AWG to mm
| 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
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
1.628 mm diameter, 2.08 mm² cross-section. The nearest metric cable is 2.5 mm².
The gauge defines the diameter; the area follows from it. Both are shown here.
Down. AWG 10 is much thicker than AWG 20.
They continue as 0, 00, 000 and 0000, written 1/0 to 4/0 and pronounced "one aught" upward.
Not always, but the standard metric sizes usually fall slightly above their nearest AWG, which is why the metric substitution is the safe direction.