How Many Gallons Is a Garbage Can? | Sizes Explained

Most standard household kitchen garbage cans hold 13 gallons, though sizes range from 2 gallons for bathrooms to over 50 gallons for outdoor use.

There’s no single gallon size for a garbage can because every room produces different amounts of waste. The 13-gallon can is the most common US kitchen size, and it’s the one that fits standard tall kitchen trash bags you’ll find at any grocery store. Understanding the gallon sizes helps you buy the right can and the right bags the first time.

Standard Garbage Can Sizes by Room

Trash can capacity is measured in gallons, and the number you need depends almost entirely on where the can will live and how much waste that space generates. Here are the typical ranges for US households:

• Bathrooms: 2–4 gallons. Compact cans that fit beside a toilet or under a vanity.
• Bedrooms and offices: 3–10 gallons. Small to medium cans for light daily waste like tissues and paper.
• Small kitchens: 10–13 gallons. Fits under most standard counters.
• Family kitchens: 13–16 gallons. The sweet spot for most households, per home-improvement guides.
• Garages and utility areas: 20–30 gallons or more for projects and recycling overflow.
• Outdoor and curb bins: 20–56+ gallons. Large-wheeled carts that hold a week’s worth of household trash.

If you’re outfitting a larger space and need something built for volume, our roundup of the best 60-gallon garbage cans covers heavy-duty options for serious waste loads.

Why 13 Gallons Is the Kitchen Standard

The 13-gallon can dominates US kitchens for one practical reason: it matches the trash bags nearly every manufacturer sells. Standard tall kitchen bags are sized for 13-gallon cans, so buying that size means you never hunt for odd-sized liners. A 13-gallon can typically measures about 24–26 inches high, 15 inches wide, and 12 inches deep for rectangular models — dimensions that slide neatly under most kitchen counters.

For context, 13 gallons equals roughly 49 liters. So if you see a European-made can labeled in liters, divide by 3.78 to find its US gallon capacity.

How to Measure a Trash Can’s Capacity

If your can has no label or you’re sizing a container you already own, you can estimate its gallon capacity with a tape measure and one calculation. Measure the height, width, and depth of the can in inches, then multiply those three numbers together. Divide the result by 231 — the number of cubic inches in one gallon — to get an approximate capacity.

For example, a can that’s 24 inches tall, 15 inches wide, and 12 inches deep holds 4,320 cubic inches. Dividing by 231 gives you roughly 18.7 gallons, which tells you it’s larger than the standard kitchen size and would need oversized bags.

Matching Trash Can Sizes to Trash Bags

A common mistake is confusing can capacity with bag capacity. A 13-gallon bag fits a 13-gallon can, but the math doesn’t stop there. The table below shows which bag sizes pair with which cans:

A can that’s too big for its bag lets liners slip down the sides; a bag too large for the can bunches at the rim and wastes material. Per The Spruce’s trash can size guide, matching the can to the room’s waste volume first, then buying bags to fit the can, prevents both problems.