AWG to mm² Conversion

Convert American Wire Gauge (AWG) sizes to metric cross-sectional area in square millimeters (mm²). The AWG system is used in North America; most of the world uses mm² (IEC 60228).

AWG	mm²	Diameter (mm)	Diameter (in)	Circular Mils
4/0	107.2193	11.684	0.46	211,600
3/0	85.0288	10.4049	0.409642	167,806
2/0	67.4309	9.2658	0.364797	133,076
1/0	53.4751	8.2515	0.324861	105,534
1	42.4077	7.3481	0.289297	83,693
2	33.6308	6.5437	0.257626	66,371
3	26.6705	5.8273	0.229423	52,635
4	21.1506	5.1894	0.204307	41,741
5	16.7732	4.6213	0.181941	33,102
6	13.3018	4.1154	0.162023	26,251
7	10.5488	3.6649	0.144285	20,818
8	8.3656	3.2636	0.12849	16,510
9	6.6342	2.9064	0.114424	13,093
10	5.2612	2.5882	0.101897	10,383
11	4.1723	2.3048	0.090742	8,234
12	3.3088	2.0525	0.080808	6,530
13	2.624	1.8278	0.071962	5,178
14	2.0809	1.6277	0.064084	4,107
15	1.6502	1.4495	0.057068	3,257
16	1.3087	1.2908	0.050821	2,583
17	1.0378	1.1495	0.045257	2,048
18	0.823	1.0237	0.040303	1,624
19	0.6527	0.9116	0.035891	1,288
20	0.5176	0.8118	0.031961	1,022
21	0.4105	0.7229	0.028462	810
22	0.3255	0.6438	0.025347	642
23	0.2582	0.5733	0.022572	510
24	0.2047	0.5106	0.020101	404
25	0.1624	0.4547	0.0179	320
26	0.1288	0.4049	0.015941	254
27	0.1021	0.3606	0.014196	202
28	0.081	0.3211	0.012641	160
29	0.0642	0.2859	0.011258	127
30	0.0509	0.2546	0.010025	100
31	0.0404	0.2268	0.008928	80
32	0.032	0.2019	0.00795	63
33	0.0254	0.1798	0.00708	50
34	0.0201	0.1601	0.006305	40
35	0.016	0.1426	0.005615	32
36	0.0127	0.127	0.005	25

AWG to mm² Formula

The cross-sectional area in mm² for any AWG gauge can be calculated:

Area (mm²) = (π/4) × [0.127 × 92^(36-n)/39]²

Note that AWG and IEC metric sizes don't have exact 1:1 equivalents. A 12 AWG wire (3.31 mm²) is closest to the 4 mm² IEC standard size, but they are not identical.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert AWG to mm²?

The formula is: diameter (mm) = 0.127 × 92^((36-AWG)/39), then area (mm²) = π/4 × diameter². For example, 12 AWG has a diameter of 2.053 mm and an area of 3.31 mm². Use the table on this page for quick lookup without calculation.

Is 4 mm² the same as 12 AWG?

4 mm² (IEC standard size) is not exactly 12 AWG. 12 AWG has an area of 3.31 mm², while 4 mm² is slightly larger (closer to 11 AWG). When substituting, 4 mm² is a safe and conservative replacement for 12 AWG wire in metric-standard wiring.

What AWG is 6 mm²?

6 mm² is closest to 9 AWG (not a standard US size). The nearest standard AWG sizes are 10 AWG (5.26 mm², slightly smaller) or 8 AWG (8.37 mm², larger). When converting, 6 mm² and 10 AWG are often used interchangeably in practical applications.