Did you know that carrying out an area code lookup can help identify callers, avoid scams and even track business contacts? It’s the one tool that does more than reveal a location. Area code lookups can verify the origin of unknown numbers to determine if they are legitimate or just marketing calls. Businesses also use area code lookups to see where their customers are calling to improve service and provide better targeted marketing campaigns. This guide will show you the fastest and most effective ways to decode any area code.
What is an area code?
An area code is another name for a dialling code. It is usually a 3-digit number that identifies a specific geographic region for call routing. Area codes help telecommunication systems direct calls to the correct location. These codes are essential for landlines and mobile numbers in countries like the U.S. and Canada. Your area codes may also indicate if the phone number is toll-free (e.g., 800) or a special service number. Over time, new area codes are developed as demand for phone numbers grows.
What information can an area code lookup find?
When you carry out an area code lookup, you can find details like the geographic location, which means the city, state or country of the caller. You can also uncover the carrier information and number type, whether a landline, mobile or toll-free. Area code lookups may also reveal the timezone and current local time. You will also learn the coverage map of the area code. And ultimately, it can determine if that area code is still active or has been discontinued.
How to look up an area code by city or number
There are many different ways to evaluate an area code for a great number of insights. Now, let’s talk about the proper techniques for a phone area code search or lookup.
Manually check the area code directory
Before the Internet, people used phone books and other area code directories to look up their phone number’s area code. Some of these resources are still offline, while many have been moved to the internet. Offline area code lookup tools include:
- Library archives: Check the libraries’ local history collections for old phone directories.
- Telecom provider guides: Companies like AT&T or Verizon also keep lists of area codes.
- Government publications: Check the U.S. Census Bureau and the Library of Congress telephone directory collection. The FCC, through the NANPA (North American Numbering Plan Administration), publishes an official area code map.
Use an online area code lookup
Online area code lookup tools are fantastic, reliable, and convenient. Many of them have newer updates. Here are some popular options.
AllAreaCodes
The AllAreaCodes website provides detailed city and state mappings for U.S. and Canadian area codes. It provides a complete visual breakdown that includes details about the time zones, carriers, and overlay codes. This tool is also valuable for checking new or changing area codes. Here’s how it works:
- Git AllAreaCodes and type in the area code. You can also search by phone number entirely, or city or state. Tap on the search button.
- Sonuçların açıklanmasını bekleyin.
KripsCall
KrispsCall offers a beautiful tool for directly querying any area code. This is one out of a suite of other tools for carrying out a robust reverse phone number lookup. It’s a fantastic choice to access an extensive database within minutes and find information about the city, state, country code, and current time associated with that area code. Here’s how Krispcall works:
- Go to the Krispscall area code lookup and navigate to the area code area. Note that you can also “Lookup by place,” which means searching for an area code within a specific state in the United States.
- In the Area code tab, enter the specific area code. Select “Lookup.”
- Sonuçlara göz atın.
Melissa
Melissa Lookups specializes in batching your phone number validation. So, besides looking up area codes, you can also look up city names, phone numbers, and zip codes via this tool. Once you enter the area code into this lookup tool, it will find the city name, state, country and population data associated with it.
- Go to Melissa Lookup website and type in the area code. Tap on “Submit.”
- Scroll down to view the result.
Use the NANPA website
The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) website manages the U.S, Canada and Caribbean area codes. It’s the official source for new, discontinued or planned area codes. On this website, you’ll find PDF lists and maps of all active codes. NANPA also has a search query page where you can enter the area code to find the location, country, time zone, parent NPA, whether or not it’s an overlay code, how it’s used for local and foreign calls, among other details.
Google search area code
Your Google Search is also a great way to check where an area code is being used. This phone area code lookup also happens directly from within your browser. All you need to do is phrase correctly, such as typing “what is area code 310 U.S.” Google will immediately find corresponding pages on multiple websites where you can access the information you want. You may also find corresponding details on platforms like Reddit, where people discuss suspicious area codes.
Check WhitePages
WhitePages reverse phone lookups can also be suitable for your phone area code lookup. They’re helpful when you have a phone number and want to identify the caller’s name, area code, location, and other fantastic details. You’ll love how they reveal the caller’s identity and allow you to access detailed reports on phone numbers used by spammers and scammers.
Popular area codes & meaning
Considering the fascinating ways to carry out phone number area code lookups, let’s talk about North America’s most popular area codes.
- 212—New York City: One of the original area codes (1947) represents Manhattan. It is now highly sought after due to its prestige. However, it’s almost impossible to get this area code today. Now, the alternatives for New York covering the five boroughs include 917 and 718.
- 310 and 213 – Los Angeles: 310 covers West Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills and Malibu. In contrast, 213 covers the oldest parts of LA, including downtown and surrounding areas.
- 202 – Washington, DC: This Washington area code is associated with working with the federal government.
- 302—Delaware: This phone number area code is also highly sought after, even though the state isn’t known for having a large population. Still, as more startups and businesses choose Delaware as their headquarters, it makes sense that the area code has become popular.
- 305 – Miami, Florida: This is a popular phone area code in Miami used by businesses to position themselves in the region.
- 415—San Francisco: This covers San Francisco and parts of the Bay Area. It is tied to tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook, among other historical landmarks.
- 647 – Toronto, Canada: This is an overlay for 416 and serves Toronto’s growing population.
Reasons to use the area code lookup
There are many beautiful reasons you should do an area code lookup, whether as individuals or businesses.
- Bilinmeyen arayanları tanımlayın: You should proactively look up if a call comes from a legitimate source.
- Avoid spam: Recognize suspicious area codes connected to robocalls or scammers immediately.
- Know your location and time zone: This will help you determine where the call originates, which can be helpful for your personalized business calls.
- Confirm toll-free numbers: You should check particular area codes to confirm that they’re authentic and toll-free to reduce your expenditure.
- Business branding: Learning more about specific area codes helps you make the best decisions to brand your business correctly and appeal to local customers.
- Improve customer service: Besides branding, using localized area codes for your business leads to faster response times and better customer service.
- Verify mobile vs. landline: Area code lookups help you determine whether a number is mobile for texting or a landline, which may often indicate businesses.
- Lookup during travels: When traveling, you can use area code lookups to determine whether you are receiving domestic or international calls.
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Can the same area code cover multiple cities?
Yes, area codes usually cover a geographic region, which might mean multiple cities, jurisdictions, or boroughs. They typically cover more areas with lower populations. For instance, area code 307 covers all of Wyoming. Meanwhile, New York State has many area codes, with one region, Manhattan, having several codes, including 212, 646, and 332.
Is the area code the same as the zip code?
No, area codes route phone calls by identifying different geographic areas for those calls. In contrast, zip codes are five-digit postal codes used by the Postal Service. Specifically, zip codes help mail deliveries reach your physical location.
How do I block a number from a suspicious area code?
Consider registering your phone number using the Do Not Call Service. Your smartphone also comes with native blocking features, but you’ll have to block only specific numbers. You could also use third-party calling apps like Truecaller to screen your calls. Also note that your phone plan service provider (e.g., Verizon) may also provide call filter features to filter area codes or specific phone numbers.
Çözüm
Overall, an area code lookup isn’t just about curiosity. It gives you more control with impeccable knowledge for blocking scams, identifying call origins, and verifying business contacts. Fortunately, we’ve talked about the best of these phone area code lookup tools. So, whenever you have an area code you don’t recognize, these tools empower you to achieve all the insights you need.
