Wire thickness is measured in gauge; in North America, American Wire Gauge (AWG) is the standard notation. The table below provides conversion to inches for solid, round, and bare conductors (insulation removed). A larger AWG number indicates a smaller conductor.
Typical household wire for a 15-amp circuit is 14 AWG. 12 AWG wire is generally used on 20-amp circuits.
Sheet metal gauge is different, but we have a separate article about that.
| AWG GAUGE | CONDUCTOR DIAMETER |
|---|---|
| 0000 | .4600 |
| 000 | .4096 |
| 00 | .3648 |
| 0 | .3249 |
| 1 | .2893 |
| 2 | .2576 |
| 3 | .2294 |
| 4 | .2043 |
| 5 | .1819 |
| 6 | .1620 |
| 7 | .1443 |
| 8 | .1285 |
| 9 | .1144 |
| 10 | .1019 |
| 11 | .0907 |
| 12 | .0808 |
| 13 | .0720 |
| 14 | .0641 |
| 15 | .0571 |
| 16 | .0508 |
| 17 | .0453 |
| 18 | .0403 |
| 19 | .0359 |
| 20 | .0320 |
| 21 | .0285 |
| 22 | .0253 |
| 23 | .0226 |
| 24 | .0201 |
| 25 | .0179 |
| 26 | .0159 |
| 27 | .0142 |
| 28 | .0126 |
| 29 | .0113 |
| 30 | .0100 |
