--- title: "What Size Wire for 60 Amps? Subpanel, EV, Hot Tub | FigureYard" description: "Wire size for a 60 amp breaker: 4 AWG copper NM-B, 6 AWG THHN in conduit or 4 AWG aluminum, for subpanels, car chargers and hot tubs." url: https://figureyard.com/energy/wire-size-for-60-amp/ image: https://figureyard.com/og/energy/wire-size-for-60-amp.png --- [Electrical, Heating & Insulation](https://figureyard.com/energy/) # What Size Wire for a 60 Amp Circuit A 60 amp circuit needs 6 AWG copper as single THHN wires in conduit, 4 AWG copper in NM-B cable, or 4 AWG aluminum. The cable answer is a size bigger because NM-B is rated from the code's lowest temperature column, where 6 AWG falls just short of sixty. The calculator is set to a 60 amp, 240 volt circuit in conduit; change the wire type, the metal and the distance to match your job. Reviewed by FigureYard editorial team · Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 sources *Interactive calculator on the page (inputs: The wire feeds; Load current; Circuit voltage; One-way distance; Conductor; Wire type; Runs for 3 hours or more at a time; Circuit; Allowed voltage drop (%)). The results below are for its default inputs.* **Wire size** **6 AWG** copper - Current the wire must carry: **60.0** A - Rated for: **65** A - Voltage drop: **1.47** % - Longest run within 3%: **122** ft Each copper size for this circuit | Size | Rated | Drop | Fits | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10 AWG | 30 A | 3.72% | Too small for the current | | 8 AWG | 50 A | 2.33% | Too small for the current | | 6 AWG | 65 A | 1.47% | Yes | | 4 AWG | 85 A | 0.92% | Yes | | 3 AWG | 100 A | 0.74% | Yes | Sixty amps is a common size for a small subpanel in a garage or a workshop, a hot tub, a tankless water heater, and a car charger that delivers forty-eight amps. ## How to use this calculator 1. Keep 60 amps for a feeder or circuit sized to its breaker. 2. Choose NM-B cable for a run inside the walls of the house, or THHN wires for conduit, which is what most subpanel feeders and outdoor runs use. 3. Enter the one-way distance. For a detached garage, measure to the subpanel, not to the far end of the building. 4. Mark a car charger as continuous: its circuit is sized for 125 percent of the charging current. ## Worked examples ### A garage subpanel fed through the attic Load current: 60 A · Circuit voltage: 240 V · One-way distance: 70 ft · Wire type: NM-B or UF-B cable (60 °C) - Wire size: 4 AWG copper - Current the wire must carry: 60.0 A - Rated for: 70 A - Voltage drop: 1.08% - Longest run within 3%: 195 ft ### A hot tub on the patio Load current: 60 A · Circuit voltage: 240 V · One-way distance: 45 ft · Wire type: THHN/THWN wires in conduit (75 °C) - Wire size: 6 AWG copper - Current the wire must carry: 60.0 A - Rated for: 65 A - Voltage drop: 1.10% - Longest run within 3%: 122 ft ### A car charger at its highest setting Load current: 48 A · Circuit voltage: 240 V · One-way distance: 55 ft · Wire type: THHN/THWN wires in conduit (75 °C) · Runs for 3 hours or more at a time: Yes, a continuous load - Wire size: 6 AWG copper - Current the wire must carry: 60.0 A - Rated for: 65 A - Voltage drop: 1.08% - Longest run within 3%: 153 ft ### An aluminum feeder to a workshop Load current: 60 A · Circuit voltage: 240 V · One-way distance: 180 ft · Conductor: Aluminum - Wire size: 2 AWG aluminum - Current the wire must carry: 60.0 A - Rated for: 90 A - Voltage drop: 2.87% - Longest run within 3%: 188 ft ## Wire size for a 60 amp, 240 volt circuit by one-way distance | One-way distance | Copper, THHN/THWN wires in conduit (75 °C) | Copper, NM-B or UF-B cable (60 °C) | Aluminum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 25 ft | 6 AWG | 4 AWG | 4 AWG | | 50 ft | 6 AWG | 4 AWG | 4 AWG | | 100 ft | 6 AWG | 4 AWG | 4 AWG | | 150 ft | 4 AWG | 4 AWG | 2 AWG | | 200 ft | 3 AWG | 3 AWG | 1 AWG | Each cell: the smallest size that carries sixty amps within the usual branch-circuit drop, from the base ampacity table. ## Cable or conduit: 4 AWG or 6 AWG In the lowest