ElectricalCharts

6 AWG Wire Specs

Ampacity, geometry, resistance, conduit fill and maximum run length for 6 AWG conductors in copper and aluminium.

Quick answer

6 AWG copper carries about 59 A at 75 °C (50 A at 60 °C, 67 A at 90 °C). The bare conductor is 0.1620 in (4.11 mm) and 26,251 circular mils, with 0.3951 Ω per 1000 ft. It pairs with a 50 A breaker at 75 °C terminations.

Copper 75 °C

59A

Aluminium 75 °C

46A

Diameter

0.1620in

Circular mils

26,251

Full specification

Size designation6 AWG
AWG gauge number6
Circular mils26,251
kcmil26.25
Bare diameter (in)0.1620
Bare diameter (mm)4.115
Cross-section (mm²)13.30
THHN/THWN-2 OD (in)0.254
Insulated area (sq in)0.0507
Copper resistance (Ω/1000 ft)0.3951
Aluminium resistance (Ω/1000 ft)0.6476
Max standard breaker (Cu, 75 °C)50 A
Published standard — source: Geometry computed from the ASTM B258 AWG formula; resistance from standard resistivityFormula estimate — source: Ampacity from the site model

Ampacity with derating

Estimated ampacity from the 90 °C column at various ambient temperatures and conductor counts.

Conductors in raceway30 °C ambient40 °C ambient50 °C ambient60 °C ambient
367 A61 A55 A47 A
654 A49 A44 A38 A
947 A43 A38 A33 A
1534 A31 A27 A24 A
2530 A28 A25 A21 A

Source & method: The governing value is also capped by the termination rating, commonly 75 °C, which for this size is 59 A. Run your own conditions.

Maximum run length at 3% voltage drop

One-way distance for 6 AWG copper before drop exceeds 3%.

Load120 V 1Ø240 V 1Ø208 V 3Ø480 V 3Ø
10 A366 ft732 ft733 ft1,691 ft
15 A244 ft488 ft488 ft1,127 ft
20 A183 ft366 ft366 ft845 ft
30 A122 ft244 ft244 ft563 ft
40 A91 ft183 ft183 ft422 ft
50 A73 ft146 ft146 ft338 ft

Calculate your exact run

How many 6 AWG conductors fit in conduit

Maximum count of this size alone, at the fill percentage matching the resulting count.

Conduit1/2"3/4"1"1-1/4"1-1/2"2"2-1/2"3"3-1/2"4"
EMT146111626466991116
IMC247121728406283107
RMC147121626385979101
PVC Sch 4014611152537577699
PVC Sch 801359132232506888

Mix conductor sizes in the fill calculator

Neighbouring sizes

Smaller8 AWG44 A copper at 75 °C · 0.1285" diameterLarger4 AWG80 A copper at 75 °C · 0.2043" diameter

Frequently asked

How many amps can 6 AWG wire carry?
6 AWG copper is estimated at 50 A at 60 °C, 59 A at 75 °C and 67 A at 90 °C, at 30 °C ambient with no more than three current-carrying conductors. Aluminium of the same size is about 46 A at 75 °C.
What breaker size goes with 6 AWG copper?
The largest standard overcurrent device that 6 AWG copper supports at 75 °C is 50 A. For a continuous load, the load itself must not exceed 80% of that rating.
What is the diameter of 6 AWG wire?
The bare conductor is 0.1620 inches (4.115 mm) in diameter, which is 26,251 circular mils. With THHN/THWN-2 insulation the nominal outside diameter is about 0.254 inches.
What is the resistance of 6 AWG wire?
About 0.3951 ohms per 1000 feet for copper and 0.6476 ohms per 1000 feet for aluminium, at 75 °C.
How far can I run 6 AWG wire?
Distance depends on load and voltage. At 20 A on a 120 V single-phase circuit, 6 AWG copper stays under 3% voltage drop for about 183 feet one-way. Doubling the voltage roughly doubles the allowable distance.

Materials for this size

Materials for this size

Wire, cable and terminations for 6 AWG.

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