AWG · kcmil · mm² · Conductor weight

Wire gauge conversion: AWG ↔ mm² ↔ circular mils + conductor weight

Name: AWG to mm² & Circular Mils Conversion Chart with Wire Weights
Creator: Field PM
License: https://www.field-pm.com/terms

Every AWG size from 4/0 to 30 and kcmil sizes to 1000, converted to diameter, circular mils, and mm², with bare copper and aluminum weight — all computed from the AWG definition and material density.

AWG conversion — diameter, circular mils, mm², and bare solid conductor weight

AWG	Diameter (in)	Diameter (mm)	Area (cmil)	Area (mm²)	Bare Cu (lb/1,000 ft)	Bare Al (lb/1,000 ft)
4/0	0.4600	11.68	211,600	107.2	640.5	194.9
3/0	0.4096	10.40	167,806	85.03	507.9	154.6
2/0	0.3648	9.266	133,077	67.43	402.8	122.6
1/0	0.3249	8.251	105,535	53.48	319.4	97.20
1	0.2893	7.348	83,693	42.41	253.3	77.08
2	0.2576	6.544	66,371	33.63	200.9	61.13
3	0.2294	5.827	52,635	26.67	159.3	48.48
4	0.2043	5.189	41,741	21.15	126.3	38.45
5	0.1819	4.621	33,102	16.77	100.2	30.49
6	0.1620	4.115	26,251	13.30	79.46	24.18
7	0.1443	3.665	20,818	10.55	63.02	19.17
8	0.1285	3.264	16,510	8.366	49.97	15.21
9	0.1144	2.906	13,093	6.634	39.63	12.06
10	0.1019	2.588	10,383	5.261	31.43	9.563
11	0.09074	2.305	8,234	4.172	24.92	7.584
12	0.08081	2.053	6,530	3.309	19.77	6.014
13	0.07196	1.828	5,178	2.624	15.68	4.770
14	0.06408	1.628	4,107	2.081	12.43	3.782
15	0.05707	1.450	3,257	1.650	9.858	3
16	0.05082	1.291	2,583	1.309	7.818	2.379
17	0.04526	1.150	2,048	1.038	6.200	1.886
18	0.04030	1.024	1,624	0.8230	4.917	1.496
19	0.03589	0.9116	1,288	0.6527	3.899	1.186
20	0.03196	0.8118	1,022	0.5176	3.092	0.9409
21	0.02846	0.7229	810.1	0.4105	2.452	0.7461
22	0.02535	0.6438	642.4	0.3255	1.945	0.5917
23	0.02257	0.5733	509.5	0.2582	1.542	0.4693
24	0.02010	0.5106	404	0.2047	1.223	0.3721
25	0.01790	0.4547	320.4	0.1624	0.9699	0.2951
26	0.01594	0.4049	254.1	0.1288	0.7692	0.2340
27	0.01420	0.3606	201.5	0.1021	0.6100	0.1856
28	0.01264	0.3211	159.8	0.08098	0.4837	0.1472
29	0.01126	0.2859	126.7	0.06422	0.3836	0.1167
30	0.01003	0.2546	100.5	0.05093	0.3042	0.09257

Computed from the AWG definition d = 0.005 × 92^((36 − n)/39) in, with 1/0 = 0, 2/0 = −1, 3/0 = −2, 4/0 = −3. Weights are for a solid round conductor from density (copper 8.89 g/cm³, aluminum 2.705 g/cm³). Stranded conductors weigh a few percent more because of lay (the strands spiral), and stranded diameters are larger than solid. Insulated wire and cable weights come from the manufacturer's data sheet.

kcmil sizes — area and bare conductor weight

Size (kcmil)	Area (cmil)	Area (mm²)	Equiv. solid diameter (in)	Bare Cu (lb/1,000 ft)	Bare Al (lb/1,000 ft)
250	250,000	126.7	0.5000	756.7	230.3
300	300,000	152	0.5477	908.1	276.3
350	350,000	177.3	0.5916	1,059	322.4
400	400,000	202.7	0.6325	1,211	368.4
500	500,000	253.4	0.7071	1,513	460.5
600	600,000	304	0.7746	1,816	552.6
700	700,000	354.7	0.8367	2,119	644.7
750	750,000	380	0.8660	2,270	690.8
800	800,000	405.4	0.8944	2,422	736.8
900	900,000	456	0.9487	2,724	828.9
1000	1,000,000	506.7	1	3,027	921

1 kcmil = 1,000 circular mils (the old "MCM"). Large sizes are always stranded, so the real diameter is bigger than the solid-equivalent diameter and weight runs a few percent higher. Metric cable sizes (IEC) are a different series — convert, then pick the next standard size up, and confirm with the manufacturer and the code in force.

