American Wire Gauge Sizes [top] Jun 2026

For long wire runs, even the "correct" gauge for a specific amperage might not be enough. Over long distances, resistance causes "voltage drop," meaning the voltage at the end of the wire is lower than at the source. To combat this, professionals often "upsize" the wire (choosing a lower AWG number) to ensure the device at the end of the line receives the necessary power to function correctly.

| Appliance | Typical Breaker | Recommended Gauge | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | LED Ceiling Lights | 15 Amp | | | Kitchen Outlet (Blender) | 20 Amp | 12 AWG | | Window AC Unit (Large) | 30 Amp | 10 AWG | | Electric Clothes Dryer | 30 Amp | 10 AWG | | Induction Cooktop | 40-50 Amp | 8 or 6 AWG | | EV Home Charger (48A) | 60 Amp | 6 AWG | american wire gauge sizes

Most charts tell you the ampacity (how many amps a wire can carry). But they assume the wire is short—usually less than 50 feet. For long wire runs, even the "correct" gauge

| AWG Size | Diameter (mils) | Diameter (mm) | Cross-Sectional Area (cmil) | Cross-Sectional Area (mm²) | Ampacity (A) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 0000 (4/0) | 460 | 11.68 | 211,600 | 107.16 | 230 | | 000 (3/0) | 410 | 10.41 | 168,100 | 85.04 | 200 | | 00 (2/0) | 365 | 9.27 | 133,100 | 67.43 | 175 | | 0 (1/0) | 325 | 8.25 | 105,600 | 53.49 | 150 | | 1 | 289 | 7.35 | 83,690 | 42.41 | 130 | | 2 | 257 | 6.54 | 66,360 | 33.63 | 115 | | 3 | 229 | 5.82 | 52,630 | 26.67 | 100 | | 4 | 204 | 5.18 | 41,740 | 21.15 | 85 | | 5 | 181 | 4.60 | 33,100 | 16.77 | 75 | | 6 | 162 | 4.11 | 26,240 | 13.30 | 65 | | 7 | 144 | 3.66 | 20,810 | 10.55 | 55 | | 8 | 128 | 3.25 | 16,510 | 8.37 | 45 | | 9 | 114 | 2.90 | 13,090 | 6.63 | 40 | | 10 | 102 | 2.59 | 10,380 | 5.26 | 35 | | 11 | 91 | 2.31 | 8,234 | 4.17 | 30 | | 12 | 81 | 2.05 | 6,529 | 3.31 | 25 | | 13 | 72 | 1.83 | 5,178 | 2.62 | 20 | | 14 | 64 | 1.63 | 4,107 | 2.08 | 15 | | 15 | 57 | 1.45 | 3,257 | 1.65 | 10 | | 16 | 51 | 1.29 | 2,582 | 1.31 | 10 | | 17 | 45 | 1.15 | 2,048 | 1.04 | 5 | | 18 | 40 | 1.02 | 1,624 | 0.82 | 5 | | 19 | 36 | 0.91 | 1,288 | 0.65 | 5 | | 20 | 32 | 0.81 | 1,022 | 0.52 | 5 | | Appliance | Typical Breaker | Recommended Gauge

If you don't have a chart handy, electricians use a simple rule of thumb to gauge wire capacity: