AWG 12 Wire

Diameter 0.0808″
Millimeters 2.052 mm
Cross-section 6,529 cmil
mm² 3.31

Nominal bare-conductor dimensions per ASTM B258. AWG is geometric: d = 0.005 × 92(36−n)/39 in with n = 12; area is derived from the diameter. Ampacity depends on insulation, bundling, and the electrical code in force — it is a property of the installation, not the gauge.

Neighboring gauges

AWG Diameter mm vs AWG 12
10 0.1019″ 2.588 +0.0211″
11 0.0907″ 2.304 +0.0099″
12 0.0808″ 2.052
13 0.0720″ 1.829 −0.0088″
14 0.0641″ 1.628 −0.0167″

Measuring sheet metal, not wire? Sheet uses a different gauge scale — see 12 gauge sheet (steel: 0.1046″).

Data provenance. ASTM B258, Standard Specification for Nominal Diameters of AWG Sizes (ASTM International). See all data sources.