Between its neighbours
16 AWG has 59 % more copper than 18 AWG and 37 % less than 14 AWG. Its DC resistance is 4.99 Ω per 1000 ft at 75 °C (aluminum 8.21), and 1000 ft of it carries 7.81 lb of copper.
16 AWG wire: amps, diameter & uses
16 AWG wire is 0.0508" (1.29 mm) solid and 1.31 mm². It is too small for house wiring (NEC minimum 14 AWG), but as flexible cord it is rated 13 A with two current-carrying conductors; at 12 V and 10 A it reaches 3 ft at 3 % drop. Used for extension cords to 13 A, landscape lighting and car speakers.
01 · 1:1 wire gauge · caliper
16 AWG · bare solid copper
THIS IS:
16 AWG COPPER · NOT BUILDING WIRE · 1.29 MM COPPER
Gauge
16 AWG
bare solid copper
Breaker
n/a
not building wire
Measured
1.29 mm
0.0508"
The gap is 1.29 mm (0.0508"), which reads as 16 AWG bare solid copper. Measure bare copper for the gauge: insulation is far thicker than the metal.
- Meets NEC 2023 Table 310.16 at 75°C — verify with your local AHJ/inspector310.16
- Drawn at true sizecalibrated screen
16 AWG
- Solid diameter
- 0.0508"1.291 mm · ASTM B258 formula
- Stranded (7 strands)
- 0.0580"1.473 mm · Table 8
- Area
- 2,580 cmil1.31 mm² · nearest IEC 1.5 mm²
- DC resistance, 75 °C
- 4.99 Ω/1000 ftaluminum 8.21 Ω/1000 ft · Table 8
- Copper weight
- 7.8 lb/1000 ft
Ampacity
- Copper 60 / 75 / 90 °C
- — / — / 18 ANM-B uses the 60 °C column (334.80)
- Aluminum 60 / 75 / 90 °C
- —
- Largest breaker (Cu, 75 °C)
- —ampacity ≥ breaker
Other gauges
- Nearest SWG
- SWG 180.048" · 1.219 mm
- IEC 60228
- 1.5 mm²between 1 and 1.5 mm²
16 AWG at a glance
Size
- Solid diameter
- 0.0508" · 1.29 mm
- Stranded (7)
- 0.058"
- Area
- 2,580 cmil · 1.31 mm²
- Metric
- 1 – 1.5 mm²
- SWG nearest
- 18 (1.219 mm)
Amps
- Copper 60/75/90 °C
- — / — / 18 A
- Aluminum 75 °C
- —
- Max breaker, THHN
- —
- As NM-B cable
- not made
- Ground for it
- —
Run & fit
- 120 V at 10 A
- 36 ft at 3 %
- 240 V at 10 A
- 72 ft at 3 %
- THHN in ½" EMT
- null
- THHN in ¾" EMT
- null
- Copper weight
- 7.8 lb/1000 ft
16 AWG reference 19 rows
Sort any column, print a shop sheet, download CSV. Click a row to load it in the calculator.
| Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 360 | 721 | ||
| 18 | 180 | 360 | ||
| 7 | 72 | 144 | ||
| 3 | 36 | 72 | ||
| 2 | 24 | 48 |
| Actions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
05 / Field guide
16 AWG
cords and low voltage.
16 AWG wire is 0.0508" (1.29 mm) solid and 1.31 mm². It is too small for house wiring (NEC minimum 14 AWG), but as flexible cord it is rated 13 A with two current-carrying conductors; at 12 V and 10 A it reaches 3 ft at 3 % drop. Used for extension cords to 13 A, landscape lighting and car speakers.
Feeders and services
16 AWG is the usual choice for extension cords to 13 A, landscape lighting and car speakers. It is not made as NM-B cable; use THHN or XHHW in conduit, or SER/USE cable. The equipment ground for its largest breaker is null.
On the 1:1 gauge
The caliper above opens at 1.29 mm. Lay a stripped length along the lines and step the gauge with ← and → until the wire just fills the gap.
Questions
Answered plainly.
01How many amps can 16 AWG wire carry?
+−
16 AWG copper is rated — A at 60 °C, null A at 75 °C and 18 A at 90 °C (NEC Table 310.16, 30 °C, three conductors or fewer). Aluminum of the same size: — A at 75 °C.
02What size breaker for 16 AWG wire?
+−
Up to null A with THHN on 75 °C terminals.
03What is the diameter of 16 AWG wire?
+−
0.0508 inch (1.29 mm) solid, 0.058 inch stranded (7 strands).
04What is 16 AWG in mm²?
+−
1.31 mm² (2,580 circular mils). The IEC sizes either side are 1 and 1.5 mm²; replace it with 1.5 mm², not the smaller one.
05How far can 16 AWG wire run?
+−
At 10 A and 3 % drop, 36 ft one way at 120 V and 72 ft at 240 V (Table 8 resistance, 4.99 Ω per 1000 ft at 75 °C). Lighter loads go proportionally further.
06How far can 16 AWG speaker wire run?
+−
About 49 ft to an 8 Ω speaker and 24 ft to a 4 Ω one before the cable passes 5 % of the impedance (about 0.42 dB).
07What is 16 AWG in SWG?
+−
The nearest British Standard Wire Gauge is SWG 18 at 1.219 mm, against 1.29 mm for 16 AWG.