cubic foot to liter – How to convert ft³ to L
Switching between cubic feet and liters is a daily need for global industries. Cubic feet are common in the US, while liters are standard across most of the world. Whether you’re shipping goods, filling a tank, or reading a product label, this conversion helps align imperial and metric systems.
What is a cubic foot (ft³)?
A cubic foot is the volume of a cube with sides of 1 foot. It equals about 28.3168 liters. In the US, cubic feet are used to measure room capacity, appliances, and shipping boxes.
What is a liter (L)?
A liter is a metric unit of volume equal to 1000 cm³ or 1 dm³. It is widely used in consumer packaging, beverages, fuel, and lab work.
Conversion formula – cubic foot to liter
The conversion uses a precise factor:
The base equivalence is:1 ft³ = 28.3168 L
To convert cubic feet to liters:1 cubic foot = liter × 28.3168
To convert liters to cubic feet:1 liter = cubic foot ÷ 28.3168
Examples:
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5 ft³ ≈ 141.58 L
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200 L ≈ 7.06 ft³
If you need quick results for other conversions, Jetcalculator’s Volume Converter and a full range of Conversion Tools provide accurate answers across dozens of units.
Do you know?
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In appliances: US refrigerators are often rated in ft³, while the same models sold in Europe list capacity in liters.
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In vehicles: Car trunk space is measured in ft³ in the US, but in liters in most international catalogs.
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In aviation: Aircraft cargo capacity may be listed in cubic feet for American airlines, but international airlines prefer liters or cubic meters.
From kitchens to cargo holds
Imagine comparing refrigerators online. An American brand lists its model as 18 ft³, while a European site shows the same unit as 510 liters. Both describe the same capacity, just in different systems.
The same happens with shipping. A container may be measured as 1000 ft³ for US freight records, but international documents require the figure in liters — which is over 28,000 L. Without this conversion, trade would face delays and confusion.
Bridging households and industries
The formula 1 ft³ = 28.3168 L
doesn’t just help engineers — it connects household shopping, shipping logistics, and scientific data. From a washing machine in your kitchen to a freight container at the docks, the ability to move between cubic feet and liters ensures clarity across borders and industries.
It shows how one system of measurement scales from the personal to the global, and why conversions remain a quiet but powerful part of modern life.