US Gallons (Dry)
Abbreviation/Symbol:
gal (US dry)
Unit of:
Worldwide use:
The US dry gallon is 268.8 cubic inches, about 4.405 liters, which is bigger than the US liquid gallon of 3.785 liters. It is an old measure for grain and produce, and not used outside the United States.
Definition:
One US gallon (dry) is equivalent to approximately 4.41 liters or 268.8025 cubic inches. This unit is different from the US Gallon (Liquid) which is used for measuring liquids and is slightly smaller in volume.
Origin:
The US dry gallon comes from the English Winchester bushel, of which it is an eighth: 268.8 cubic inches, or about 4.405 liters. That makes it about 16% bigger than the liquid gallon of 231 cubic inches (3.785 liters).
The US customary system, including the dry US gallon, was inherited from the English measures used in the American colonies, and so predates the British Imperial System of 1824. The US gallon (dry) has been used historically in agriculture and trade to measure quantities of dry goods for buying, selling and shipping.
Usage context:
The US dry gallon is an eighth of a US bushel – 268.8 cubic inches, or about 4.405 liters. That makes it about 16% bigger than the liquid gallon of 3.785 liters.