242 Area Code
The Bahamas · Nassau
The 242 area code serves The Bahamas. It is part of the North American Numbering Plan, so the country shares the same +1 prefix as the United States and Canada, but The Bahamas is a sovereign jurisdiction with its own telecom regulator and carriers.
About The Bahamas
- Country
- 🇧🇸The Bahamas (BS)
- Capital
- Nassau
- Population
- 401,283 (2024)
- Area
- 13,943 km²
- Currency
- Bahamian dollar (BSD), pegged 1:1 to USD
- Languages
- English
- Timezone
- America/Nassau (UTC−5, UTC−4 DST)
- Internet TLD
- .bs
- Drives on
- Left
History
Creation: Area code 242 was assigned to The Bahamas on October 1, 1996, as part of NANPA's split of the original 809 numbering plan area that had covered most Caribbean territories. It was the 180th area code in service in the NANP. The digits 2-4-2 spell ‘BHA’ on the alphanumeric keypad, a mnemonic for the Bahamas. A one-year permissive dialing period allowed continued use of 809 until March 31, 1997, after which 242 became mandatory.
Predecessor: Before 242, numbers in The Bahamas used 809.
Mnemonics: The digits 242 map to letter combinations on the standard telephone keypad, yielding 27 possible three-letter mnemonics. Telecom regulators sometimes pick one of these as a marketing handle (e.g. ‘BHA’ for The Bahamas, ‘TNT’ for Trinidad and Tobago).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_code_242, World Bank — Bahamas (2024), URCA — The Bahamas National Numbering Plan.
How to call The Bahamas
No 011 prefix needed — The Bahamas is part of the NANP, so calls dial like a domestic North American number. Long-distance and roaming charges still apply.
Use your country's international access code (00 in most of Europe, 0011 in Australia), then 1, the 242 area code, and the local number.
Domestic calls use seven digits — no area code prefix needed.
Major cities in The Bahamas
Settlements served by the 242 area code, ranked by population. Smaller territories may have a single major settlement plus surrounding villages.
| City | Population | % of country |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau | 274,400 | 68.4% |
| Freeport | 46,989 | 11.7% |
| West End | 12,724 | 3.2% |
| Coopers Town | 8,413 | 2.1% |
| Marsh Harbour | 6,283 | 1.6% |
| Listed total | 348,809 | 86.9% |
Telecom operators
Numbers in the 242 area code are assigned by The Bahamas's telecom regulator to the following landline and mobile operators.
- Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)
- Aliv (Cable Bahamas)
Frequently Asked Questions
242 is the area code for The Bahamas. It is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which is why The Bahamas shares the same +1 country prefix as the United States and Canada — but the country itself is sovereign.