AWG Wire Gauge Chart For All 44 Wires (Ampacity Chart) (2024)

Picking exactly the right wire size is not an easy task at all. Different AWG (American Wire Gauge) wires have different diameters, cross-sections, and allow only a limited number of amps to flow through them. To adequately figure out what size AWG wire you need, you require at least a wire gauge chart.

Here’s the thing:

AWG is a logarithmic stepped standardized wire gauge system used since 1857. To put it mildly, it’s rather complex. That’s why we are going to completely simplify wire sizing.

Example of a good simplification: The higher the AWG gauge wire numbers (like 14, 16, 20, 40), the thinner the wire. The biggest 4/0 wire is the thickest and can carry the most amps (230 amps, to be exact).

There are many questions that directly relate to AWG wires, such as:

• How thick is 14 gauge wire? Basically, we are looking for AWG current rating.
• What is the cross-section of 16 gauge wire?
• 50 amp wire size; which AWG gauge wire do you need for 50 amp service?

To answer these questions, we would require these kinds of equations (don’t be alarmed; these just illustrate what kind of complex formulas we are to simplify):

We’re going to simplify every wire’s characteristics (mm, mm2, amps) – from AWG 4/0 to AWG 40 gauge wire – in a systematic and concise easy-to-understand way.

This overview article about AWG gauge wires will give you all the info you need about wire sizing. You can use it as a professional electrician but it’s primarily structured in such a way that anybody can get a good understanding of AWG gauge wire.

It consists of 2 big chapters.

In the 1st Chapter, we focus on the wire gauge chart, denoting diameter (mm), cross-section (mm2), and amperage (maximum allowed amps) for each AWG wire.

The key part is that we cover each wire individually; from the big 4/0 – 1/0 wires to the most popular 12 gauge, 14 gauge, 16 gauge wires, and down to the smallest 40 AWG gauge wire.

You will find specific subchapters for AWG 4/0, 3/0, 2/0, 1/0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 wires down below the AWG wire size chart, with mm, mm2, and amperage characteristic for every one of them.

In the 2nd Chapter, we answer the most common question about AWG wire sizes. Namely, which wire is a 30 amp wire size, 50 amp wire size, 100 amp wire size, and so on. We cover all common wires that can handle as little as 10 amps to the big ones that can handle 200 amps.

You will find subchapters covering 10 amp, 15 amp, 20 amp, 25 amp, 30 amp, 40 amp, 50 amp, 60 amp, 70 amp, 80 amp, 90 amp, 100 amp, and 200 amp wire sizes in the 2nd Chapter.

Note: This is a very long article. You can scroll down to the specific wire you’re interested in, or use the following Table Of Contents to skip to the section you’re most interested in (just click on ‘Table Of Contents’ and you will see all the subchapters):

AWG Wire Gauge Chart (1st Chapter)

In this AWG wire gauge chart for a standard copper wire, you can find every AWG wire; from the biggest 10+ mm wires (such as 4/0 AWG and 3/0 AWG wires) to the smallest below 0.01 mm wires like 39 and 40 AWG wires.

You can read the diameter (in inches or mm), cross-section (in mm2), and ampacity – ie. the number of amps such a wire can handle (wire gauge to amps) – for every wire. In the subchapters below, we cover each AWG gauge wire, in turn, to give you a crystal clear idea of what all these wire specifications truly mean, and their implications.

Here is the full AWG wire size chart (including wire ampacity chart):

4/0 Gauge Wire Details (0000): Amps, mm, mm2, 4/0 AWG Wire Suggestion

4/0 or 0000 AWG gauge wire is the thickest wire used in the standard AWG (ie. Brown & Sharpe wire gauge) system. It is one of the two AWG wires that have a 10+ mm diameter (4/0 AWG wire to mm equals 11.684 mm). The 0000 AWG gauge wire is also the only one with a 100+ mm2 cross-section. That makes it the thickest AWG wire.

4/0 AWG gauge wire is so thick that you can make only 2.17 turns of wire per inch. It does have the lowest specific resistance of 0.1608 mΩ/m.

Ampacity-wise, the 4/0 AWG gauge wire can handle the largest amount of current of any AWG gauge wire. At 75°C, the 4/0 copper wire ampacity is 230 amp (with 195 amps and 260 amps at 60°C and 90°C temperature, respectively). You can consult the electrical wire size chart above to find all this data.

Because this is only of the only 200+ amp wire sizes it can be used for heavy-duty applications, such as welding or drilling equipment. It’s also the largest battery wire gauge; you can get more than 2,000W power out of a 12V battery, for example.

