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🇺🇸 NEC NFPA 70 · Table 310.16 (75°C) · Voltage Drop Analysis

175 Amp Wire Size at 30 Feet (240V Split-Phase (US Dryer / EV / Subpanel))

Complete conductor sizing, Ohm's law voltage drop, $I^2R$ line power loss, and circuit breaker specification for a 175 A load over a 30 ft (9.1 m) one-way run.

Copper Wire (≤3% Drop)2/0 AWG67.43 mm² · Drop: 0.42%
Aluminum Wire (≤3% Drop)4/0 AWGDrop: 1.05V (0.44%)
Voltage at Load End239.0 VLoss: 1.02 V (177.7 W)
Power & Breaker (125%)42.0 kW225A Breaker Recommended

All AWG & kcmil Wire Gauges for 175 Amps at 30 Feet (240V)

Wire GaugeMetric AreaNEC 75°C Cu Ampacity Copper Voltage DropLoad VoltageAluminum DropLine Loss ($I^2R$)NEC Status
14 AWG2.08 mm²15 A32.93 V (13.72%)207.1 V54.31 V (22.63%)5762.3 WDrop/Amp High
12 AWG3.31 mm²20 A20.69 V (8.62%)219.3 V34.13 V (14.22%)3621.0 WDrop/Amp High
10 AWG5.26 mm²30 A13.02 V (5.43%)227.0 V21.48 V (8.95%)2278.6 WDrop/Amp High
8 AWG8.37 mm²50 A8.18 V (3.41%)231.8 V13.5 V (5.62%)1432.0 WDrop/Amp High
6 AWG13.3 mm²65 A5.15 V (2.15%)234.9 V8.49 V (3.54%)901.2 WDrop/Amp High
4 AWG21.15 mm²85 A3.24 V (1.35%)236.8 V5.34 V (2.23%)566.7 WDrop/Amp High
3 AWG26.67 mm²100 A2.57 V (1.07%)237.4 V4.24 V (1.76%)449.4 WDrop/Amp High
2 AWG33.62 mm²115 A2.04 V (0.85%)238.0 V3.36 V (1.4%)356.5 WDrop/Amp High
1 AWG42.41 mm²130 A1.61 V (0.67%)238.4 V2.66 V (1.11%)282.6 WDrop/Amp High
1/0 AWG53.49 mm²150 A1.28 V (0.53%)238.7 V2.11 V (0.88%)224.1 WDrop/Amp High
2/0 AWG67.43 mm²175 A1.02 V (0.42%)239.0 V1.68 V (0.7%)177.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
3/0 AWG85.01 mm²200 A0.81 V (0.34%)239.2 V1.33 V (0.55%)141.0 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
4/0 AWG107.2 mm²230 A0.64 V (0.27%)239.4 V1.05 V (0.44%)111.8 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
250 kcmil126.7 mm²255 A0.54 V (0.23%)239.5 V0.89 V (0.37%)94.6 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
300 kcmil152.0 mm²285 A0.45 V (0.19%)239.5 V0.74 V (0.31%)78.9 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
350 kcmil177.3 mm²310 A0.39 V (0.16%)239.6 V0.64 V (0.27%)67.6 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
400 kcmil202.7 mm²335 A0.34 V (0.14%)239.7 V0.56 V (0.23%)59.1 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
500 kcmil253.4 mm²380 A0.27 V (0.11%)239.7 V0.45 V (0.19%)47.3 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
600 kcmil304.0 mm²420 A0.23 V (0.09%)239.8 V0.37 V (0.15%)39.4 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
750 kcmil380.0 mm²475 A0.18 V (0.08%)239.8 V0.3 V (0.12%)31.5 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
1000 kcmil506.7 mm²545 A0.14 V (0.06%)239.9 V0.22 V (0.09%)23.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)

Frequently Asked Engineering Questions

What size copper wire do I need for 175 amps at 30 feet (240V)?

To stay within the NEC recommended 3% maximum voltage drop for a 175A load over 30 feet one-way at 240V (1-Phase), you need 2/0 AWG copper wire. This produces a voltage drop of 1.02V (0.42%) and delivers 239.0V at the load.

What size aluminum wire is required for 175 amps at 30 feet?

Using aluminum conductors (75°C rating), you should use 4/0 AWG to maintain voltage drop at 1.05V (0.44%).

What breaker size is needed for a 175A continuous load?

Under NEC 210.20(A), continuous loads require a circuit breaker rated at 125% of the continuous current (175A × 1.25 = 218.8A), which corresponds to a standard 225A circuit breaker.