Electrical reference
Wire Gauge Chart
AWG sizes with conductor diameter and cross-sectional area, computed from the AWG definition.
- Basis Computed from definitions
- Last checked 2026-08-17
- Sheet landscape
Both unit systems load with the page. The filter searches every column.
| AWG | Diameter | Diameter | Diameter | Area | Area | Area | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in | mm | circular mils | mm² | |||||
| 0000 | 0.4600 | 11.684 | 211,600.0 | 107.2193 | ||||
| 000 | 0.4096 | 10.405 | 167,806.4 | 85.0288 | ||||
| 00 | 0.3648 | 9.266 | 133,076.5 | 67.4309 | ||||
| 0 | 0.3249 | 8.251 | 105,534.5 | 53.4751 | ||||
| 1 | 0.2893 | 7.348 | 83,692.7 | 42.4077 | ||||
| 2 | 0.2576 | 6.544 | 66,371.3 | 33.6308 | ||||
| 3 | 0.2294 | 5.827 | 52,634.8 | 26.6705 | ||||
| 4 | 0.2043 | 5.189 | 41,741.3 | 21.1506 | ||||
| 5 | 0.1819 | 4.621 | 33,102.4 | 16.7732 | ||||
| 6 | 0.1620 | 4.115 | 26,251.4 | 13.3018 | ||||
| 7 | 0.1443 | 3.665 | 20,818.3 | 10.5488 | ||||
| 8 | 0.1285 | 3.264 | 16,509.7 | 8.3656 | ||||
| 9 | 0.1144 | 2.906 | 13,092.7 | 6.6342 | ||||
| 10 | 0.1019 | 2.588 | 10,383.0 | 5.2612 | ||||
| 11 | 0.0907 | 2.305 | 8,234.1 | 4.1723 | ||||
| 12 | 0.0808 | 2.053 | 6,529.9 | 3.3088 | ||||
| 13 | 0.0720 | 1.828 | 5,178.5 | 2.6240 | ||||
| 14 | 0.0641 | 1.628 | 4,106.7 | 2.0809 | ||||
| 15 | 0.0571 | 1.450 | 3,256.8 | 1.6502 | ||||
| 16 | 0.0508 | 1.291 | 2,582.7 | 1.3087 | ||||
| 17 | 0.0453 | 1.150 | 2,048.2 | 1.0378 | ||||
| 18 | 0.0403 | 1.024 | 1,624.3 | 0.8230 | ||||
| 19 | 0.0359 | 0.912 | 1,288.1 | 0.6527 | ||||
| 20 | 0.0320 | 0.812 | 1,021.5 | 0.5176 | ||||
| 21 | 0.0285 | 0.723 | 810.1 | 0.4105 | ||||
| 22 | 0.0253 | 0.644 | 642.4 | 0.3255 | ||||
| 23 | 0.0226 | 0.573 | 509.5 | 0.2582 | ||||
| 24 | 0.0201 | 0.511 | 404.0 | 0.2047 | ||||
| 25 | 0.0179 | 0.455 | 320.4 | 0.1624 | ||||
| 26 | 0.0159 | 0.405 | 254.1 | 0.1288 | ||||
| 27 | 0.0142 | 0.361 | 201.5 | 0.1021 | ||||
| 28 | 0.0126 | 0.321 | 159.8 | 0.0810 | ||||
| 29 | 0.0113 | 0.286 | 126.7 | 0.0642 | ||||
| 30 | 0.0100 | 0.255 | 100.5 | 0.0509 | ||||
| 31 | 0.0089 | 0.227 | 79.7 | 0.0404 | ||||
| 32 | 0.0080 | 0.202 | 63.2 | 0.0320 | ||||
| 33 | 0.0071 | 0.180 | 50.1 | 0.0254 | ||||
| 34 | 0.0063 | 0.160 | 39.8 | 0.0201 | ||||
| 35 | 0.0056 | 0.143 | 31.5 | 0.0160 | ||||
| 36 | 0.0050 | 0.127 | 25.0 | 0.0127 | ||||
| 37 | 0.0045 | 0.113 | 19.8 | 0.0100 | ||||
| 38 | 0.0040 | 0.101 | 15.7 | 0.0080 | ||||
| 39 | 0.0035 | 0.090 | 12.5 | 0.0063 | ||||
| 40 | 0.0031 | 0.080 | 9.9 | 0.0050 | ||||
No size matches that. Clear the filter to see the full table.