4/0 AWG gauge wire costs about $2 per foot.

4/0 AWG gauge wire suggestion:

3/0 Gauge Wire Details (000): Amps, mm, mm2, 3/0 AWG Wire Suggestion

3/0 gauge wire is the second thickest AWG gauge wire. If you translate AWG 3/0 to mm2, you will get an 85.00 mm2 cross-section. The diameter of the 000 gauge wire is 10.405 mm.

This wire size is one of the favorites for large-amp needs. It is the perfect 200 amp wire size with 200 ampacity (3/0 copper wire ampacity has 200A ampacity) at 75°C. It also has a very high 2.7 kA Preece fusing current (power factor is already factored in).

Most 3/0 gauge wires with 85.00 mm2 cross-section are rated up to 600 volts. They can work in temperatures between -58°F and +221°F.

Similar to the 4/0 gauge wire, the 3/0 AWG gauge wire is used for welding and for drawing the current (and power) out of large 12-volt or 24-volt batteries.

3/0 AWG gauge wire suggestion:

2/0 Gauge Wire (00 Gauge Wire) Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 2/0 AWG Wire Suggestion

2/0 AWG gauge wire (more often referred to as 00 gauge wire) is a frequently needed wire. If you translate 20 AWG to mm, you are dealing with 9.266 mm thick AWG wire.

The ampacity of the 00 gauge wire is determined primarily by the cross-section. The complete cross-section of 2/0 gauge wire in mm2 is 67.4 mm2. 2/0 gauge wire is thus smaller than 3/0 gauge wire but bigger than 1/0 gauge wire we cover further on.

How many amps can the 00 gauge wire handle? 2/0 copper wire at 75°C is 175 amps, and the 00 AWG wire is custom used as a 150 amp wire size (despite the 1/0 gauge wire having 150 amp ampacity at the same temperature).

In the cable itself, the 00 gauge wire has 2.74 turns per inch. It’s a thick wire that can handle a lot of heavy-duty appliances current. It can be used for welding and large batteries; you can also use it for cars, inverters, RVs, and larger solar panels.

2/0 AWG gauge wire suggestion:

1/0 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 1/0 AWG Wire Suggestion

1/0 gauge wire is commonly referred to as 0 gauge wire (n=0 in the equations in the beginning). This zero gauge wire has a diameter of 8.251 mm.

If you use the mm diameter of the 1/0 gauge wire, you can calculate the full cross-section in mm2 to be 53.5 mm2. This is quite a thick wire still, also used in welding and heavy battery appliances.

How many amps can a 1/0 gauge wire handle? At 75°C, the 1/0 copper wire ampacity is 150 amps; essentially, the 1/0 W wire is a 150 amp wire size. At 60°C, it can handle up to 125 amps, and it can handle up to 170 amps at higher temperatures (90°C).

0 gauge wire can be used for a number of different electrical applications. That’s why we also referred to it as:

• 0 gauge battery cable (for bigger 12V and 24V batteries).
• 0 gauge OFC wire or 0 gauge speaker wire (for audio speakers, including car audio speakers).
• 0 gauge power wire (for 110-120 volt but high watts/amps devices).
• 0 gauge welding wire (for welding).

Pretty much all 1/0 gauge wires are universal; they can be used for all of these purposes. Here is a suggestion of a zero gauge wire:

1 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 1 AWG Wire Suggestion

1 gauge wire is the first ‘non-negative or 0’ wire gauge. 1 gauge wire diameter is 7.348 mm and it has a 42.4 mm2 (1 AWG to mm2) cross-section or area.

Given the 42.4 mm2 thickness, the 1 AWG copper wire has a current-carrying ampacity of 130 amps at 75°C. This gives us a pretty good indication of how many amps can a 1 AWG gauge wire handle.

With 130 amps capacity, 1 gauge wire can serve as a battery cable, welding cable, or any other power cable that requires a good 100 amps of electric current.

1 AWG copper wire price per foot is anywhere from $1 to $5. The suggested InstallGear’s wire is one of the cheapest 1 gauge wires currently on the market:

2 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 2 AWG Wire Suggestion

2 gauge wire is probably the most common 100+ amp amperage wires on the market. It has a total diameter of 6.544 mm. That means that a 2 AWG wire has a full cross-section of 33.6 mm2.

Such a cross-section allows it to handle more than 100 amps.

How many amps can a 2 gauge wire handle?

Well, at standard temperature of 75°C, the 2 gauge wire has a 115 amps ampacity. That means that any 2 gauge copper wire can, at that temperature, handle up to 115 amps safely.

