Area code 253: Washington
Area code 253 is a US state area code for Washington, on Pacific Time. It has 508 prefixes in service across 10 rate centers, the largest being Tacoma, Auburn and Tacoma-Waverly. NANPA lists no overlay code for it. Local calls there take 10 digits.
Local time in area code 253
America/Los_Angeles
Prefixes in service
508 of 792 possible
10 rate centers
Area code 253 facts
| Location | Washington, United States |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Pacific Time |
| Overlays | None |
| Split from | 206 |
| In service since | April 27, 1997 |
| Local calls | 10 digits; toll calls 1 + 10 digits |
| Carrier | Not shown. An area code is where a number was issued; numbers port between carriers. Check line type |
Which cities and towns use area code 253?
NANPA records each prefix against a rate center, the local billing area a number belongs to, usually named after its main town. These are the 253 rate centers with the most prefixes in service.
| Rate center | Prefixes |
|---|---|
| Tacoma | 228 |
| Auburn | 82 |
| Tacoma-Waverly | 51 |
| Kent | 44 |
| Puyallup | 27 |
| Des Moines | 23 |
| Gig Harbor | 20 |
| Sumner | 15 |
| Graham | 13 |
| Roy | 5 |
Source: NANPA central office code assignments, file dated 10/17/2026. Each prefix holds up to 10,000 numbers.
How do I dial a 253 number?
NANPA's dialling plan for 253: local calls inside the code take 10 digits, toll calls 1 + 10 digits. From another area code, dial 1 first. From abroad, use +1. The examples use 555-0147, from a range reserved for fictional numbers.
| Local call inside 253 | 253-555-0147 |
|---|---|
| From another US or Canadian area code | 1-253-555-0147 |
| From outside North America | +1 253 555 0147 |
| E.164, for CRMs and SMS tools | +12535550147 |
When did area code 253 start?
Area code 253 went into service on April 27, 1997, split from 206. It has no overlay, so every number in its area still starts with it.
Tools for 253 numbers
- Area code lookup
Look up any code or a whole list of numbers, or find the codes for a state or city.
- Area code time zone
Local time for a list of numbers, with a callable-now flag.
- NPA-NXX lookup
Rate center and state for one prefix, a level below the area code.
- TCPA calling hours checker
Whether it's inside the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. calling window there now.
Next step
A 253 number tells you where it was issued, not what it is now.
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Area code 253 questions
- What state is area code 253?
- Area code 253 is in Washington, United States. Its largest rate centers by number of prefixes are Tacoma, Auburn, Tacoma-Waverly, Kent and Puyallup.
- What time zone is area code 253 in?
- Pacific Time.
- Does area code 253 have an overlay?
- Not as of NANPA's file dated 10/16/2026. Every number in its area uses 253.
- When did area code 253 start?
- Area code 253 went into service on April 27, 1997, split from 206.
- Is a 253 number a cell phone or a landline?
- The area code can't tell you. In the US and Canada mobiles, landlines and VoIP lines share area codes and prefixes, and numbers move between carriers and line types. Only a live line-type lookup answers it for one number.
- How many phone numbers does area code 253 have?
- 508 of its 792 possible prefixes are in service, and each prefix holds up to 10,000 numbers. That counts prefixes assigned to carriers, not numbers in use.
Other area codes in Washington
Sources
Location, overlays, in-service date and dialling plan: NANPA NPA database, file dated 10/16/2026. Prefixes and rate centers: NANPA central office code assignments, 10/17/2026. Time zones mapped to the IANA time zone database. By the SimpleVerifier Team; how we build these pages.