What is AWG?

Since 1857, the American wire gauge (AWG), also known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, has been predominantly used in the United States to determine the current-carrying capacity for round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire by using the cross-sectional area as a important determining factor.

This AWG table is for single, solid, round conductors. Stranded wire's cross-sectional area of the total conductors is used to determine the AWG, which in turn determines the electrical resistance and current-carrying capacity. Stranded wire, when compared to solid wire, will always have a larger overall diameter due to small gaps between strands.

Category 5, Category 6 network cable and many other cables will commonly have the specification printed on the jacket. Cat5e network cable in commonly 24 AWG while Serial ATA cables are normally 26 AWG.

This table is based on plastic insulation and does not take skin effect into account. The diameter information, allowable current (ampacity) and resistance of various gauges wires applies to solid wires while assuming DC/AC frequencies at 60 Hz or less.