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

175 Amp Wire Size at 80 Feet (240V Three-Phase (US Industrial Delta))

Complete conductor sizing, Ohm's law voltage drop, $I^2R$ line power loss, and circuit breaker specification for a 175 A load over a 80 ft (24.4 m) one-way run.

Copper Wire (≤3% Drop)2/0 AWG67.43 mm² · Drop: 0.98%
Aluminum Wire (≤3% Drop)4/0 AWGDrop: 2.43V (1.01%)
Voltage at Load End237.7 VLoss: 2.35 V (711.0 W)
Power & Breaker (125%)72.75 kW225A Breaker Recommended

All AWG & kcmil Wire Gauges for 175 Amps at 80 Feet (240V)

Wire GaugeMetric AreaNEC 75°C Cu Ampacity Copper Voltage DropLoad VoltageAluminum DropLine Loss ($I^2R$)NEC Status
14 AWG2.08 mm²15 A76.04 V (31.68%)164.0 V125.43 V (52.26%)23049.0 WDrop/Amp High
12 AWG3.31 mm²20 A47.78 V (19.91%)192.2 V78.82 V (32.84%)14484.0 WDrop/Amp High
10 AWG5.26 mm²30 A30.07 V (12.53%)209.9 V49.6 V (20.67%)9114.4 WDrop/Amp High
8 AWG8.37 mm²50 A18.9 V (7.87%)221.1 V31.17 V (12.99%)5727.8 WDrop/Amp High
6 AWG13.3 mm²65 A11.89 V (4.96%)228.1 V19.62 V (8.17%)3604.7 WDrop/Amp High
4 AWG21.15 mm²85 A7.48 V (3.12%)232.5 V12.34 V (5.14%)2266.8 WDrop/Amp High
3 AWG26.67 mm²100 A5.93 V (2.47%)234.1 V9.78 V (4.08%)1797.6 WDrop/Amp High
2 AWG33.62 mm²115 A4.7 V (1.96%)235.3 V7.76 V (3.23%)1426.0 WDrop/Amp High
1 AWG42.41 mm²130 A3.73 V (1.55%)236.3 V6.15 V (2.56%)1130.4 WDrop/Amp High
1/0 AWG53.49 mm²150 A2.96 V (1.23%)237.0 V4.88 V (2.03%)896.3 WDrop/Amp High
2/0 AWG67.43 mm²175 A2.35 V (0.98%)237.7 V3.87 V (1.61%)711.0 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
3/0 AWG85.01 mm²200 A1.86 V (0.78%)238.1 V3.07 V (1.28%)564.0 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
4/0 AWG107.2 mm²230 A1.48 V (0.61%)238.5 V2.43 V (1.01%)447.2 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
250 kcmil126.7 mm²255 A1.25 V (0.52%)238.8 V2.06 V (0.86%)378.4 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
300 kcmil152.0 mm²285 A1.04 V (0.43%)239.0 V1.72 V (0.72%)315.4 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
350 kcmil177.3 mm²310 A0.89 V (0.37%)239.1 V1.47 V (0.61%)270.4 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
400 kcmil202.7 mm²335 A0.78 V (0.33%)239.2 V1.29 V (0.54%)236.5 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
500 kcmil253.4 mm²380 A0.62 V (0.26%)239.4 V1.03 V (0.43%)189.2 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
600 kcmil304.0 mm²420 A0.52 V (0.22%)239.5 V0.86 V (0.36%)157.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
750 kcmil380.0 mm²475 A0.42 V (0.17%)239.6 V0.69 V (0.29%)126.2 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
1000 kcmil506.7 mm²545 A0.31 V (0.13%)239.7 V0.51 V (0.21%)94.6 W✓ PASS (≤3%)

Frequently Asked Engineering Questions

What size copper wire do I need for 175 amps at 80 feet (240V)?

To stay within the NEC recommended 3% maximum voltage drop for a 175A load over 80 feet one-way at 240V (3-Phase), you need 2/0 AWG copper wire. This produces a voltage drop of 2.35V (0.98%) and delivers 237.7V at the load.

What size aluminum wire is required for 175 amps at 80 feet?

Using aluminum conductors (75°C rating), you should use 4/0 AWG to maintain voltage drop at 2.43V (1.01%).

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.