Wire Gauge Guide
This list is a specification guide for the American wire gauge (AWG), which is also known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge. For all available wire and wire accessories, please see our wire offerings.
Key Terms
- Wire Turns: this is the upper limit on wire wound in the shape of a helix if we exclude wire insulation. You can think of it as "how many loops can be made in this space?"
- Ampacity: An abbreviation for "ampere capacity", this refers to the maximum current that the wire can carry under specific conditions without exceeding the temperature rating of the material. This is also sometimes referred to as the "current carrying capacity."
- cmil: this is an abbreviation for a "circular mil", which is a unit of area equal to the area of a circle with a diameter of one "mil", or ~1/1000^{th}~ of an inch. This is a measurement used specifically to refer to the area of a wire with a circular cross section. A "kcmil" in this case would be 1,000 cmils.
Note that the values below for resistance per length and ampacity are for copper wire.
AWG | Diameter | Wire turns, no insulation | Cross-sectional Area | Resistance per Length* | Ampacity @ 60°C† | Ampacity @ 75°C† | Ampacity @ 90°C† |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0000 (4/0) | 0.4600 in. | 2.17 per in. | 211.6 kcmil | 0.04901 Ω/kft | 195 A | 230 A | 260 A |
11.68 mm. | 0.856 per cm. | 107.2 mm2 | 0.1608 Ω/km | ||||
000 (3/0) | 0.4096 in. | 2.44 per in. | 167.8 kcmil | 0.06180 Ω/kft | 165 A | 200 A | 225 A |
10.40 mm. | 0.961 per cm. | 85.03 mm2 | 0.2028 Ω/km | ||||
00 (2/0) | 0.3648 in. | 2.74 per in. | 133.1 kcmil | 0.07793 Ω/kft | 145 A | 175 A | 195 A |
9.266 mm. | 1.08 per cm. | 67.43 mm2 | 0.2557 Ω/km | ||||
0 (1/0) | 0.3249 in. | 3.08 per in. | 105.5 kcmil | 0.09827 Ω/kft | 125 A | 150 A | 170 A |
8.251 mm. | 1.21 per cm. | 53.48 mm2 | 0.3224 Ω/km | ||||
1 | 0.2893 in. | 3.46 per in. | 83.69 kcmil | 0.1239 Ω/kft | 110 A | 130 A | 145 A |
7.348 mm. | 1.36 per cm. | 42.41 mm2 | 0.4065 Ω/km | ||||
2 | 0.2576 in. | 3.88 per in. | 66.37 kcmil | 0.1562 Ω/kft | 95 A | 115 A | 130 A |
6.544 mm. | 1.53 per cm. | 33.63 mm2 | 0.5126 Ω/km | ||||
3 | 0.2294 in. | 4.36 per in. | 52.63 kcmil | 0.1970 Ω/kft | 85 A | 100 A | 115 A |
5.827 mm. | 1.72 per cm. | 26.67 mm2 | 0.6464 Ω/km | ||||
4 | 0.2043 in. | 4.89 per in. | 41.74 kcmil | 0.2484 Ω/kft | 70 A | 85 A | 95 A |
5.189 mm. | 1.93 per cm. | 21.15 mm2 | 0.8151 Ω/km | ||||
5 | 0.1819 in. | 5.50 per in. | 33.10 kcmil | 0.3133 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
4.621 mm. | 2.16 per cm. | 16.77 mm2 | 1.028 Ω/km | ||||
6 | 0.1620 in. | 6.17 per in. | 26.25 kcmil | 0.3950 Ω/kft | 55 A | 65 A | 75 A |
4.115 mm. | 2.43 per cm. | 13.30 mm2 | 1.296 Ω/km | ||||