There are a number of cables that contain the 2 gauge wire, including:

• 2 AWG gauge battery cable (even a 12-volt battery can generate up to 1,380 W; that’s the maximum capacity of the 2 gauge battery cable on a 12-volt circuit).
• 2 gauge welding cable or a 2 AWG welding cable (for small to medium-sized welding gear).

2 gauge copper wire price is about $2 to $6 per foot. You can get one of the best 2 gauge wires from WindyNation here:

3 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 3 AWG Wire Suggestion

3 gauge copper wire is the 100 amp size wire if you look at the 75°C rated ampacity. Its diameter in mm that allows for such an electric current to pass through it is 5.827 mm.

The full cross-section of a 3 gauge wire is 26.7 mm2. Unlike the very thick low AWG number wires, the 3 gauge wire can be turned more than 4 times per inch without the insulation (4.36, to be precise).

Despite being able to handle 100 amps (with 100 amp ampacity), the 3 AWG wire is more commonly used as a 100 amp wire size.

There aren’t many choices for a 3 gauge wire. Here is a good 3 gauge copper wire by Stock Wire:

4 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 4 AWG Wire Suggestion

One of the most widely used high-amp wires is the 4 gauge wire. If you express the diameter of the 4 gauge wire in mm, you can 5.189 mm. This is the last AWG wire size with a diameter of over 5 millimeters.

4 gauge wire cross-section is 21.2 mm2. With such a cross-section and 4.89 turns of wire per inch, this kind of wire can handle quite a lot of amps.

How many amps can a 4 gauge wire handle?

It has a rated ampacity of 85 amps at 75°C. This means that, for average use, the 4 gauge wire can handle up to 85 amps safely. This ampacity is quite useful. That’s why we use this kind of wire as a:

• 4 gauge battery cable.
• 4 gauge power wire (basically a 4 gauge electrical wire for various appliances).
• 4 gauge welding cable.
• 4 gauge OFC wire in audio settings.
• 4 gauge marine wire.
• 4 gauge automobile wire.

A 4 gauge wire is extremely useful. You can even use a 4 AWG 3 conductor with the ground; basically, 4 gauge ground wire is a thing.

4 gauge wire can cost less than $1 per foot. Here is one such very affordable example of a 4 gauge wire by InstallGear:

5 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 5 AWG Wire Suggestion

AWG 5 gauge wire is one of the less used wires. We rarely do use it but when we do it’s useful to know the dimensions of 5 gauge wire in mm (diameter) and mm2 (cross-section).

In short, 5 AWG wire has a diameter of 4.621 mm and a full area of 16.8 mm2. The key is how many amps can a 5 gauge wire handle. Well, it’s between 85 amps (4 gauge wire ampacity) and 65 amps (6 gauge wire ampacity). However, since this wire is so rarely used, we don’t have the rated ampacity for it at the specific – 75°C – temperature interval.

6 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 6 AWG Wire Suggestion

6 gauge wire is the 1st of the mid-amp AWG wires with a wide range of applications. Thickness-wise, the 6 AWG gauge wire has a diameter of 4.115 mm. That’s about 1/6 of an inch.

What really determines the amperage, apart from the metal used to make a wire out and temperature, is the cross-section. 6 gauge wire has a cross-section of 13.3 mm2. This allows for a sub-100 amp electric current flow.

How many amps can a 6 gauge wire handle? At 75°C, 6 AWG wire is big enough to have 65 amps. That means that in normal circ*mstances, a 6 wire handle is capable of conducting 65 amps.

Given the suitable amperage, this wire has quite a few applications, including as:

• 6 gauge battery cable (In a 12V battery, you can get 12Vx65A = 780 watts. In a 24V battery, you can get 1,560 watts).
• 6 gauge marine wire (mariners will know of a 6 gauge marine trolling motor wire).
• 6 gauge automotive wire.
• 6 gauge underground wire and 6 gauge ground wire.

You can check how many watts an 8 AWG wire handle here (copper and aluminum wires).

6 gauge electrical wire is usually sold by the foot. TEMCo INDUSTRIAL, for example, offers a 6 gauge wire cable for less than $1 per foot:

7 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 7 AWG Wire Suggestion

7 gauge wire is quite an irregular wire. You will rarely have to use it in a household.

It has a 3.665 mm diameter. That results in the full cross-section of a 7 gauge wire of 10.5 mm2. Similar to AWG 5, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, and so on gauge wires, it has no rated ampacity.

It is also difficult to recommend a 7 gauge wire on sales since there are very limited producers of such wires on the market.

