What Size Wire for 20 Amps at 25 Feet?
Voltage-drop-aware wire sizing for a 20-amp circuit running 25 ft (one-way) at 120V — because over distance, voltage drop, not ampacity, often sets the wire size.
Calculations are built on the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) and cross-checked against the published code tables. How we verify. Last reviewed June 2026.
Actual drop 1.6%. For ≤5% drop: 12 (1.6%).
Actual drop 1.7%. For ≤5% drop: 10 (1.7%).
At 25 ft, ampacity still governs: 12 AWG copper carries 20A and its drop (1.6%) is already within 3% — no upsizing needed.
Voltage Drop at 25 Feet
Voltage drop is calculated for a 120V single-phase circuit over a 25 ft one-way run (conductor length doubled for the return). Sizes meeting the ≤3% target are highlighted.
| Wire size | Copper drop | Aluminum drop | Within 3%? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1.6% | 2.7% | |
| 10 | 1.0% | 1.7% | |
| 8 | 0.6% | 1.1% | |
| 6 | 0.4% | 0.7% | |
| 4 | 0.3% | 0.4% | |
| 3 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Drop % uses NEC Chapter 9, Table 8 DC resistance — an accepted approximation for typical power-factor AC branch circuits. The wire must also meet ampacity; both checks are applied above.
Different distance or voltage?
Open the calculator pre-filled with 20A, 120V, 25 ft to adjust material, temperature and drop target.