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AWG to mm

From

AWG

Diameter 1.628 mm

AWG 14

Cross-section 2.081 mm²

Diameter 0.0641 in

Resistance 8.27 Ω/km

Every 3 gauges ≈ doubles the area

Common gauges

AWG	Diameter (mm)	Area (mm²)	Nearest metric
24	0.511	0.205	0.25 mm²
22	0.644	0.326	0.35 mm²
20	0.812	0.518	0.5 mm²
18	1.024	0.823	1.0 mm²
16	1.291	1.31	1.5 mm²
14	1.628	2.08	2.5 mm²
12	2.053	3.31	4 mm²
10	2.588	5.26	6 mm²
8	3.264	8.37	10 mm²
6	4.115	13.3	16 mm²

AWG 14 is 1.628 mm in diameter and 2.08 mm² in cross-section. The formula is d = 0.127 × 92^((36−n)/39) millimetres, which makes the scale geometric: every three gauges roughly doubles or halves the area.

How to convert AWG to mm

1 Enter the AWG number from the cable jacket or spool.

2 Read the diameter in millimetres and the cross-section in mm².

3 Compare against the nearest metric size in the chart.

4 When substituting, choose the metric size above, not below.

The chart below is the quick answer for the gauges that actually turn up: 24 and 22 for signal wiring, 18 and 16 for low-current DC, 14 and 12 for mains circuits in North America, and 10 and below for feeders. Note that the metric column is the nearest standard size, not an equal — AWG 14 at 2.08 mm² is genuinely thinner than a 2.5 mm² metric cable, by about 17%.

Questions

What is AWG 14 in mm? −

1.628 mm diameter, 2.08 mm² cross-section. The nearest metric cable is 2.5 mm².

Is AWG diameter or area? +

Does the number go up or down with size? +

What about gauges below 1? +

Is metric always bigger? +

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