8 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 8 AWG Wire Suggestion

With 8 gauge wire, the most frequently asked question is ‘Can 8 gauge wire handle 50 amps?’. Well, that does depend on the temperature (secondarily). The primary factor is ampacity is obviously the cross-section.

What is the thickness of an 8 gauge wire? In millimeters, 8 gauge copper wire has a diameter of 3.264 mm. That brings the cross-section to 8.37 mm2.

With this information, we can determine how many amps will an 80 gauge carry. For everybody wondering if the 8 AWG wire can handle 50 amps, here is the answer:

The ampacity of the 8 gauge wire is exactly 50 amps at 75°C. That means that 8 gauge wire can indeed carry 50 amps at 220-volts.

That gives it quite a few applications. 8 gauge wires are used as:

• 8 gauge electrical wires for home appliances, either 120-volt or 220-volt circuit.
• 8 gauge automotive wires.
• 8 gauge battery cables. This is usually an 8 gauge power wire that can carry more than 1000 watts of electrical power with 24-volt batteries.

8 gauge wire price per foot is quite low. InstallGear, for example, offers 2×25 ft 8 gauge wires for less than $30:

9 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 9 AWG Wire Suggestion

9 gauge wire, especially 9 gauge galvanized wire, is quite useful not in electrical applications but as a high tensile wire.

It’s usually made out of steel; we talk about 9 gauge steel wire. If it’s in copper, we can determine its characteristic properties exactly.

A 9 gauge AWG wire has a 2.906 mm diameter and 6.63 mm2 cross-section.

What is 9 gauge wire used for? It is less used for electrical purposes. Instead, we usually associate these kinds of wires with the 9 AWG gauge:

• 9 gauge tensile wire (for hanging heavy objects).
• 9 gauge wire tractor supply.
• 9 gauge galvanized tension wire (galvanization helps with the tensility).

Here is an example of a 9 gauge galvanized solid wire:

10 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 10 AWG Wire Suggestion

10 AWG gauge wire is rather versatile. You can find anything from 10 gauge stranded wire to 10 gauge electrical wire for home appliances; you can get 10 gauge copper by the foot.

Let’s cover the basics of 10 gauge wire in mm and mm2. 10 AWG wire has a diameter of 2.588 mm and the diameter of 5.26 mm2.

This allows it to carry a current of 35 amps at 75°C; this is the rated ampacity for a 10 gauge copper wire.

10 AWG wire is often used as a 12V wire size.

A lot of questions regarding the 10 gauge wire are basically ‘Is 10 gauge or 12 gauge wire better?’. When you need a 30 amp wire size, you pretty much wind up to this question. For 30 amps, the 12 gauge wire (with 35 amp rated ampacity) is a better choice. For the 20 amp circuit, on the other hand, the 14 gauge wire would be an optimal choice.

10 gauge wire is rather cheap per foot. iGreely, for example, offers 8 gauge wires for $1 to $5 per foot (longer 10 gauge wires are cheaper per foot):

11 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 11 AWG Wire Suggestion

11 gauge wire is less frequently found in households. It’s usually not used as an electrical wire; its primary purpose is as a mechanical hanging wire.

That’s why you will most often find an 11 gauge galvanized wire rather than a copper wire.

What diameter is 11 gauge wire?

11 AWG has a thickness of 2.305 mm (diameter) and a cross-section of 4.17 mm2.

Since it’s not customarily used as an electrical wire, it has no rated ampacity.

12 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 12 AWG Wire Suggestion

12 gauge wire is one of the most useful AWG wires. You can find it pretty much in every home, and in most cars. It’s sometimes referred to as the 2 millimeter wire because the diameter of a 12 gauge wire is 2.053 mm; if you round that up, it’s about 2 mm.

If you express the cross-section of a 12 gauge wire in mm2, you get 3.31 mm2. These diameter and cross-section figures are very useful because they determine how many amps can a 12 gauge wire handle.

In short, 12 gauge wire can handle 25 amps; it has an ampacity of 25A at 75°C. It’s many times used as your go-to 20 amp size wire for a number of different applications.

You will find several kinds of these 12 gauge copper wires, including:

• 12 gauge stranded wire (used for indoor electronic devices such as board circuits).
• 12 gauge automotive wire (for car battery, for example).
• 12 gauge speaker wire (for audio equipment).
• 12 gauge battery wire.

There are a lot of questions regarding the wattage as well; ie. How many watts can 12 gauge wire handle?

