Answer
How much water should I drink a day?
About 9 to 13 cups of drinks a day for adults, from the National Academies: 9.3 cups (2.2 L) for women and 12.7 cups (3 L) for men. Food provides the rest.
Open the water intake calculator
Water intake by age
| Who | Cups | Ounces | Liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child, 1–3 | 3.8 | 30 | 0.9 |
| Child, 4–8 | 5.1 | 41 | 1.2 |
| Boy, 9–13 | 7.6 | 61 | 1.8 |
| Girl, 9–13 | 6.8 | 54 | 1.6 |
| Boy, 14–18 | 11 | 88 | 2.6 |
| Girl, 14–18 | 7.6 | 61 | 1.8 |
| Man, 19+ | 12.7 | 101 | 3 |
| Woman, 19+ | 9.3 | 74 | 2.2 |
| Pregnant | 9.7 | 78 | 2.3 |
| Breastfeeding | 13.1 | 105 | 3.1 |
Signs you need more
Thirst, dark urine, headaches and tiredness can mean you’re not drinking enough, especially in heat or after exercise. Pale yellow urine is a common sign you’re drinking enough.
More questions
Does coffee count toward water intake?
Yes: the intakes count all drinks, including tea and coffee.
Is the half-your-weight rule right?
It isn’t an official guideline; it often lands close to the official figure for average-weight adults.
Citing this? Link to https://tools.tidyandtended.com/answers/how-much-water-should-i-drink-a-day/. Free to reuse with a link (CC BY 4.0).
Save to Pinterest · Download the pin image
