⚡ Cu ρ (75°C): 0.0214 Ω·mm²/m 🔌 NEC / IEC Standards: NFPA 70 & IEC 60364 🇺🇸 US Grid Avg: $0.175/kWh 🇩🇪 DE Grid Avg: €0.345/kWh 🇸🇪 SE Elpris: 1.54 SEK/kWh 🇳🇴 NO Strøm: 1.17 NOK/kWh 🔩 Copper Ref: $9,650/t (2026-10-24)
🇺🇸 NEC NFPA 70 · Table 310.16 (75°C) · Voltage Drop Analysis

25 Amp Wire Size at 80 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 25 A load over a 80 ft (24.4 m) one-way run.

Copper Wire (≤3% Drop)10 AWG5.26 mm² · Drop: 2.07%
Aluminum Wire (≤3% Drop)8 AWGDrop: 5.14V (2.14%)
Voltage at Load End235.0 VLoss: 4.96 V (124.0 W)
Power & Breaker (125%)6.0 kW32A Breaker Recommended

All AWG & kcmil Wire Gauges for 25 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 A12.54 V (5.23%)227.5 V20.69 V (8.62%)313.6 WDrop/Amp High
12 AWG3.31 mm²20 A7.88 V (3.28%)232.1 V13.0 V (5.42%)197.1 WDrop/Amp High
10 AWG5.26 mm²30 A4.96 V (2.07%)235.0 V8.18 V (3.41%)124.0 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
8 AWG8.37 mm²50 A3.12 V (1.3%)236.9 V5.14 V (2.14%)77.9 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
6 AWG13.3 mm²65 A1.96 V (0.82%)238.0 V3.24 V (1.35%)49.0 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
4 AWG21.15 mm²85 A1.23 V (0.51%)238.8 V2.03 V (0.85%)30.8 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
3 AWG26.67 mm²100 A0.98 V (0.41%)239.0 V1.61 V (0.67%)24.5 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
2 AWG33.62 mm²115 A0.78 V (0.32%)239.2 V1.28 V (0.53%)19.4 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
1 AWG42.41 mm²130 A0.62 V (0.26%)239.4 V1.01 V (0.42%)15.4 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
1/0 AWG53.49 mm²150 A0.49 V (0.2%)239.5 V0.8 V (0.34%)12.2 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
2/0 AWG67.43 mm²175 A0.39 V (0.16%)239.6 V0.64 V (0.27%)9.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
3/0 AWG85.01 mm²200 A0.31 V (0.13%)239.7 V0.51 V (0.21%)7.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
4/0 AWG107.2 mm²230 A0.24 V (0.1%)239.8 V0.4 V (0.17%)6.1 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
250 kcmil126.7 mm²255 A0.21 V (0.09%)239.8 V0.34 V (0.14%)5.1 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
300 kcmil152.0 mm²285 A0.17 V (0.07%)239.8 V0.28 V (0.12%)4.3 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
350 kcmil177.3 mm²310 A0.15 V (0.06%)239.9 V0.24 V (0.1%)3.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
400 kcmil202.7 mm²335 A0.13 V (0.05%)239.9 V0.21 V (0.09%)3.2 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
500 kcmil253.4 mm²380 A0.1 V (0.04%)239.9 V0.17 V (0.07%)2.6 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
600 kcmil304.0 mm²420 A0.09 V (0.04%)239.9 V0.14 V (0.06%)2.1 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
750 kcmil380.0 mm²475 A0.07 V (0.03%)239.9 V0.11 V (0.05%)1.7 W✓ PASS (≤3%)
1000 kcmil506.7 mm²545 A0.05 V (0.02%)239.9 V0.08 V (0.04%)1.3 W✓ PASS (≤3%)

Frequently Asked Engineering Questions

What size copper wire do I need for 25 amps at 80 feet (240V)?

To stay within the NEC recommended 3% maximum voltage drop for a 25A load over 80 feet one-way at 240V (1-Phase), you need 10 AWG copper wire. This produces a voltage drop of 4.96V (2.07%) and delivers 235.0V at the load.

What size aluminum wire is required for 25 amps at 80 feet?

Using aluminum conductors (75°C rating), you should use 8 AWG to maintain voltage drop at 5.14V (2.14%).

What breaker size is needed for a 25A continuous load?

Under NEC 210.20(A), continuous loads require a circuit breaker rated at 125% of the continuous current (25A × 1.25 = 31.2A), which corresponds to a standard 32A circuit breaker.