Steel Wire Gauge Chart — Diameter, mm & Weight
US Steel Wire Gauge (Washburn & Moen) — the gauge system used for wire mesh, wire products, nails, and fencing wire.
| Gauge | Diameter (in) | Diameter (mm) | Weight (lbs / 1000 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/0 | 0.4900 | 12.446 | 641.1 |
| 6/0 | 0.4615 | 11.722 | 568.7 |
| 5/0 | 0.4305 | 10.935 | 494.8 |
| 4/0 | 0.3938 | 10.003 | 414.1 |
| 3/0 | 0.3625 | 9.207 | 350.9 |
| 2/0 | 0.3310 | 8.407 | 292.5 |
| 1/0 | 0.3065 | 7.785 | 250.8 |
| 1 | 0.2830 | 7.188 | 213.8 |
| 2 | 0.2625 | 6.667 | 184.0 |
| 3 | 0.2437 | 6.190 | 158.6 |
| 4 | 0.2253 | 5.723 | 135.5 |
| 5 | 0.2070 | 5.258 | 114.4 |
| 6 | 0.1920 | 4.877 | 98.4 |
| 7 | 0.1770 | 4.496 | 83.6 |
| 8 | 0.1620 | 4.115 | 70.1 |
| 9 | 0.1483 | 3.767 | 58.7 |
| 10 | 0.1350 | 3.429 | 48.7 |
| 11 | 0.1205 | 3.061 | 38.8 |
| 12 | 0.1055 | 2.680 | 29.7 |
| 13 | 0.0915 | 2.324 | 22.4 |
| 14 | 0.0800 | 2.032 | 17.1 |
| 15 | 0.0720 | 1.829 | 13.8 |
| 16 | 0.0625 | 1.587 | 10.4 |
| 17 | 0.0540 | 1.372 | 7.8 |
| 18 | 0.0475 | 1.206 | 6.0 |
| 19 | 0.0410 | 1.041 | 4.5 |
| 20 | 0.0348 | 0.884 | 3.2 |
| 21 | 0.0317 | 0.805 | 2.7 |
| 22 | 0.0286 | 0.726 | 2.2 |
| 23 | 0.0258 | 0.655 | 1.8 |
| 24 | 0.0230 | 0.584 | 1.4 |
| 25 | 0.0204 | 0.518 | 1.1 |
| 26 | 0.0181 | 0.460 | 0.9 |
This chart uses the US Steel Wire Gauge (Washburn & Moen). It applies to steel wire, welded wire mesh, nails, staples, and fencing wire. For electrical wire (copper or aluminum), use AWG instead — the two systems have different diameter progressions.
Weight formula: lbs/ft = 2.67 × d² where d is the diameter in inches. Multiply by 1000 for the lbs/1000 ft column.
Frequently asked
What gauge wire is used in welded wire mesh?
Common WWM wires are W1.4, W2.0, W2.9, and W4.0 — these are cross-sectional areas, not gauges. Converted to US Steel Wire Gauge, they roughly correspond to gauges 12, 10, 8, and 6 respectively.
What is the difference between US Steel Wire Gauge and AWG?
US Steel Wire Gauge (Washburn & Moen) is used for steel wire, welded wire mesh, nails, and fencing. AWG (American Wire Gauge) is used for copper and aluminum electrical conductors. The two use different diameter progressions — don't mix them.
Higher gauge number = thicker or thinner wire?
Thinner. Gauge 8 (0.162 in) is thicker than gauge 16 (0.0625 in). Zeros (2/0, 3/0, ...) run larger than gauge 1.
Where does the weight-per-1000-ft come from?
Steel round-bar formula: lbs/ft = 2.67 × d² (d in inches), based on steel density of 0.2836 lbs/cu in.