As we know, wattage or electrical power depends both on current (amps) as well as voltage. To answer how many watts can a 12 AWG wire handle, you also need to know the circuit’s voltage.

At 120V, a 12 gauge wire can handle 3,000 watts (120V × 25A = 3,000W). Using the same electrical power calculation, you can see that the 12 gauge wire can handle up to 5,500 watts at 220V, and up to 6,000 watts at 240V. These results are for the copper wire at 75°C; the rated ampacity is 25A.

What about 12V and 24V batteries? If you use a 12 gauge wire with a 12V battery, you can get a maximum of 144 watts out of it. If you use the 24V battery, it’s double that; 288 watts.

General, you can buy 12 gauge wires in a cable roll. The price of a 12 gauge wire per ft is absurdly low; less than $1 per ft. GS Power, for example, offers a full roll of 100 ft 12 AWG gauge wire for less than $30:

13 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 13 AWG Wire Suggestion

13 gauge wire is very very rare. In fact, it’s so rare that one of the most frequent questions about it is ‘Is there a 13 gauge wire?’. It does exist but it’s very rarely used.

The diameter of 13 gauge wire in mm is 1.828 mm. This 13 AWG wire has a 2.62 mm2 cross-section. As with all rarely used electrical wires, the 13 gauge wire has no rated ampacity.

14 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 14 AWG Wire Suggestion

14 gauge wire is very frequently used. It’s important to know the diameter and cross-section of this wire; ie. 14 AWG wire to mm and 14 AWG wire to mm2.

In mm, the diameter of the 14 gauge wire is 1.628 mm. It is one of the mid-range AWG wires as far as the thickness is concerned.

In mm2, the cross-section of the 14 gauge wire is 2.08 mm2. Both these numbers make the 14 gauge electrical wire very useful. Why?

Well, it has to do with how many amps can 14 gauge wire handle.

14 gauge wire can handle 20 amps. That is, it has a rated ampacity of 20 amps at 75°C. This makes it a very useful 20 amp wire; some electricians prefer to use 12 gauge wire as a 20A wire size, however.

What is 14 gauge wire used for?

Well, we have quite an array of uses for a 14 AWG wire. You have several kinds of 14 gauge copper wires for different applications, including:

• 14 gauge automotive wire (for car batteries).
• 14 gauge stranded wire (for indoor circuit boards).
• 14 gauge marine wire (for different boat circuit boards).
• 14 gauge wire for outlets.
• 14 AWG wire is sometimes used as an adequate wire size for air conditioners.

A 14 gauge solid copper wire is, in short, one of the most useful wires. There is a lot of questions about the wattage, such as ‘how many watts can 14 gauge wire handle’, ‘how many watts can a 14 gauge extension cord handle’, and ‘how many watts can 14 gauge speaker wire handle’.

We can calculate how many watts can a 14 gauge handle (using electric power equation P = I×V) by knowing two things:

1. Ampacity; we know that a 14 AWG wire can handle 20 amps.
2. Voltage. This is 120V or 220V for most circuits; 12V and 24 for batteries.

At 120V, a 14 gauge wire can handle 2,400 watts. At 220V, a 14 gauge wire can handle 4,400 watts.

If you use a 14 gauge battery wire, it’s useful to know that such a wire can handle 240 watts (in the case of 12V batteries) and 480 watts (in the case of 24V batteries).

The price per ft of 14 gauge wire is very low; below $0.5 per ft. You can buy InstallGear’s 100 ft 14 gauge wire for less than $20, for example:

15 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 15 AWG Wire Suggestion

15 gauge wire is another very rarely used wire. It’s not used as an electrical wire. It’s usually used as a mechanical wire due to its tensile properties.

The diameter of a 15 gauge wire is 1.450 mm and the cross-section is 1.65 mm2.

Since the 15 gauge wire is not a copper electrical wire, it has no rated ampacity.

16 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 16 AWG Wire Suggestion

16 gauge copper wire is also very frequently used by electricians. Due to its useful characteristics – we’ll cover 16 AWG to mm, 16 AWG to mm2, and 16 AWG amps and wattage – the 16 gauge electrical wire is widely used in home circuit boards, cars, and 12V batteries.

The diameter of the 16 gauge wire is 1.291 mm. Namely, 16 gauge wire is thicker than 18 gauge wire and thinner than 14 gauge wire.

The cross-section of 16 gauge wire in sqmm is 1.31 mm2. Both of these metrics allows us to determine the ampacity and answer the key question:

How many amps can a 16 gauge wire handle?

16 gauge wire has a rated ampacity of 17 amps at 75°C. That means it can handle 15 amps well, for example, since it is limited by the maximum current of 17 amps.

