District of Columbia Area Codes
2 active area codes · Washington · Population around 691,310
District of Columbia has 2 active area codes, serving cities like Washington. Of those, 2 are overlays covering ground another code already covers, which is why local calls there use all ten digits. The newest, 771, has been in service since November 9, 2021. Each code below links to its cities, carriers, timezone, and coverage map.
District of Columbia Area Code Map
What area codes does District of Columbia have?
- 202OverlayWashingtonEastern Time (ET) · 1 city · 689,545
- 771OverlayWashingtonEastern Time (ET) · 1 city · 689,545
More than one of these codes covers 1 of the 1 counties in District of Columbia, and one county is covered by 2 of them. Each card counts the people inside that code's own boundary at the 2020 census. Adding all 2 gives 1,379,090, against the 689,545 the same census counts in those counties, because 689,545 residents fall inside more than one code.
How many phone prefixes does District of Columbia use?
The area codes in District of Columbia hold 824 assigned prefixes between them, listed under 51 distinct carrier names. A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a single carrier.
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 District of Columbia have?
District of Columbia has 2 active area codes: 202, 771.
What is the main area code for District of Columbia?
Of the 2 area codes in District of Columbia, 202 is the oldest one still serving Washington, its largest city. 202 has been in service since 1947.
What are the largest cities in District of Columbia?
The largest cities in District of Columbia include Washington.
What is the total population of District of Columbia?
District of Columbia has an estimated total population of 691,310 based on US Census PEP 2024 data.
Do I have to dial ten digits in District of Columbia?
In the parts of District of Columbia covered by an overlay, yes. 2 of the 2 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 District of Columbia have 2 area codes?
They arrived one at a time rather than all at once: 202 has been in service since 1947. 2 of the 2 are overlays, laid over a code that already covered the same ground instead of splitting its map in two. The most recent is 771, in service since November 9, 2021.
What is the newest area code in District of Columbia?
771, in service since November 9, 2021.
Is my county covered by more than one area code in District of Columbia?
It may be: more than one area code covers 1 of the 1 counties in District of Columbia, and one county there is covered by 2 of them. The table above shows which codes reach each of the largest cities.