What Size Wire for 20 Amps at 50 Feet?
Voltage-drop-aware wire sizing for a 20-amp circuit running 50 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 2.0%. For ≤5% drop: 12 (3.2%).
Actual drop 2.1%. For ≤5% drop: 10 (3.3%).
At 50 ft, voltage drop governs: ampacity alone would allow 12 AWG copper, but staying ≤3% requires upsizing to 10.
Voltage Drop at 50 Feet
Voltage drop is calculated for a 120V single-phase circuit over a 50 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 | 3.2% | 5.3% | — |
| 10 | 2.0% | 3.3% | |
| 8 | 1.3% | 2.1% | |
| 6 | 0.8% | 1.3% | |
| 4 | 0.5% | 0.8% | |
| 3 | 0.4% | 0.7% |
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, 50 ft to adjust material, temperature and drop target.