Aluminum Rectangular Tubing Sizes Chart: Standard Dimensions Explained

Aluminum rectangular tubing sizes are written as outside width × outside height × wall thickness, with common US stock running from.500 × 1 in up to 1 × 6 in and walls of.062 to.125 in.

A tape measure on a.750 × 1.500 tube reads exactly that on the outside — not on the opening. The dimensions below come from current US supplier stock charts and cover sizes you can order in 6061 and 6063, plus wall thicknesses that change weight, strength, and whether the tube fits inside another.

How To Read An Aluminum Rectangular Tubing Sizes Chart

Every dimension in a stock chart describes the outside of the tube; inside measurements must be calculated. The first two numbers are the outside side lengths, in inches for US stock. Wall thickness comes third — the only number telling you how much metal sits between the outside face and the hollow core. Inside dimensions follow from subtraction, as the Alaska Copper reference notes:

• Inside width = outside width − (2 × wall thickness)
• Inside height = outside height − (2 × wall thickness)

Weight per foot is derived from outside size, wall, and alloy together, so two tubes with identical.750 × 1.500 outside dimensions weigh differently if one has a.062 in wall and the other.125 in. Corner radius is supplier-specific — Eastern Metal’s extrusion data shows telescoping tube stock with 1/8 in radius corners, deciding whether one tube slides inside another. Alloy and temper round out the spec: 6061 rectangular tubes appear across supplier catalogs, a 6061 T6511 temper shows up in a commercial item description, and metric charts list 6060, 6061, and 6063 for the same nominal sizes.

Common US Stock Dimensions

US suppliers stock a well-defined set of inch sizes rather than one mandated national chart, so availability tracks each supplier’s program. Weights below are approximate and shift with alloy and wall; confirm on the specific listing before ordering.

The.062,.083,.093, and.125 in walls all appear within the same outside-size families, which is why “same size” tubes behave differently once machined or welded. EMJ Metals publishes the same rectangular tube profiles alongside pipe listings — never confuse the two: pipe is sized by nominal pipe size, tubing by outside dimensions. Metric programs run alongside inch stock, with rectangular sizes from 40 × 20 mm up to 300 × 100 mm and 2.0–8.0 mm walls; one supplier page quotes 12.7–300 mm width, 12.7–200 mm height, 1.5–12.0 mm wall, and lengths up to 24 ft cut-to-length. When matching a size to a build, browsing the tested aluminum rectangular tubing picks saves guesswork on which stock sizes hold up in fabrication.

What The Numbers Don’t Tell You

A stock chart is a purchasing tool, not an engineering document. The published sources here are product catalogs and stock charts — none is a structural design standard, and none states load ratings. Any load-bearing application (rack, frame, trailer bed) needs engineering verification beyond a supplier dimension table. Compatibility is the second gap: welding, bending, CNC machining, and anodizing behave differently by alloy and temper, so identical outside dimensions don’t guarantee identical results across 6060, 6061, and 6063. The Alaska Copper rectangular tubing reference is among the clearer stock charts for inch sizes, and it still frames its numbers as a supplier listing rather than a code. Finally, stock length isn’t guaranteed: cut-to-length service and limited stock lengths are common, so confirm lead time along with size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rectangular tubing measured by inside or outside dimensions?

Outside dimensions, always, in inch and metric catalogs. Listed size describes the outer faces; inside dimensions are derived by subtracting twice the wall thickness from each outside side. For a precise inside opening for a sliding or telescoping fit, calculate it rather than assuming a chart value.

Why do two tubes with the same outside size weigh different amounts?

Wall thickness and alloy drive the difference. A.750 × 1.500 tube with a.062 in wall carries far less metal than the same outside size at.125 in, so it weighs meaningfully less per foot. Suppliers publish weight per foot alongside each wall option for that reason — compare the full row, not just the size.

Is there one official US standard size chart for aluminum rectangular tubing?

No. Charts in circulation are supplier stock references, not a mandated national standard. Sizes, wall options, alloys, tempers, and stock lengths vary by supplier program, so a size listed by one distributor may be a special order at another. Treat every chart as that seller’s inventory, then verify before buying.