AWG to mm² Conversion
The American Wire Gauge (AWG) scale is logarithmic. Metric (mm²) measures actual cross-sectional area. This table provides exact equivalents and the closest standard metric size used in European/Asian manufacturing.
| AWG | Diameter (mm) | Exact Area (mm²) | Standard Metric Equivalent (mm²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/0 | 11.684 | 107.2 | 120 |
| 3/0 | 10.405 | 85.0 | 95 |
| 2/0 | 9.266 | 67.4 | 70 |
| 1/0 | 8.251 | 53.5 | 50 |
| 1 | 7.348 | 42.4 | 50 |
| 2 | 6.544 | 33.6 | 35 |
| 4 | 5.189 | 21.2 | 25 |
| 6 | 4.115 | 13.3 | 16 |
| 8 | 3.264 | 8.37 | 10 |
| 10 | 2.588 | 5.26 | 6 |
| 12 | 2.053 | 3.31 | 4 |
| 14 | 1.628 | 2.08 | 2.5 |
| 16 | 1.291 | 1.31 | 1.5 |
| 18 | 1.024 | 0.823 | 1.0 |
| 20 | 0.812 | 0.518 | 0.5 or 0.75 |
| 22 | 0.644 | 0.326 | 0.34 |
| 24 | 0.511 | 0.205 | 0.25 |
Do not substitute blindly. If a machine specifies a 2.5mm² wire, a 14 AWG wire (2.08mm²) is smaller and will have higher resistance. You must jump to 12 AWG to exceed the specification.