How many cups are in a quart?

There are 4 US cups in 1 US liquid quart. This is because 1 quart equals 2 pints, and each pint equals 2 cups (2 x 2 = 4). So 1 cup equals a quarter (0.25) of a quart, which is where the word 'quart' comes from.

How do I convert cups to quarts?

Divide the number of cups by 4 to get quarts. For example, 8 cups divided by 4 equals 2 quarts. To convert quarts back to cups, multiply the number of quarts by 4. For example, 3 quarts multiplied by 4 equals 12 cups.

Is a US quart the same as a UK or NZ quart?

No. This converter uses US customary units, which are standard in most recipes online. A US quart is about 946 ml, while an imperial quart (used historically in the UK and NZ) is about 1,136 ml, roughly 20 percent larger. New Zealand now uses the metric system for cooking, so recipes here are usually given in millilitres or litres rather than quarts.

Cups to Quarts Converter

This calculator converts between US cups and US quarts, the two volume units most often seen in American recipes, and it works in either direction so you are never stuck doing the maths yourself. Choose whether you are converting cups to quarts or quarts to cups from the dropdown, then enter the amount you want to convert, and the result updates instantly as you type. Because a US quart always equals exactly 4 cups, the conversion is precise rather than a rounded approximation. Alongside the converted figure you also get the equivalent in millilitres and litres, since New Zealand kitchens measure in metric rather than cups and quarts, plus a quick reference panel showing how a cup relates to pints, fluid ounces and millilitres, and a table of common conversions running from 1 up to 20 cups. This is handy whenever you are following a US recipe, scaling a batch of soup, sauce or stock up or down, or working out how much liquid to buy before a big cook-up or preserving session. Keep in mind this tool uses US customary measurements, noticeably smaller than the old imperial quart once used here, so do not assume a US quart matches an imperial one. The metric figures shown are rounded for everyday use, so for precise baking, measure with a jug marked in millilitres rather than cup measures alone.

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Standard reference Based on the fixed US customary volume standard (1 quart = 4 cups). This ratio does not change over time.

1. Enter Your Value

Convert

Cups

2. Quick Reference

1 US cup0.25 quarts

1 US quart4 cups

1 US quart2 pints

1 US quart32 fl oz

1 US quart~946 ml

Conversion Result

Input

cups

Result
-
quarts

In Millilitres

approx (metric)

In Litres

approx (metric)

Common Cups to Quarts Conversions

Cups	Quarts	Cups	Quarts

How to Convert Cups to Quarts

In the US customary system of measurement, 1 quart is equal to 4 cups. This makes the conversion straightforward: divide the number of cups by 4 to get quarts, or multiply the number of quarts by 4 to get cups.

Cups to quarts: quarts = cups ÷ 4

Quarts to cups: cups = quarts × 4

Worked Example

Say a recipe calls for 8 cups of stock and you want to know how many quarts to buy at the store. Divide 8 by 4, which gives 2 quarts. So 8 cups equals exactly 2 quarts, or about 1.89 litres.

Why Is a Quart Called a Quart?

The word "quart" comes from the Latin "quartus," meaning fourth, because a quart is one quarter of a US gallon. Since a gallon contains 16 cups, a quart (a quarter of a gallon) contains 4 cups. The same logic applies to pints: a pint is half a quart, so it contains 2 cups.

US Customary vs Imperial vs Metric

This converter uses US customary units, the standard used in most online recipes. It is worth noting that a US quart (about 946 ml) is smaller than an imperial quart (about 1,136 ml), which was historically used in New Zealand, the UK, and Australia before metrication. New Zealand kitchens now use the metric system, so recipes and packaging here are given in millilitres and litres rather than cups and quarts. If you are following a US recipe, this converter helps you work out how much volume you actually need, which you can then measure using millilitres.

Cups, Pints, Quarts and Gallons

Unit	Equals	In Cups
1 cup	0.5 pint / 0.25 quart / 0.0625 gallon	1 cup
1 pint	2 cups / 0.5 quart	2 cups
1 quart	2 pints / 4 cups	4 cups
1 gallon	4 quarts / 8 pints	16 cups

Related Calculators

Essential Calculators: browse the full hub of everyday conversion and finance tools.
Cups to Gallons Converter: convert cups directly to gallons.
Cups to Pints Converter: convert cups to pints.
Cups to Ounces Converter: convert cups to fluid ounces.

Sources: US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 44, Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (nist.gov). Fixed US customary volume ratios (1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fl oz).

This converter uses US customary measurements, the standard for most recipes published online. Metric equivalents are approximate and rounded for practical kitchen use.