Wire ropes are widely used in cable car, suspension bridge and elevator, etc. and composed of single or multi-layer strands. It is difficult to find out the characteristics of a strand or wire rope because of complicated geometry and contact condition. In this study, the axial stiffness is evaluated using finite element method and reliable finite element analysis model is presented, taking into consideration the convergence on the length. The axial stiffness predictive equation of a strand is developed using analysis of variance, which can be applicable for characterizing the relationship between load and displacement when the strand configuration is determined.