Worked example — how much does a reel of 4/0 bare copper weigh?

Input / step	Value	Source
4/0 diameter	0.005 × 92^(39/39) = 0.46 in	AWG definition (n = −3)
Area	460² = 211,600 cmil = 0.1662 in² = 107.2 mm²	cmil × π/4 × 10⁻⁶
Copper density	8.89 g/cm³ = 0.3212 lb/in³	Material property
Weight per 1,000 ft (solid)	0.1662 × 12,000 × 0.3212 ≈ 640 lb	Area × length × density
Reel length	2,500 ft	Order
Conductor weight (solid basis)	≈ 1,600 lb, plus a few percent for stranding, plus reel	Stranded weight from the data sheet

Physics — computed, not copied. For insulated cable, use the manufacturer's published weight.

Metric ↔ imperial conversions for the field

Quantity	Imperial → metric	Metric → imperial
Length	1 in = 25.4 mm (exact)	1 mm = 0.03937 in
Length	1 ft = 0.3048 m (exact)	1 m = 3.281 ft
Length	1,000 ft = 304.8 m	1 km = 3,281 ft
Area (conductor)	1 kcmil = 0.5067 mm²	1 mm² = 1,974 cmil
Area	1 in² = 645.16 mm² (exact)	1 mm² = 0.00155 in²
Area	1 in² = 1,273,240 cmil	1 cmil = 0.7854 × 10⁻⁶ in²
Weight per length	1 lb/1,000 ft = 1.488 kg/km	1 kg/km = 0.672 lb/1,000 ft
Force	1 lbf = 4.448 N	1 kN = 224.8 lbf
Pressure	1 psi = 6.895 kPa	1 bar = 100 kPa = 14.50 psi
Pressure	1 inH₂O = 249.1 Pa	1 kPa = 4.015 inH₂O
Temperature	°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9	°F = °C × 9/5 + 32

Unit definitions (NIST). Rounded to 4 significant figures unless marked exact.

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Where these numbers come from

AWG is a formula, not a list. American Wire Gauge defines 36 AWG as 0.005 in and 4/0 as 0.46 in, with 39 equal geometric steps between them. That gives d = 0.005 × 92^((36 − n)/39) inches. Every three gauges roughly halves the area, and every six gauges halves the diameter. The tables on this page are computed straight from that definition.

Circular mils are diameter-in-mils squared, so a 460-mil 4/0 conductor is 211,600 cmil. Above 4/0, sizes are named directly by area in thousands of circular mils (kcmil, formerly MCM). To get mm², multiply cmil by about 0.0005067.

Weight is area × length × density. Copper runs 8.89 g/cm³ (0.3212 lb/in³); 1350 aluminum about 2.705 g/cm³. Those give the bare solid-conductor weights in the tables. Real stranded conductor is a few percent heavier, and insulation, jackets, shields, and armor add a lot more — use the manufacturer’s data sheet for reel and pulling weights.

Conversion gives you a size, not an ampacity. For current-carrying capacity use the NEC ampacity chart and correction factors; for resistance and voltage drop see the conductor resistance guide and the voltage drop calculator; for pulls, see cable pulling tension & sidewall pressure. Field PM tracks wire received and installed against the budget on every job.

FAQ

How do I convert AWG to mm²?+

Compute the diameter from the AWG definition, d = 0.005 × 92^((36 − n)/39) inches (use 0 for 1/0, −1 for 2/0, −2 for 3/0, −3 for 4/0), then area = π/4 × (d × 25.4)² mm². For example, 12 AWG is 0.0808 in, which is about 3.31 mm². The table on this page does that for every size from 4/0 to 30 AWG.

What is a circular mil?+

The area of a circle one mil (0.001 in) in diameter. A wire's area in circular mils is just its diameter in mils squared — no π needed — which is why the North American wire system uses it. 1 kcmil = 1,000 circular mils ≈ 0.5067 mm².

How much does copper wire weigh per 1,000 feet?+

For bare solid conductor, multiply the cross-sectional area in in² by 12,000 in and by copper's density, 0.3212 lb/in³. 4/0 bare solid copper works out to about 640 lb per 1,000 ft. Stranded conductor weighs a few percent more, and insulated cable weight comes from the manufacturer's data sheet.

Is 2.5 mm² the same as 14 AWG?+

No. 14 AWG is about 2.08 mm² and 12 AWG is about 3.31 mm², so 2.5 mm² falls between them. Metric and AWG sizes don't line up one-to-one; convert, then choose the conductor size the applicable code and ampacity tables require.

Does aluminum wire weigh less than copper?+

Yes — aluminum is about 30% as dense as copper, so the same cross-section weighs roughly 30% as much. Aluminum needs a larger size to carry the same current, but even upsized it is usually much lighter.

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