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What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 200 Feet?

At 200 ft, a 100 A feeder is firmly voltage-drop governed under these defaults: 1 AWG copper or 2/0 AWG aluminum, with 250 ft another published jump.
Load
100 A
Distance
200 ft
Band
100 A feeder
Defaults
Non-continuous, 75 C lugs, 86 F, 240 V single-phase

Computed Starting Point

Ampacity and voltage drop under common defaults for this amp and distance.

MaterialComputed sizeOCPDUsable ampacityGoverning constraintDefault check
Copper1 AWG100 A130 AVoltage dropPasses defaults
Aluminum2/0 AWG100 A135 AVoltage dropPasses defaults
What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 200 Feet? under common non-continuous defaults: THHN or XHHW-2 insulation, 75 C terminations, 86 F ambient, 240 V single-phase and no more than three current-carrying conductors.

What 200 ft ChangesAt 200 ft, voltage drop is no longer a borderline caveat. It governs the default result for both materials, and the adjacent 250 ft page jumps again. Before buying conductor, compare the cost of upsizing with equipment placement, subpanel location and the actual load current that will flow for long periods.

Run the wire size calculatorCheck voltage drop alone

Zero-Length vs This Distance

If the distance-adjusted size is larger, voltage drop governed under these defaults.

CaseCopper sizeCopper constraintAluminum sizeAluminum constraint
Ampacity only (0 ft)3 AWGTermination rated 75 C1 AWGTermination rated 75 C
200 ft (this page)1 AWGVoltage drop2/0 AWGVoltage drop
Copper and aluminum sizes for 100 A with no distance entered versus 200 ft one-way.

Adjacent Distances at This Amp

Neighboring published lengths for 100 A under the same defaults.

DistanceCopper sizeAluminum sizeCopper constraint
150 ft2 AWG1/0 AWGVoltage drop
200 ft (this page)1 AWG2/0 AWGVoltage drop
250 ft1/0 AWG3/0 AWGVoltage drop
100 A copper and aluminum starting sizes across neighboring distance pages.

200 ft Is a Long Detached-Building Feeder

100 A feeder context for 100 A at 200 ft.

A 200 ft 100 A run is usually past the quick garage-panel question and into a real feeder layout: detached shop, long driveway, outbuilding, or equipment pad where conductor cost and raceway size are part of the decision.

Compared with the zero-length result, both materials have moved two common size steps under these defaults. That is why this page should read like a long-run planning page, not a generic 100 A ampacity chart.

What Changes This Long-Run Answer

Checks that matter for distance-governed sizing in this amp band.

  • Price raceway and lugs with the conductor

    The 200 ft answer uses physically larger conductors than the short-run 100 A result. Confirm raceway fill, bend space and equipment lug acceptance before ordering.

  • Consider equipment placement

    Moving a subpanel or load center closer to the load can sometimes cost less than carrying the full 100 A load across the entire 200 ft route.

  • Check the 250 ft cliff

    If the route is not final, do not buy from the 200 ft row alone. The next published distance requires another upsize under the same defaults.

  • Keep service size separate

    This page assumes 100 A is the correct feeder rating. A load calculation still owns whether 100 A is enough for the building or equipment served.

100 A at 200 ft FAQs

What size wire for 100 amps at 200 feet?
Under the defaults used here, start with 1 AWG copper or 2/0 AWG aluminum. Voltage drop, not ampacity alone, governs both results.
Can I use the 150 ft conductor at 200 ft?
Not under these defaults. The 150 ft page lands on 2 AWG copper or 1/0 aluminum; the 200 ft page upsizes again for voltage drop.
Should I move the subpanel instead of upsizing wire?
Sometimes. At 200 ft, conductor, raceway and labor costs are large enough that equipment placement can be a real design choice. Run the actual layout before buying.