Alabama Area Codes
7 active area codes · Huntsville · Population around 5,163,055
Alabama has 7 active area codes, serving cities like Huntsville, Mobile, and Birmingham. Of those, 6 are overlays covering ground another code already covers, which is why local calls there use all ten digits. The newest, 483, has been in service since February 23, 2026. Each code below links to its cities, carriers, timezone, and coverage map.
Alabama Area Code Map
What area codes does Alabama have?
- 205OverlayBirminghamCentral Time (CT) · 175 cities · 1,549,637
- 251MobileCentral Time (CT) · 77 cities · 751,620
- 256OverlayHuntsvilleCentral Time (CT) · 183 cities · 1,545,616
- 334OverlayMontgomeryCentral Time (CT) · 152 cities · 1,177,406
- 483OverlayMontgomeryCentral Time (CT) · 152 cities · 1,177,406
- 659OverlayBirminghamCentral Time (CT) · 175 cities · 1,549,637
- 938OverlayHuntsvilleCentral Time (CT) · 183 cities · 1,545,616
More than one of these codes covers 61 of the 67 counties in Alabama, and one county is covered by 4 of them. Each card counts the people inside that code's own boundary at the 2020 census. Adding all 7 gives 9,296,938, against the 5,024,279 the same census counts in those counties, because 4,272,659 residents fall inside more than one code.
Which cities are the largest in Alabama?
How many phone prefixes does Alabama use?
The area codes in Alabama hold 2,953 assigned prefixes between them, listed under 99 distinct carrier names. A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a single carrier. One of the 7 codes here — 483 — is newer than the NANPA extract behind these numbers, so its prefixes are not counted above.
Sources: City populations – U.S. Census Bureau PEP, Vintage 2024 (SUB-IP-EST2024-POP). State populations – the same program, Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA). Area-code footprint and county populations – 2020 Census Centers of Population, mapped against NANP area code boundaries. The share of each city inside a code is measured the same way, against Census place boundaries from the Census Bureau's TIGERweb service. Area code assignments – NANPA CO Code data. See our data methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many area codes does Alabama have?
Alabama has 7 active area codes: 205, 251, 256, 334, 483, 659, 938.
What is the main area code for Alabama?
Of the 7 area codes in Alabama, 256 is the oldest one still serving Huntsville, its largest city. 256 has been in service since March 23, 1998.
What are the largest cities in Alabama?
The largest cities in Alabama include Huntsville, Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa.
What is the total population of Alabama?
Alabama has an estimated total population of 5,163,055 based on US Census PEP 2024 data.
Do I have to dial ten digits in Alabama?
In the parts of Alabama covered by an overlay, yes. 6 of the 7 area codes here cover ground another code already covers, and where two codes share an area, local calls need the area code as well as the seven-digit number.
Why does Alabama have 7 area codes?
They arrived one at a time rather than all at once: 256 has been in service since March 23, 1998. 6 of the 7 are overlays, laid over a code that already covered the same ground instead of splitting its map in two. The most recent is 483, in service since February 23, 2026.
What is the newest area code in Alabama?
483, in service since February 23, 2026.
Is my county covered by more than one area code in Alabama?
It may be: more than one area code covers 61 of the 67 counties in Alabama, and one county there is covered by 4 of them. The table above shows which codes reach each of the largest cities.