups | Milliliters (mL) |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup (0.25 cups) | 59.25 mL |
| 1/2 cup (0.5 cups) | 118.5 mL |
| 1 cup | 237 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 355.5 mL |
| 2 cups | 474 mL |
| 2.5 cups | 592.5 |
| 3 cups | 711 mL |
| 4 cups | 948 mL |
| 5 cups | 1185 mL |
| 6 cups | 1422 mL |
| 7 cups | 1659 mL |
| 8 cups | 1896 mL |
| 9 cups | 2133 mL |
| 10 cups | 2370 mL |
| 12 cups | 2844 mL |
Convert milliliters to cups (mL to cups)
To convert milliliters to cups (US), we can divide the value in milliliters by 237. For example, to know cups in 250 mL, we can divide 250 by 237 which will give us 1.05 cups.
Variations:
- For milliliters to metric cups, divide the mL by 250. For example, 250 milliliters in cups would be 250/250 = 1 metric cup.
- For milliliters to imperial or UK cups, divide the mL by 284. For example, 250 milliliters in cups would be 250/284 = 0.88 imperial or UK cups.
Milliliters (mL) to cups conversion chart
Below, you can find the chart that shows the conversion of milliliters to US cups. You can also find a printable chart under this, which includes conversions of milliliters to US cups, metric cups, and imperial cups.
| Milliliters (mL) | Cups |
|---|---|
| 1 mL | 0.0042 cups |
| 30 mL | 0.127 cups |
| 50 mL | 0.211 cups |
| 60 mL | 0.254 cups |
| 75 mL | 0.317 cups |
| 80 mL | 0.338 cups |
| 100 mL | 0.423 cups |
| 120 mL | 0.507 cups |
| 125 mL | 0.528 cups |
| 150 mL | 0.634 cups |
| 175 mL | 0.74 cups |
| 200 mL | 0.845 cups |
| 240 mL | 1.014 cups |
| 250 mL | 1.057 cups |
| 300 mL | 1.268 cups |
| 350 mL | 1.48 cups |
| 375 mL | 1.59 cups |
| 400 mL | 1.69 cups |
| 450 mL | 1.9 cups |
| 500 mL | 2.11 cups |
| 550 mL | 2.32 cups |
| 600 mL | 2.54 cups |
| 700 mL | 2.96 cups |
| 750 mL | 3.17 cups |
| 800 mL | 3.38 cups |
| 900 mL | 3.8 cups |
| 1000 mL | 4.23 cups |
What is a cup?
A cup is a unit to measure volume. Fannie Farmer first introduced the concept of using standardized measuring spoons and cups in her book “The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,” in 1896.
There are different types of cups for measuring dry and liquid ingredients. For liquid ingredients, we use liquid measuring cups. These are made of clear material—plastic or glass—with markings and are used to measure liquids. The clear material helps to see the level of liquid ingredients.
Variations in cup size:
- 1 US customary cup = 237 milliliters or 8 US fluid ounces (often used for cooking and baking)
- 1 US legal cup = 240 milliliters or 8.11 US fluid ounces (used for nutritional labels)
- 1 metric cup = 250 milliliters or 8.45 US fluid ounces
- 1 UK or imperial cup = 284 mL or 9.61 US fluid ounces
Other useful conversions for a cup:
Why are there different cup sizes in different countries?
Different cup sizes have evolved from varying systems of measurements, historical changes, and even cooking traditions in various countries.
There are two main systems of measurement: metric and imperial. The metric system is used worldwide in the majority of countries. In metric countries, the measurements have rounded-off figures that fit neatly into their system of tens, hundreds, and thousands.
The imperial system, or the British system, is used in a few countries—the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar.
Although the US customary system is derived from the imperial system, some measurements differ between the two systems. For instance, the British imperial or UK cup is 284 mL, while the US customary cup is 237 mL.
What is a milliliter?
A milliliter is equal to 0.00423 cups, 0.00211 pints, and 0.0338 fluid ounces in the US. The liter was introduced during the French Revolution and was defined in 1795 as one cubic decimeter.
Later, in 1901, its definition was revised to represent the volume occupied by one kilogram of pure water at its maximum density. However, in 1964, the original definition of one cubic decimeter was restored. A milliliter is 1/1000th of a liter.
Key points
- There are 237 mL (milliliters) in a cup, 474 milliliters in two cups, 59.25 milliliters in a quarter cup, and 118.5 milliliters in a half cup in the US. To convert cups to mL, multiply the number of cups by 237.
- There are 0.0042 cups in a milliliter, 0.42 cups in 100 ml, 2.1 cups in 500 ml, and 4.2 cups in one liter. To convert mL to cups, divide the number of mL by 237.