Sources mapped to columns
One line per source, listing exactly which columns it covers. A column cannot appear in the table without appearing here, because the build fails on it.
| Columns | Source | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| AWG Diameter in Diameter mm | AWG geometric series Conductor diameter. AWG is defined by 0000 AWG = 0.4600 in and 36 AWG = 0.0050 in with 39 equal ratio steps between, so d(n) = 0.005 × 92^((36 − n)/39) inches. | Definition |
| Diameter mm Area circular mils Area mm² | Area identities Circular mils is the square of the diameter in mils. Area in mm² is πd²/4. Millimetre columns are the inch columns × 25.4 exactly. | Definition |
| AWG Diameter in | NBS Circular 31, Copper Wire Tables (3rd edition, 1914) National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) Publishes the AWG definition itself: "the diameter of No. 0000 is defined as 0.4600 inch and of No. 36 as 0.0050 inch", with the intermediate sizes in geometric progression at a ratio of about 1.122932. This is why the diameters on this page can be computed rather than transcribed. | Published standard |
| Diameter in Area circular mils | ASTM B258-18 ASTM International Tabulates the same nominal solid-conductor diameters and areas as the definition above. Cited as corroboration, not as the origin of these figures. B258 also gives equations for calculating resistance, but the tabulated resistance values this project would publish come from NEC Chapter 9 Table 8, which is why that is a separate row. | Published standard |
| not published | NEC Chapter 9, Table 8 NFPA DC resistance of copper and aluminium conductors. Governs the resistance column, which is not yet published. | Published standard |
Conditions
- Nominal dimensions for solid conductor. Stranded conductor of the same AWG has the same conductor area but a larger overall diameter.
- Solid conductor, nominal
Not on this page yet
- Ω / 1000 ft: Held. Resistance is not derivable from the AWG definition, because it depends on conductivity, temperature and stranding, and differs for aluminium by roughly 1.6×. Transcribe NEC Chapter 9 Table 8 directly and sight-check both material columns before publishing. Publishing copper alone would also put a Copper / Aluminum toggle on the page with nothing behind one of its two states.
Recomputed from the definitions above on every build · last build audit 2026-08-17
Where the equipment manufacturer specifies a figure for the specific assembly, that figure governs. This is a reference sheet, not a substitute for the instructions that came with the part.
One data set. Two purpose-built sheets.
The printable sheet and the vertical image use different layouts, so neither one sacrifices readability to the other.
Download PDF 
Download PNG Circular mils omitted for legibility. Full table on the site.
How to use this chart
- Find your AWG size in the first column, or type it into the filter.
- Read diameter for fit and conductor area for capacity comparisons. Area is what AWG actually designates.
- For how much current a conductor may carry, do not use a gauge table. Ampacity depends on insulation rating, ambient temperature and how the conductor is installed. It is set by NEC 310.16, with additional overcurrent limits in 240.4(D) for 14, 12 and 10 AWG.
Frequently asked questions
What does AWG stand for?
American Wire Gauge. It is a defined geometric series rather than a measurement: 0000 AWG is 0.4600 in, 36 AWG is 0.0050 in, and the 39 steps between them are in constant ratio, which is why the numbers on this page can be computed exactly.
Why is a larger AWG number a smaller wire?
The number originally counted drawing operations. Each pass through a die made the wire thinner, so more passes meant a higher number and a smaller conductor.
Why does stranded wire measure larger than this table?
AWG designates conductor area. A stranded conductor of the same AWG has the same copper area but a larger overall diameter, because of the gaps between strands. Use the area columns when comparing, and the manufacturer’s figure when the outside diameter has to fit something.
How many amps can this size carry?
That question has no answer from a gauge table, which is why there is no ampacity column here. The allowable current depends on insulation temperature rating, ambient temperature, conduit fill and bundling. See NEC Table 310.16 and, for 14, 12 and 10 AWG, the overcurrent limits in 240.4(D).