For 16 gauge electrical wires, it’s also useful to know the wattage; ie. how many watts can a 16 gauge wire handle.

Knowing it can handle 17 amps we can calculate that the 16 gauge wire has the capacity to handle 2,040 watts (at 120V) and 3,740 watts (at 220V).

Batteries have a 12V circuit. 16 gauge wire amps at 12V are the same; 17 amps. That means that a 16 gauge wire can handle 204 watts with a 12V battery.

Similarly to 12 and 14 gauge wire, the price of 16 gauge wire per ft is pretty low. GS Power offers 100 ft of 16 gauge electric wire for less than $40:

17 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 16 AWG Wire Suggestion

17 gauge wire is used rather infrequently. The most frequent question about 17 AWG wire is ‘How strong is 17 gauge wire?’. You can see that this is not primarily an electric wire; it’s used mostly for its about 60,000 PSI tensile strength.

The diameter is 1.150 mm and the cross-section of 17 gauge wire is 1.04 mm2.

This wire is sometimes used as a 17 gauge electric fence wire. Mostly, however, you use a 17 gauge galvanized steel wire for its tensile properties. Here is an example of one such wire:

18 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 18 AWG Wire Suggestion

‘What gauge is 1 mm wire?’ is one of the most frequently asked questions about 18 gauge wire. This obviously relates to what thickness is 18 gauge wire. Its diameter is 1.024 mm; hence the 18 gauge wire is also known as the 1mm wire.

Based on the diameter, we can deduce that the cross-section of 18 gauge wire in mm2 is 0.823 mm2.

How many amps can an 18 gauge wire handle?

18 AWG wire can handle 14 amps. It has a rated ampacity of 14A at 75°C. That makes it very useful for a number of applications, including as:

• 18 gauge battery wire (at 12V, it can handle 14 amps).
• 18 gauge automotive wire.
• 18 gauge electrical wire can also be used as an 18 gauge stranded wire; for thermostats wiring, for example.

18 AWG wire can be made out of several materials, including copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and even silicon.

How many watts can an 18 gauge wire handle?

At 120V, 18 gauge wire can handle 1,680 watts. At 220V, it can handle 3,080 watts.

The price of 18 gauge wire per ft is about $0.30. Here is a good one by Tyumen:

19 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 19 AWG Wire Suggestion

As per usual with odd AWG wires between 10 and 20, the 19 gauge wire is used for its tensile strength and not as an electrical wire.

This is also the first AWG wire with below 1 mm diameter; 0.912 mm, to be exact. The cross-section of a 19 gauge wire is 0.653 mm2 and there is no rated ampacity numbers.

Here is how this tensile 19 gauge galvanized steel wire looks like:

20 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 20 AWG Wire Suggestion

20 gauge wire is one of the most popular low voltage (12V, 24V) AWG wire. It has several applications that correspond to low voltage battery electronic devices. Stainless steel variety is commonly used as a 20 gauge wire for jewelry making, for example.

How thick is a 20 gauge copper wire?

The diameter of a 20 gauge electric wire is 0.812 mm. It has a 0.518 mm2 cross-section.

How many amps can a 2o gauge wire handle?

20 AWG wire has an ampacity of 11 amps at 75°C. That means that it can normally conduct 11 amps of electrical current.

If you translate that in watts, you get the result that a 20 gauge wire handles 132 watts for batteries. If you put it on a 120V circuit, the maximum wattage is 1,320W.

You have many different varieties of 20 AWG wires, including:

• 20 gauge electrical copper wires (for circuits).
• 20 gauge stainless steel wires (for making jewelry and so on).
• 20 gauge automotive wire.
• 20 gauge stranded wire.

Price-wise, a foot of 20 gauge electric copper wire costs less than $0.30. Here is a good example:

22 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 22 AWG Wire Suggestion

“Is 22 gauge wire thick?” Well, 22 gauge wire is thicker than 24 gauge wire and thinner than the 20 gauge wire.

If you express the diameter of 22 AWG wire in mm you get 0.644 mm diameter. That’s thinner than regular 12-18 AWG wires.

22 gauge wire has a 0.326 mm2 cross-section. It’s very often used as an 22 gauge stranded wire.

This is because of the ampacity. How many amps can a 22 gauge wire handle?

It can handle 7 amps. That is because it has a rated ampacity of 7A at 75°C.

Even a 22 AWG solid core wire cannot handle more than 1,000W at 120V, for example.

Because it’s thinner than lower number AWG wires, the 22 AWG wire is often used for LED lights and even as a 22 gauge paddle wire.

