American Wire Gauge (AWG) Converter

American Wire Gauge, commonly referred to in the industry as ‘AWG’ is the US standard measure for the diameter of electrical conductors. 

The AWG classification was established in the early 1900’s and the AWG converter chart is based on the number of dies originally required to draw down the copper to the required dimensional size, simply put the larger the number of dies required the smaller the conductor diameter. 

So, when considering the AWG number, it’s important to remember the larger the AWG number the smaller the conductor diameter. 

The most common method of referring to conductor sizes uses the cross-sectional area, expressed in mm², however AWG does not convert exactly within the rounded metric system, so additional rounding up or down is commonly required. 

The technical formulae for converting between AWG and diameter is as follows; 

The ‘n’ gauge wire diameter ‘dn’ in millimetres (mm) is equal to 0.127mm times 92 raised to the power of 36 minus gauge number ‘n’, divided by 39: ‘dn’ (mm) = 0.127 mm × 92(36-n)/39 

AWG conversion can be challenging, so at Securi-Flex® we have created a simple tool below providing a quick and easy conversion. 

Whether you’re looking to convert AWG to mm or, Diameter or Diameter or mm to AWG, simply choose the relevant drop down and select the relevant value of measure, this will then immediately convert and present the corresponding AWG or MM diameter. 

Additionally, we have included our AWG chart below for a full visual guide on the AWG to diameter references, which can also be downloaded from our Resources section.

American Wire Gauge Conversion Tool

Choose whether you would like to convert AWG to Diameter or Diameter to AMG  

If our AWG calculator or chart doesn’t provide you with the information you need, please  contact us where a member of the Securi-Flex® sales and technical department will be happy to answer your questions or alternatively calculate the appropriate AWG/metric size for your installation. 

​Our Securi-Flex® Belden Equivalents and Data Cables are some of the electrical cables where the conductor size is expressed as an AWG figure so, please use our AWG metric conversion table below or conversion tool above which converts AWG to mm, and also lists, stranded conductors’ construction, the cross sectional area and the solid conductor values. 

Important to Remember

AWG refers to the size of the conductor, not the overall size and diameter of the cable i.e., including the core sizes or sheathing. 

AWG are numbers presented low to high, this means that the smaller AWG number, the larger the conductor diameter in mm. Conversely, the larger the AWG number the smaller the conductor diameter in mm. 

Do not confuse AWG with Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) as they are not the same, SWG was superseded by mm and is the British Imperial Standard which is very rarely referred to or used within the industry. 

Always check to ensure you are using the correct Diameter or AWG for your project and installation. 

For further information or advice please contact us where one of our dedicated team will be happy to support with your cable requirements. 

**Disclaimer – Securi-Flex® limited will not be held responsible for the information presented herein, it is the responsibility of the user to ensure all measurements are correct and accurate, meet the site requirements and environment prior to any installation.