This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by Ondřej Kadlec
Sockets and voltage in United States
Type ANEMA 1-15No earth
Type BNEMA 5-15Earthed
Voltage
120 V
Frequency
60 Hz
Earthed sockets
Type B
What you need, by where you are coming from
Arriving from the UK or IrelandA plug adapter, and appliances marked 100-240 V. Anything single-voltage needs a converter.
Arriving from most of continental EuropeA plug adapter, and appliances marked 100-240 V. Anything single-voltage needs a converter.
Arriving from Australia or New ZealandA plug adapter, and appliances marked 100-240 V. Anything single-voltage needs a converter.
Socket types, voltage and frequency are the nominal domestic supply as published in IEC/TR 60083 and the national standards it lists.
American sockets are Type and at 120 V, 60 Hz, so European and British appliances need both an adapter and a 100-240 V label.
Sockets in the United States are Type and at 120 V, 60 Hz - half the voltage of Europe, Asia and Australia.
Type is Type with an earth hole. Two flat blades side by side, and a round earth below them. New buildings must have the earthed version; older apartments still have plenty of two-slot Type outlets.
The wider slot is neutral. That is why some plugs only go in one way round, and why an adapter that ignores polarity is worth avoiding.
Everything from Europe needs an adapter. No European, British or Australian plug fits a US socket.
120 V is what actually breaks things. A 230 V-only appliance plugged in here will run slowly or not at all rather than burning out, but a travel adapter does nothing about voltage in either direction. Check the label for 100-240 V.
Hotels increasingly fit USB sockets beside the bed and on the desk lamp, which is often faster than hunting for a spare outlet behind the headboard.
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