What Size Wire for a Stove or Range?

The quick answer

Most freestanding electric ranges need a 50 amp, 240-volt circuit (you'll also hear 240V called "220" — same thing) wired with 6 AWG copper. Buy 6/3 with ground cable — two hots, a neutral, and a ground — and land it on a 4-prong NEMA 14-50 outlet. Smaller or efficient ranges are rated 40 amps and use 8 AWG. In aluminum, use 4 AWG (50A). The equipment ground is 10 AWG copper.

If you just want one number

For a typical range, grab 6/3 copper NM-B (the heavy black-jacketed cable), a 50 amp double-pole breaker, and a 4-prong 14-50 outlet. But before you buy, glance at the nameplate — if it calls for a 40 amp circuit, drop to 8 AWG. And a gas range isn't 240V at all; it's a regular 120V plug.

40 amp or 50 amp? Read the nameplate

This is the one thing to get right. A range's nameplate (or install manual) states the circuit it needs — and it's usually one of two: most freestanding ranges want a 50 amp circuit, while many newer, efficient models are happy on 40 amps. The bigger the circuit, the bigger the wire: 50 amps → 6 AWG, 40 amps → 8 AWG. Don't guess from the number of burners — the manufacturer already did the math and printed the answer on the back of the range.

Stove / range wire size chart

The two common range circuits, side by side:

Circuit	Copper wire	Aluminum	Cable	Outlet
50 amp range	6 AWG	4 AWG	6/3	NEMA 14-50
40 amp range	8 AWG	6 AWG	8/3	NEMA 14-50
Ground (NEC 250.122)	10 AWG	10 AWG	included	—

Good news on the 50 amp side: 6 AWG copper is rated 55 amps in NM-B "Romex" (the 60°C column), so it clears a 50 amp breaker with room to spare — no conduit-only trap the way 60 amps has. The equipment ground is 10 AWG copper for both the 40 and 50 amp circuit, and it comes built into the cable.

Why a 12 kW range isn't a 60 amp circuit

Add up every burner and the oven and you'd swear a range needs a huge circuit. It doesn't — and that surprises people. The NEC lets you use a demand factor (Table 220.55): a single household range rated up to 12 kW is counted as just 8 kW of load, because you never run every element at full blast at once. Ranges of 8¾ kW or more also get a 40 amp minimum branch circuit (NEC 210.19(A)(3)). That's why even a big range lands on a 40 or 50 amp circuit — not the scary total on the nameplate.

3-prong vs 4-prong (NEMA 14-50 vs 10-50)

Just like a dryer, a range has two possible outlets, and the wall has to match the cord:

Outlet	Wires	When it's used
NEMA 14-50 (4-prong)	2 hot + neutral + ground	Required on all new circuits
NEMA 10-50 (3-prong)	2 hot + neutral	Legacy — existing homes only

The 4-prong 14-50 has a separate ground and has been required on new range circuits since the 1996 NEC. The old 3-prong 10-50 let the neutral double as the ground — allowed only on circuits from before that change, and grandfathered where it already exists. If your existing 3-prong range works, you can keep using it; the 4-prong rule applies to new and rewired circuits.

⚠ You can't just add a ground

Got an old 3-wire outlet and a new 4-prong range? You cannot legally bolt a ground onto the old run or bond neutral-to-ground at the range. The code-compliant fix is to pull a new 6/3 cable to the panel. When the outlet and cord already match, just swap the range's cord to fit — never adapter a 4-prong plug into a 3-prong hole.

Range vs dryer: don't mix them up

They sit next to each other and both are big 240-volt appliances, but they are not the same circuit. A dryer is 30 amps on 10 AWG with a 14-30 outlet; a range is 40–50 amps on 8–6 AWG with a 14-50 outlet. The plugs are even different sizes so you can't cross them. Never tap a dryer circuit to feed a range — it's badly undersized. (Sizing a dryer? See our dryer wire size guide.)

