How many outlets on a 20 amp circuit?

The electrical code sets no maximum number of outlets on a 20 amp circuit in a house. Outside dwellings, load calculations count 180 VA per outlet (NEC 2023, Section 220.14(I)), which gives 13 outlets on a 20 amp, 120 V circuit. Keeping the load to 80% of the breaker, a conservative planning margin, gives 10.

Outlets on 15 and 20 amp circuits at 180 VA

How the outlet count for a 20 amp circuit is calculated

Outlets = circuit volt-amperes ÷ 180 VA, rounded down. 20 A × 120 V = 2,400 VA; 2,400 ÷ 180 = 13.33, so 13 outlets. At 80% of the breaker the count is 10.

Does the electrical code limit outlets on a 20 amp circuit?

The electrical code sets no maximum number of receptacles on a general-purpose circuit in a house. The 180 VA per outlet figure comes from load calculations for commercial and other non-dwelling buildings; at home it is only a planning figure.

What matters in practice is what gets plugged in. A space heater, a hair dryer or a microwave can take most of a 20 amp circuit on its own, so kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms get their own 20 amp circuits whatever the outlet count.

A 20 amp circuit carries 1,920 W as a continuous load. Each appliance below draws more than half of that, 960 W, at the top of its running range, so two of them on the same circuit go over the continuous limit.