200 amp wire size
A 200 amp circuit needs 3/0 AWG copper or 250 kcmil aluminum wire with 75 °C terminations. As the main service wire of a house, a 200 amp service may use 2/0 AWG copper or 4/0 AWG aluminum under the 83% rule: see 200 amp service wire size.
200 amp wire size by termination rating
| Termination rating | Copper | Aluminum |
|---|---|---|
| 60 °C | 250 kcmil | 350 kcmil |
| 75 °C, THHN | 3/0 AWG | 250 kcmil |
| Ground wire | 6 AWG | 4 AWG |
200 amp wire size by distance at 240 V
Sizes that keep the voltage drop within 3% on a 240 V circuit loaded to the full 200 A, 75 °C terminations. The copper ground wire grows with the hot wires on long runs.
| One-way distance | Copper | Drop | Copper ground | Aluminum | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 ft | 3/0 AWG | 0.3% | 6 AWG | 250 kcmil | 0.4% |
| 50 ft | 3/0 AWG | 0.6% | 6 AWG | 250 kcmil | 0.7% |
| 100 ft | 3/0 AWG | 1.3% | 6 AWG | 250 kcmil | 1.4% |
| 150 ft | 3/0 AWG | 1.9% | 6 AWG | 250 kcmil | 2.1% |
| 200 ft | 3/0 AWG | 2.6% | 6 AWG | 250 kcmil | 2.8% |
| 300 ft | 250 kcmil | 2.6% | 4 AWG | 400 kcmil | 2.7% |
- Copper
- Aluminum
Check your own 200 amp run
What are you sizing for?
A
ft
From the panel to the load, not there and back
Voltage
Conductor
Termination rating
Result
3/0 AWG copper
Ampacity sets the size; the voltage drop is within 3%.
- Breaker
- 200 A
- Voltage drop
- 1.5 V (0.6%)
- Volts at the load
- 238.5 V
- Ground wire
- 6 AWG copper
How it is calculated
- Breaker: 200 A rounded up to a standard size = 200 A.
- Smallest copper conductor rated for 200 A at 75 °C: 3/0 AWG.
- Drop = 2 × K × 200 A × 50 ft ÷ 167,800 cmil = 1.54 V, target 3% of 240 V.
What a 200 amp circuit is used for
- Standard service for a modern house