American Wire Gauge (AWG) to MM2 Conversions

As the name suggests, American Wire Gauge (AWG) is the United States (US) standard for wire conductor size. Somewhat confusingly, the larger the “gauge”, the smaller the diameter and the thinner the wire.

The use of AWG cables is still common with the imperial American UL (United Laboratories) system being very dominant worldwide alongside the European metric sizing. We won’t express an opinion on imperial vs. metric, but needless-to-say they’re both here to stay!

We like keeping things simple and below is a handy table for converting the cross sectional AWG cable size to the closest MM² (square millimetre) size for metric cables. There isn’t an exact 1:1 conversion (that would be too easy!) and so we’d recommend you check to make sure the voltage, current capacity and temperature ratings are comparable for the cable you decide to use.

It’s important to say that the below table should be used for stranded cable conversions only - the most common cable type out there. If you need solid core conversions, we recommend you do a quick search on google.

If you want to keep this conversation table guide to hand (who wouldn’t!?) you can download the free PDF at the bottom of this article and pin it up on your wall…or stick it in your drawer.

* Legal Disclaimer - This chart is correct to our knowledge and we cannot be held responsible for any errors

Making life easy for you

Our Electrical Connectors range includes both the American AWG imperial and European metric sizing within the technical specifications of the product description, making it easier to match up terminals and cable size.

What should we talk about next?

We love feedback and receiving new ideas for our articles. If there are any reference guides, tips, hints or general handy information that you think we should be talking about, give us your suggestions by emailing help@jarukindustries.co.uk.

 The JAR Support Crew