The price of a 22 gauge wire per ft is less than $0.20. Here is a recommendation for a 22 gauge wire:

24 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 24 AWG Wire Suggestion

24 gauge wire can be used for electrical conductivity as well as for its tensile strength.

It has a 0.511 mm diameter; that’s why we also referred to it as a half mm AWG wire.

24 gauge wire has a cross-section of 0.205 mm2.

How many amps can a 24 gauge electrical copper wire handle?

3.5 amps is the ampacity of the 24 gauge wire, measured at 75°C.

You have different core materials and cable materials, including copper, brass, stainless steel, and silicone wires/cables.

The price of 24 gauge wires primarily depends on the material out of which the wire is made. Here is an example of an electrical 24 gauge wire out of copper:

26 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 26 AWG Wire Suggestion

26 gauge wire is even thinner and less used than 24 gauge wire.

It has a diameter of 0.405 mm. The cross-section of the 26 gauge wire is 0.129 mm2.

When used in electrical applications, the 26 AWG copper wire can handle 2.2 amps. It can carry a low amount of wattage; less than 500 watts even at 220V.

Generally, the 26 gauge wire is quite cheap with a low per ft cost. Here is a recommendation for an electric 26 gauge wire:

28 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 28 AWG Wire Suggestion

This AWG wire is most often made out of copper; we talk about 28 gauge copper wires.

Such a 28 gauge wire has a 0.321 mm diameter and a 0.0810 mm2 cross-section.

When used in electrical applications it’s useful to know that it can handle up to 1.4 amps. It’s one of the thinnest current-carrying AWG wires in use today.

Here is a range of applications such a wire can be used for (Fermerry 28 AWG wire):

30 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 30 AWG Wire Suggestion

30 gauge wire is seldom used in electrical circuits. However, it might come useful in some projects that involve very small electrical power needs.

The diameter of the 30 gauge wire is 0.255 mm and the cross-section is 0.0509 mm2.

How many amps can 30 gauge wire handle?

Because it’s so thin, the 30 gauge wire can handle only 0.86 amps. When connected to a 12V battery, the maximum wattage of 30 gauge wire is about 10 watts.

Here is how a 30 gauge electric wire looks like:

32 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 32 AWG Wire Suggestion

32 gauge wire is one of the smaller AWG wires.

A copper 32 gauge wire has a diameter of 0.202 mm and a cross-section of 0.0320 mm2.

It’s not commonly used as a current conductor since it can handle only 0.53 amps.

34 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 34 AWG Wire Suggestion

34 gauge wire is one of the thinner AWG wires.

A copper 34 gauge wire has a diameter of 0.160 mm and a cross-section of 0.0201 mm2.

It’s not commonly used as a current conductor since it can handle only 0.3 amps. It will handle very low wattage currents.

36 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 36 AWG Wire Suggestion

36 gauge wire is one of the smallest AWG wires.

A copper 36 gauge electrical wire has a diameter of 0.127 mm and a cross-section of 0.0127 mm2.

It’s not commonly used as a current conductor. In fact, we don’t even have a rated ampacity for a 36 gauge wire.

38 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 38 AWG Wire Suggestion

38 gauge wire is one of the smaller AWG wires.

A copper 38 gauge wire has a diameter of 0.101 mm and a cross-section of 0.00797 mm2.

It has no rated ampacity.

40 Gauge Wire Details: Amps, mm, mm2, 40 AWG Wire Suggestion

40 gauge wire is one of the smallest AWG wires.

A copper 40 gauge wire has a diameter of 0.0799 mm and a cross-section of 0.00501 mm2.

It has no rated ampacity.

Amp Wire Sizes (Chapter 2)

When picking an AWG wire, we usually focus on ampacity; ie. how many amps can a certain AWG wire handle.

In most cases, however, we know how many amps we require for the AWG wire to handle, and want to work out the AWG wire for that amount of amps.

That’s why we in this 2nd Chapter cover AWG wires by amps they can handle.

In the subchapter below, you will find adequate wire sizes for 10 amps, 15 amps, 20 amps, 25 amps, 30 amps, 40 amps, 50 amps, 60 amps, 70 amps, 80 amps, 90 amps, 100 amps, and 200 amps.

If you need a wire to handle a certain amount of amps you can just scroll down to the appropriate subchapter that covers the amperage you’re interested in.

We’ll start with the 10 amp wire size and work our way to the 200 amp wire size:

10 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 110V-120V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 10 amp circuit (this can be for a 10 amp 120-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 10 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 10 amps is 20 AWG wire.

