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AWG to mm² Converter (Wire Size)

Convert American Wire Gauge (AWG) to cross-sectional area in square millimeters (mm²) and conductor diameter.

Select Conductor Size

American Wire Gauge (AWG / kcmil)

Physical & Electrical Specs1 AWG

Area in Circular Mils

83.69 kcmil

83,690 cmil

75°C Conductor Ampacity

130 A

THWN / SE Copper Conductor

Copper Resistance (20°C)

0.1239 Ω/kft

0.4066 Ω/km

Aluminum Resistance (20°C)

0.203 Ω/kft

0.665 Ω/km

Typical Engineering Applications

Subpanel feeder lines (70A–125A), large central air conditioners, electric heat pumps, EV fast chargers (Level 2), and solar PV combiner feeds.

Metric Conductor Equivalent

Cross-Sectional Area (mm²)

42.4077mm²

Nominal gauge: 1 AWG

Solid Wire Diameter (Metric)

7.3481mm

Solid Wire Diameter (Imperial)

0.2893in

Step-by-Step Engineering Calculation

1Standard AWG Diameter formula: $d_n = 0.127 \ imes 92^{\ rac{36 - n}{39}}\ ext{ mm}$
2Diameter for $n = 1$ : $d = 0.127 \times 92^{\frac{36 - (1)}{39}} = 7.3481\text{ mm}$ (0.2893 in)
3Cross-sectional Area: $A = \frac{\pi}{4} \times d^2 = \frac{\pi}{4} \times (7.3481)^2 = 42.4077\text{ mm}^2$

Conversion Formula & Relationship

d_n = 0.127 × 92^((36-n)/39) mm | Area = (π / 4) × d_n²

Standard geometric progression defined in ASTM B258 for solid round electrical wire sizes.

Standard Conversion Example

Input: 12 AWG

Result: 3.31 mm² (2.05 mm diameter)

12 AWG corresponds to a solid conductor diameter of 2.053 mm and a cross-sectional area of 3.309 mm².

12 AWG = 3.31 mm² (2.05 mm diameter)

Quick Reference Conversion Table

AWG	mm²	Common Application / Context
4/0 (0000)	107.22 mm²	Heavy service entrance
2/0 (00)	67.43 mm²	200A residential service
1/0 (0)	53.49 mm²	150A feeder
2 AWG	33.62 mm²	100A subpanel feeder
4 AWG	21.15 mm²	85A range / EV charger
6 AWG	13.30 mm²	50A-60A circuits
8 AWG	8.37 mm²	40A-50A circuits
10 AWG	5.26 mm²	30A dryer / water heater
12 AWG	3.31 mm²	20A standard outlets
14 AWG	2.08 mm²	15A lighting circuits
16 AWG	1.31 mm²	Extension cords / fixtures
18 AWG	0.82 mm²	Thermostat / doorbell wire
22 AWG	0.33 mm²	Telecom / signal wiring
24 AWG	0.20 mm²	Ethernet Cat5e/Cat6

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a smaller AWG number mean a thicker wire?

The AWG system originates from the number of drawing operations required to pull wire through progressive dies. Each drawing step reduced the wire diameter, so higher gauge numbers represent wire drawn through more dies.

Related Calculators & Engineering Tools

mm² to AWG Converter

Voltage Drop Calculator

AWG Wire Size Chart