What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 200 Feet?
Voltage-drop-aware wire sizing for a 200-amp circuit running 200 ft (one-way) at 240V — 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 2.6%. For ≤5% drop: 3/0 (2.6%).
Actual drop 2.8%. For ≤5% drop: 250 kcmil (2.8%).
At 200 ft, ampacity still governs: 3/0 AWG copper carries 200A and its drop (2.6%) is already within 3% — no upsizing needed.
Voltage Drop at 200 Feet
Voltage drop is calculated for a 240V single-phase circuit over a 200 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%? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/0 | 2.6% | 4.2% | |
| 4/0 | 2.0% | 3.3% | |
| 250 kcmil | 1.7% | 2.8% | |
| 300 kcmil | 1.4% | 2.4% | |
| 350 kcmil | 1.2% | 2.0% | |
| 400 kcmil | 1.1% | 1.8% |
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 200A, 240V, 200 ft to adjust material, temperature and drop target.