20 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 11 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 10 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 18 AWG wire as the 10 amps wire size.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 20 AWG wire here (11A ampacity).
• Check 18 AWG wire here (14A ampacity).

15 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 110V-120V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 10 amp circuit (this can be for a 15 amp 120-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 15 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 15 amps is 16 AWG wire.

16 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 17 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 15 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 14 AWG wire as the 20 amps wire size.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 16 AWG wire here (17A ampacity).
• Check 14 AWG wire here (20A ampacity).

20 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 20 amp circuit (this can be for a 20 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 20 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 20 amps is 14 AWG wire.

14 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 20 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 20 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 12 AWG wire as the 20 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 20 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 14 AWG wire here (20A ampacity).
• Check 12 AWG wire here (25A ampacity).

25 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 25 amp circuit (this can be for a 25 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 25 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 25 amps is 12 AWG wire.

12 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 25 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 25 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 10 AWG wire as the 25 amps wire size.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 12 AWG wire here (25A ampacity).
• Check 10 AWG wire here (35A ampacity).

30 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 30 amp circuit (this can be for a 30 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 30 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 30 amps is 10 AWG wire.

10 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 35 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 30 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 8 AWG wire as the 30 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 30 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 10 AWG wire here (35A ampacity).
• Check 8 AWG wire here (50A ampacity).

40 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 40 amp circuit (this can be for a 40 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 40 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 40 amps is 8 AWG wire.

8 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 50 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 40 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 6 AWG wire as the 40 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 40 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 8 AWG wire here (50A ampacity).
• Check 6 AWG wire here (65A ampacity).

50 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 50 amp circuit (this can be for a 50 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 50 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 50 amps is 8 AWG wire.

8 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 55 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 50 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 6 AWG wire as the 50 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 50 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 8 AWG wire here (50A ampacity).
• Check 6 AWG wire here (65A ampacity).

60 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 60 amp circuit (this can be for a 60 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 60 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 60 amps is 6 AWG wire.

6 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 65 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 60 amp circuit as you can read here.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 4 AWG wire as the 60 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 60 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 6 AWG wire here (65A ampacity).
• Check 4 AWG wire here (85A ampacity).

70 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 70 amp circuit (this can be for a 70 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 70 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 70 amps is 4 AWG wire.

4 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 85 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 70 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 3 AWG wire as the 70 amps wire size.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 4 AWG wire here (85A ampacity).
• Check 3 AWG wire here (100A ampacity).

80 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for an 80 amp circuit (this can be for an 80 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 80 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 80 amps is 4 AWG wire.

4 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 85 amps. That is a perfect wire size for an 80 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 3 AWG wire as the 80 amps wire size.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 4 AWG wire here (85A ampacity).
• Check 3 AWG wire here (100A ampacity).

90 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 90 amp circuit (this can be for a 90 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 90 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 90 amps is 3 AWG wire.

3 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 100 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 90 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 2 AWG wire as the 90 amps wire size.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 3 AWG wire here (100A ampacity).
• Check 2 AWG wire here (115A ampacity).

100 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 100 amp circuit (this can be for a 100 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 100 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 100 amps is 3 AWG wire.

3 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 100 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 100 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 2 AWG wire as the 100 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 100 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 3 AWG wire here (100A ampacity).
• Check 2 AWG wire here (115A ampacity).

200 Amps Wire Size: AWG Gauge, Breaker, Suggestion For 220V-240V Circuit

If you’re looking for wire size for a 200 amp circuit (this can be for a 200 amp 220-volt circuit, breaker, battery output), you will need an AWG with at least 200 amp rated ampacity at 75°C.

You can consult the wire ampacity chart from the 1st Chapter and see that the most appropriate wire size for 200 amps is 3/0 AWG wire.

3/0 AWG wire has a rated ampacity of 200 amps. That is a perfect wire size for a 200 amp circuit.

If you want to have an even safer circuit, you can use 4/0 AWG wire as the 200 amps wire size.

You can read the exact size wire you need for 200 amp service here.

Note: Do inform yourself about the specific characteristics of these wires before you buy one. Here are jump links to these 2 wires (just click on them and you’ll jump to the AWG wire characteristics from the 1st Chapter);

• Check 3/0 AWG wire here (200A ampacity).
• Check 4/0 AWG wire here (230A ampacity).

With all of the AWG wires, we hope you have a clearer understanding of the dimensions and ampacity for every relevant AWG wire. This chart is for copper wires. You can access a similar AWG ampacity chart for aluminum wires here.