7 | 0.1443 in. | 6.93 per in. | 20.82 kcmil | 0.4981 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
3.665 mm. | 2.73 per cm. | 10.55 mm2 | 1.634 Ω/km | ||||
8 | 0.1285 in. | 7.78 per in. | 16.51 kcmil | 0.6281 Ω/kft | 40 A | 50 A | 55 A |
3.264 mm. | 3.06 per cm. | 8.366 mm2 | 2.061 Ω/km | ||||
9 | 0.1144 in. | 8.74 per in. | 13.09 kcmil | 0.7921 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
2.906 mm. | 3.44 per cm. | 6.634 mm2 | 2.599 Ω/km | ||||
10 | 0.1019 in. | 9.81 per in. | 10.38 kcmil | 0.9988 Ω/kft | 30 A | 35 A | 40 A |
2.588 mm. | 3.86 per cm. | 5.261 mm2 | 3.277 Ω/km | ||||
11 | 0.09074 in. | 11.0 per in. | 8.234 kcmil | 1.259 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
2.305 mm. | 4.34 per cm. | 4.172 mm2 | 4.132 Ω/km | ||||
12 | 0.08081 in. | 12.4 per in. | 6.530 kcmil | 1.588 Ω/kft | 20 A | 25 A | 30 A |
2.053 mm. | 4.87 per cm. | 3.309 mm2 | 5.210 Ω/km | ||||
13 | 0.07196 in. | 13.9 per in. | 5.178 kcmil | 2.003 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
1.828 mm. | 5.47 per cm. | 2.624 mm2 | 6.570 Ω/km | ||||
14 | 0.06408 in. | 15.6 per in. | 4.107 kcmil | 2.525 Ω/kft | 15 A | 20 A | 25 A |
1.628 mm. | 6.14 per cm. | 2.081 mm2 | 8.285 Ω/km | ||||
15 | 0.05707 in. | 17.5 per in. | 3.257 kcmil | 3.184 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
1.450 mm. | 6.90 per cm. | 1.650 mm2 | 10.45 Ω/km | ||||
16 | 0.05082 in. | 19.7 per in. | 2.583 kcmil | 4.015 Ω/kft | - | 18 A | - |
1.291 mm. | 7.75 per cm. | 1.309 mm2 | 13.17 Ω/km | ||||
17 | 0.04526 in. | 22.1 per in. | 2.048 kcmil | 5.063 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
1.150 mm. | 8.70 per cm. | 1.038 mm2 | 16.61 Ω/km | ||||
18 | 0.04030 in. | 24.8 per in. | 1.624 kcmil | 6.385 Ω/kft | 10 A | 14 A | 16 A |
1.024 mm. | 9.77 per cm. | 0.8230 mm2 | 20.95 Ω/km | ||||
19 | 0.03589 in. | 27.9 per in. | 1.288 kcmil | 8.051 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.9116 mm. | 11.0 per cm. | 0.6527 mm2 | 26.41 Ω/km | ||||
20 | 0.03196 in. | 31.3 per in. | 1.022 kcmil | 10.15 Ω/kft | 5 A | 11 A | - |
0.8118 mm. | 12.3 per cm. | 0.5176 mm2 | 33.31 Ω/km | ||||
21 | 0.02846 in. | 35.1 per in. | 0.8101 kcmil | 12.80 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.7229 mm. | 13.8 per cm. | 0.4105 mm2 | 42.00 Ω/km | ||||
22 | 0.02535 in. | 39.5 per in. | 0.6424 kcmil | 16.14 Ω/kft | 3 A | 7 A | - |
0.6438 mm. | 15.5 per cm. | 0.3255 mm2 | 52.96 Ω/km | ||||
23 | 0.02257 in. | 44.3 per in. | 0.5095 kcmil | 20.35 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.5733 mm. | 17.4 per cm. | 0.2582 mm2 | 66.78 Ω/km | ||||
24 | 0.02010 in. | 49.7 per in. | 0.4040 kcmil | 25.67 Ω/kft | 2.1 A | 3.5 A | - |
0.5106 mm. | 19.6 per cm. | 0.2047 mm2 | 84.21 Ω/km | ||||