temperature column, which NM-B cable must use, 6 AWG copper is rated 55 amps and 4 AWG 70 amps, so a 60 amp breaker on cable needs 4 AWG. Single THHN or THWN wires may use the next column, where 6 AWG carries 65 amps, when the breaker and the equipment terminals are rated for it; subpanels and car chargers generally are. Aluminum 4 AWG is rated 65 amps in the same column, and aluminum is the usual choice for a long feeder because the larger sizes cost far less than copper. ## A subpanel feeder needs four wires A subpanel takes two hots, a neutral and a separate ground, and in the subpanel the neutrals and grounds stay on separate bars. A detached building also needs its own grounding electrode. Voltage drop on a feeder is usually held tighter than on a branch circuit, about 2 percent, so the remaining 3 percent is left for the circuits beyond it: open More options and set the allowed drop to check a long feeder that way. ## Hot tubs and car chargers Hot tubs are fed through a GFCI disconnect within sight of the tub, and the manufacturer's manual names the breaker; many need sixty amps, some fifty. A car charger running at forty-eight amps is a continuous load: the wire must carry 125 percent of that, which is exactly sixty. Check the [50 amp wire guide](https://figureyard.com/energy/wire-size-for-50-amp/) if your charger runs at forty. ## Common questions ### Is 6 gauge wire good for 60 amps? As single copper THHN or THWN wires with terminals rated for the higher column, yes: 6 AWG carries 65 amps. In NM-B cable it is rated 55 amps, so a 60 amp breaker on cable needs 4 AWG. ### What size aluminum wire for a 60 amp subpanel? 4 AWG aluminum, rated 65 amps, for a short feeder. On a long run to a detached building, voltage drop often calls for 2 AWG; the table shows where. ### What wire do I need for a 48 amp car charger? A charger that delivers forty-eight amps is continuous, so its circuit is a 60 amp one: 6 AWG copper THHN in conduit, or 4 AWG copper NM-B cable, on a short run. ### Does a 60 amp subpanel need a ground wire? Yes. A subpanel is fed with two hots, a neutral and an equipment ground, and its neutral bar is kept separate from the ground bar. ## Related calculators - [Wire Size Calculator](https://figureyard.com/energy/wire-size-calculator/) - [Voltage Drop Calculator](https://figureyard.com/energy/voltage-drop-calculator/) - [What Size Wire for a 50 Amp Circuit](https://figureyard.com/energy/wire-size-for-50-amp/) - [Wire Size for a 100 Amp Subpanel](https://figureyard.com/energy/wire-size-for-100-amp-subpanel/) - [Amp Calculator](https://figureyard.com/energy/amp-calculator/) Reviewed by FigureYard editorial team on 2026-10-13. Formulas are tested against published values, and material figures come from the sources below. [How we build our calculators](https://figureyard.com/editorial-policy/). ## Sources - [Michigan State University Electrical Tech Note 227: Sizing Conductors to Minimize Voltage Drop (Table 227.1, dc resistance at 75 °C)](https://www.maec.msu.edu/download_file/view/147/303) - [Cerrowire Voltage Drop Table (rev. 09/2018)](https://www.cerrowire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Cerrowire_Voltage-Drop_210521.pdf) - [Electrical License Renewal (reproduces NEC 210.19(A)(1) text): 210.19(A)(1) Branch Circuits.](https://www.electricallicenserenewal.com/Electrical-Continuing-Education-Courses/NEC-Content.php?sectionID=818) - [Encore Wire (Prysmian): Wire Ampacity Size Table](https://www.encorewire.com/products/tools-and-resources/calculators/wire-size-table.html) - [City and County of Denver (Denver Residential Code 2021, adopting the 2021 IRC); viewer hosted by UpCodes: Chapter 36 Services: Denver Residential Code 2021 (based on the 2021 International Residential Code), Section E3603.1.1 Ungrounded Service Conductors](https://up.codes/viewer/denver/irc-2021/chapter/36/services) - [Cerrowire Ampacity Chart (ampacities based on the 2017 NEC Table 310.16)](https://www.cerrowire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Cerrowire_Ampacity_Chart_210405.pdf)