Separate cooktop and wall oven

If your kitchen has a cooktop and a wall oven as two separate units instead of one range, size each to its own nameplate. A cooktop on its own often lands on a 40 amp / 8 AWG circuit; a wall oven varies with its rating. Some installs are allowed to combine a cooktop and one or two ovens on a single circuit — but only when the manufacturer's instructions permit it. When in doubt, one circuit per appliance is the safe default. Our 40 amp wire size page covers the common cooktop case.

Gas range: a 120V plug

A gas range makes its heat from gas, so only the igniter, controls, clock, and light are electric. That means it plugs into an ordinary 120-volt, 15 or 20 amp receptacle wired with 14 or 12 AWG — the same as any wall outlet. No 240 volts, no 50 amp circuit, no special outlet. If you're replacing an electric range with gas, that big 240V circuit simply goes unused.

Long runs and voltage drop

For a normal kitchen, 6 AWG has plenty of headroom. Voltage drop only matters on a long haul — a range on a kitchen island far from the panel, or in an addition.

Distance before 3% drop

6 AWG copper at 50A / 240V → about 146 ft one-way.
8 AWG copper at 40A / 240V → about 115 ft. Past those, step up a size to hold the voltage.

The Voltage Drop Calculator checks your exact run, and the AWG ampacity chart has the numbers behind all of this.

Common stove wiring mistakes

The classic is using dryer wire (10 AWG) on a range — it's a 30 amp wire and a range needs 40–50. Close behind: assuming every range is 50 amps when the nameplate says 40 (or the reverse). Others: reusing a 3-prong outlet on a new circuit; forcing an adapter or bonding neutral-to-ground at the range; running 6/2 where a range needs 6/3 (you need the neutral for the 120V controls); buying 240V wire for a gas range; and forgetting voltage drop on a long run. This is permit-and-inspection work, so confirm with your AHJ.

Frequently asked questions

Wire & CircuitWhat size wire do I need for a stove or range?

Most electric ranges need 6 AWG copper on a 50 amp, 240V circuit — buy 6/3 with ground cable and a 4-prong NEMA 14-50 outlet. Smaller 40 amp ranges use 8 AWG. Check the nameplate.

⚡ Wire Size calculator →

Wire & CircuitIs a stove a 40 or 50 amp circuit?

Most freestanding electric ranges are 50 amps, but many newer, efficient models are 40 amps. The range's nameplate or install manual states the required circuit — read it before buying wire.

Wire & CircuitWhat size wire for a 50 amp range?

6 AWG copper on a 50 amp, 240V circuit, using 6/3 with ground cable and a NEMA 14-50 outlet. In aluminum, use 4 AWG.

Wire & CircuitWhat size wire for a 40 amp stove?

8 AWG copper on a 40 amp, 240V circuit, using 8/3 with ground cable. NEC 240.4(D) rates 8 AWG copper for 40 amps. In aluminum, use 6 AWG.

Code & SafetyCan I use dryer wire for a stove?

No. A dryer is a 30 amp circuit on 10 AWG, while a range needs 40 to 50 amps on 8 or 6 AWG. Dryer wire is undersized for a range and unsafe — size the range to its own nameplate.

Wire & CircuitDo I use 6/2 or 6/3 for a range?

6/3 with ground. A 14-50 range outlet needs two hots, a neutral, and a ground, and the range's controls and light run on 120V off that neutral. 6/2 has no neutral and is for straight-240V loads.

Code & SafetyIs a stove outlet 3-prong or 4-prong?

New circuits require a 4-prong NEMA 14-50 outlet, which has a separate ground — required since the 1996 NEC. A 3-prong NEMA 10-50 is legacy and allowed only where it already exists.

Wire & CircuitWhat size wire for a gas stove?

A gas range only uses a standard 120V, 15 or 20 amp receptacle wired with 14 or 12 AWG. The heat is gas, so there is no 240V circuit and no 50 amp wire needed.

Dr. Artie Vance

Technical reviewer · Ph.D. in Physics, MIT · 14 years' experience · Cross-checked against NEC 2026 & 2026

This guide is for general information based on the National Electrical Code. Requirements vary by NEC edition and your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) — 240V appliance circuits are usually permit-and-inspection work. Electrical work can be dangerous, so when in doubt, hire a licensed electrician.