25 | 0.01790 in. | 55.9 per in. | 0.3204 kcmil | 32.37 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.4547 mm. | 22.0 per cm. | 0.1624 mm2 | 106.2 Ω/km | ||||
26 | 0.01594 in. | 62.7 per in. | 0.2541 kcmil | 40.81 Ω/kft | 1.3 A | 2.2 A | - |
0.4049 mm. | 24.7 per cm. | 0.1288 mm2 | 133.9 Ω/km | ||||
27 | 0.01420 in. | 70.4 per in. | 0.2015 kcmil | 51.46 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.3606 mm. | 27.7 per cm. | 0.1021 mm2 | 168.8 Ω/km | ||||
28 | 0.01264 in. | 79.1 per in. | 0.1598 kcmil | 64.89 Ω/kft | 0.83 A | 1.4 A | - |
0.3211 mm. | 31.1 per cm. | 0.08098 mm2 | 212.9 Ω/km | ||||
29 | 0.01126 in. | 88.8 per in. | 0.1267 kcmil | 81.83 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.2859 mm. | 35.0 per cm. | 0.06422 mm2 | 268.5 Ω/km | ||||
30 | 0.01003 in. | 99.7 per in. | 0.1005 kcmil | 103.2 Ω/kft | 0.52 A | 0.86 A | - |
0.2546 mm. | 39.3 per cm. | 0.05093 mm2 | 338.5 Ω/km | ||||
31 | 0.008928 in. | 112 per in. | 0.07970 kcmil | 130.1 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.2268 mm. | 44.1 per cm. | 0.04039 mm2 | 426.9 Ω/km | ||||
32 | 0.007950 in. | 126 per in. | 0.06321 kcmil | 164.1 Ω/kft | 0.32 A | 0.53 A | - |
0.2019 mm. | 49.5 per cm. | 0.03203 mm2 | 538.3 Ω/km | ||||
33 | 0.007080 in. | 141 per in. | 0.05013 kcmil | 206.9 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.1798 mm. | 55.6 per cm. | 0.02540 mm2 | 678.8 Ω/km | ||||
34 | 0.006305 in. | 159 per in. | 0.03975 kcmil | 260.9 Ω/kft | 0.18 A | 0.3 A | - |
0.1601 mm. | 62.4 per cm. | 0.02014 mm2 | 855.9 Ω/km | ||||
35 | 0.005615 in. | 178 per in. | 0.03152 kcmil | 329.0 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.1426 mm. | 70.1 per cm. | 0.01597 mm2 | 1,079 Ω/km | ||||
36 | 0.005000 in. | 200 per in. | 0.02500 kcmil | 414.8 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.1270 mm. | 78.7 per cm. | 0.01267 mm2 | 1,361 Ω/km | ||||
37 | 0.004453 in. | 225 per in. | 0.01983 kcmil | 523.1 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.1131 mm. | 88.4 per cm. | 0.01005 mm2 | 1,716 Ω/km | ||||
38 | 0.003965 in. | 252 per in. | 0.01572 kcmil | 659.6 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.1007 mm. | 99.3 per cm. | 0.007967 mm2 | 2,164 Ω/km | ||||
39 | 0.003531 in. | 283 per in. | 0.01247 kcmil | 831.7 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.08969 mm. | 111 per cm. | 0.006318 mm2 | 2,729 Ω/km | ||||
40 | 0.003145 in. | 318 per in. | 0.009888 kcmil | 1,049 Ω/kft | - | - | - |
0.07987 mm. | 125 per cm. | 0.005010 mm2 | 3,441 Ω/km |
* Figure for solid copper wire at 68°F, (Not in accordance to NEC Codebook 2014 Ch. 9, Table 8) computed based on 100% IACS conductivity of 58.0 MS/m
† Figure for solid copper wire at 20°C insulation material temperature rating, or for single unbundled wires in equipment for 16 AWG and smaller. Based on ambient temperature of 30°C