AWG to mm² Converter
Convert American Wire Gauge to metric area, diameter, circular mil, resistance, weight, and material properties for copper and aluminum conductors.
This engineering converter uses a shared AWG dataset generated from the standard AWG diameter equation, supporting AWG 40 through 4/0 aliases such as 0000 and 4/0.
Engineering tool
AWG Engineering Converter
Convert AWG, metric area, diameter, circular mil, conductor resistance, and compare wire sizes using a shared AWG dataset.
Result console
- Exact Area
- 0.82305mm2
- Area in mm2
- 0.82305mm2
- Diameter
- 1.0237mm
- Circular Mil
- 1,624.3CM
Formula reference
AWG Conversion Formulas
AWG values are generated from the standard diameter equation. Area and resistance are then derived from conductor geometry and material resistivity.
d(inch) = 0.005 × 92^((36 - AWG) / 39)d(mm) = d(inch) × 25.4A = π × d² / 4CM = diameter(mil)²R = ρ × L / AVariable definitions
- d
- conductor diameter
- A
- conductor cross-sectional area
- CM
- circular mil area
- ρ
- conductor resistivity at approximately 20 C
- R
- conductor resistance
Worked Examples
AWG18 gives diameter about 1.024 mm and area about 0.823 mm².
A 2.5 mm² conductor falls between standard AWG sizes; the converter reports the closest gauge and neighboring larger/smaller gauges.
AWG10 copper is approximately 3.28 Ω/km at 20 C.
AWG16 compared with AWG20 has about 2.5 times the area and much lower resistance.
4/0 and 0000 are aliases for the same large AWG size.
AWG Reference Snapshot
| AWG | Diameter | Area | Circular Mil |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/0 | 11.6840 mm | 107.21930 mm² | 211600.0 CM |
| 1/0 | 8.2515 mm | 53.47512 mm² | 105534.5 CM |
| AWG 10 | 2.5882 mm | 5.26115 mm² | 10383.0 CM |
| AWG 12 | 2.0525 mm | 3.30877 mm² | 6529.9 CM |
| AWG 14 | 1.6277 mm | 2.08091 mm² | 4106.7 CM |
| AWG 16 | 1.2908 mm | 1.30870 mm² | 2582.7 CM |
| AWG 18 | 1.0237 mm | 0.82305 mm² | 1624.3 CM |
| AWG 20 | 0.8118 mm | 0.51762 mm² | 1021.5 CM |
| AWG 24 | 0.5106 mm | 0.20473 mm² | 404.0 CM |
| AWG 30 | 0.2546 mm | 0.05093 mm² | 100.5 CM |
| AWG 40 | 0.0799 mm | 0.00501 mm² | 9.9 CM |
Engineering Notes
- AWG is a wire diameter and area standard, not an ampacity guarantee.
- Metric wire sizes are usually specified directly by conductor area in mm².
- AWG numbers decrease as wires become larger.
- Diameter and area are different: area changes with diameter squared.
- Circular mil is common in North American wire references.
- Copper has lower resistance than aluminum for the same area.
- Resistance increases with conductor temperature.
- Bare conductor weight excludes insulation, jacket, and strand packing effects.
- Current capacity depends on installation, insulation, bundling, ambient temperature, and code requirements.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing diameter with cross-sectional area.
- Ignoring conductor material.
- Ignoring temperature effects on resistance.
- Assuming AWG alone determines ampacity.
- Using stranded outside diameter as solid conductor diameter.
- Using nominal wire size as measured conductor diameter.
- Ignoring insulation thickness.
- Ignoring voltage drop in long cable runs.
Support reference
FAQ
What is AWG?
AWG means American Wire Gauge. It is a standardized wire sizing system where smaller gauge numbers represent larger conductor diameters.
What is mm²?
mm² is square millimeters, a metric unit of cross-sectional conductor area. It is commonly used for metric wire sizing and cable specifications.
How do I convert AWG to mm²?
Calculate the AWG diameter using d(inch)=0.005×92^((36-AWG)/39), convert diameter to millimeters, then calculate area with A=πd²/4.
Which is larger, AWG16 or AWG20?
AWG16 is larger. AWG numbers run backward: lower gauge numbers mean larger diameter, larger area, lower resistance, and usually higher current capability.
Why is AWG reversed?
AWG comes from historical wire drawing steps. More drawing steps made wire thinner, so higher gauge numbers became smaller wire sizes.
What is Circular Mil?
Circular mil is an area unit based on the diameter in mils squared. A wire with 1 mil diameter has 1 circular mil area.
Why does AWG not determine current capacity?
Current capacity depends on insulation, temperature rating, conductor material, installation, bundling, airflow, voltage drop, and applicable electrical code.
Copper vs Aluminum?
Copper has lower resistivity and higher conductivity than aluminum for the same area. Aluminum is lighter but needs more area for similar resistance.
What is 4/0 AWG?
4/0 AWG, also written 0000 AWG, is the largest standard AWG size supported here. Internally it is normalized as gauge -3.
Can stranded wire use the same AWG?
Yes, stranded wire can use AWG for total conductor area, but the measured outside diameter can differ because strand geometry and insulation are not the same as a solid conductor.
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Disclaimer
This converter provides engineering reference calculations only. Current capacity references are not NEC, IEC, UL, CSA, or local-code compliance results. Verify wire sizing, insulation, temperature rating, installation method, fusing, and safety requirements before production use.