AWG to mm² conversion chart and calculator

American Wire Gauge counts drawing-die steps; metric wire sizes state cross-section directly. Harness drawings, terminals and machines mix the two constantly — we retain the units stated in each machine specification. Every number below is computed from the AWG defining formula d = 0.127 × 92^((36−AWG)/39), not copied from another chart.

Free online wire gauge calculator

AWG mm² Conductor construction

Choose an AWG size or enter a conductor area in mm².

The strand estimate assumes equal round strands in 1, 2 or 3 complete concentric rings. Measure over the insulation to set blade depth and check the wire guide. For compacted or irregular strands, use the cable specification or measure the bare conductor.

Convert crimp pull force and press capacity →

Solid-conductor values at 20 °C. “Nearest metric” is the closest standard size (IEC 60228 plus automotive sizes), blank when nothing is within 35%.
AWG	Diameter (mm)	Area (mm²)	Nearest metric (mm²)	Cu resistance (Ω/km)
4/0	11.684	107.22	95	0.16
3/0	10.405	85.03	95	0.20
2/0	9.266	67.43	70	0.26
1/0	8.251	53.48	50	0.32
1	7.348	42.41	35	0.41
2	6.544	33.63	35	0.51
3	5.827	26.67	25	0.65
4	5.189	21.15	25	0.82
5	4.621	16.77	16	1.03
6	4.115	13.30	16	1.30
7	3.665	10.55	10	1.63
8	3.264	8.37	10	2.06
9	2.906	6.63	6	2.60
10	2.588	5.26	6	3.28
11	2.305	4.17	4	4.13
12	2.053	3.31	4	5.21
13	1.828	2.62	2.5	6.57
14	1.628	2.08	2	8.28
15	1.450	1.65	1.5	10.4
16	1.291	1.31	1.5	13.2
17	1.150	1.04	1	16.6
18	1.024	0.823	0.75	20.9
19	0.9116	0.653	0.75	26.4
20	0.8118	0.518	0.5	33.3
21	0.7229	0.410	0.35	42.0
22	0.6438	0.326	0.35	53.0
23	0.5733	0.258	0.25	66.8
24	0.5106	0.205	0.22	84.2
25	0.4547	0.162	—	106
26	0.4049	0.129	—	134
27	0.3606	0.102	—	169
28	0.3211	0.081	—	213
29	0.2859	0.064	—	268
30	0.2546	0.051	—	339
31	0.2268	0.040	—	427
32	0.2019	0.032	—	538
33	0.1798	0.025	—	679
34	0.1601	0.020	—	856
35	0.1426	0.016	—	1079
36	0.1270	0.013	—	1361
37	0.1131	0.010	—	1716
38	0.1007	0.0080	—	2164
39	0.0897	0.0063	—	2729
40	0.0799	0.0050	—	3441

Using this with machine specifications

Cutting, stripping and crimping machines are rated by conductor cross-section — compare your wire against the Area column. Machines that grip or guide the insulation (coiling, taping, coax stripping) rate by outer diameter instead, which for stranded, insulated wire is larger than the bare-conductor diameter here. When your wire sits at the edge of a machine's published range, don't round in your favor: send us the actual wire and we run it on the machine on video. Browse machines by range in wire cutting & stripping and terminal crimping.

Machine shortlist by wire gauge

The AWG bands describe example jobs. Check the listed limit for each machine and match the cable outside diameter or terminal tooling where applicable.
Example job and gauge band	Reference models and published limits
Strip pre-cut fine wires AWG 32–14 (≈ 0.032–2.08 mm²)	WM-1215C · Pneumatic end stripping, AWG 32–14, cable OD up to 3.2 mm.
Cut and strip reel-fed single-core wire AWG 27–8 (≈ 0.102–8.37 mm²)	WM-167 · Automatic cut and strip, 0.1–10 mm² conductor cross-section.
Crimp terminals on pre-cut wire AWG 32–20 (≈ 0.032–0.518 mm²)	WM-3120BT · Strip and crimp reel-fed terminals in one cycle, AWG 32–20. WM-3102T · 2-ton crimp-only press. Match the terminal and applicator to your wire.
Prepare power cables and crimp lugs AWG 6–4/0 (≈ 13.3–107 mm²)	WM-1450 · Power cable cut and strip, 10–150 mm², maximum guide diameter Ø30 mm. WM-1241 · Power cable cut and strip, 25–400 mm². WM-3240 · Servo hexagonal lug crimping, 10–120 mm².

AWG conversion — common questions

Why do AWG and mm² not convert to round numbers?

Because they measure different things by different logic. AWG is a geometric series of drawing-die steps — each gauge is the previous diameter divided by a constant ratio — while metric sizes state the conductor cross-section directly. AWG 20 works out to 0.518 mm², which is why it is commonly paired with the 0.5 mm² metric size rather than equal to it.

Is the nearest metric size an exact equivalent?

No — it is the closest standard size, and the table leaves the column blank where nothing is reasonably close. When a specification demands a minimum cross-section, round up to the next standard metric size rather than taking the nearest; when matching a machine rating, compare against the actual mm² value in the Area column.

My stranded wire measures a bigger diameter than the table says. Why?

The table gives the equivalent solid-conductor diameter. A stranded bundle of the same cross-section packs with air gaps between strands, so its outside diameter measures larger, and its insulation OD larger still. Machine specifications on this site state which figure they rate: conductor cross-section (mm² or AWG) for cutting, stripping and crimping, and outer diameter for machines that grip the insulation.

What resistance value does the last column use?

Annealed copper at 20 °C (resistivity 17.24 nΩ·m, the 100% IACS reference), solid conductor. Stranding, plating and temperature all raise it slightly — the column is for sizing sanity checks, not for certified voltage-drop calculations.

AWG to mm² conversion chart and calculator

Cut and strip machine shortlist

Using this with machine specifications

Machine shortlist by wire gauge

AWG conversion — common questions