About Alabama Area Codes
Alabama (AL) uses 6 telephone area codes to serve its residents and businesses.
With an estimated population of 4,392,298, Alabama is one of the moderately coded states in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The state is primarily in the Central Time Zone (CDT). The current local time in Alabama is 8:44 PM.
The largest cities in Alabama include
Birmingham (pop. 739,573), Huntsville (pop. 319,249), Mobile (pop. 315,502), Montgomery (pop. 254,634) and Tuscaloosa (pop. 155,499) .
Alabama has 67 counties spread across its territory.
Each area code in AL covers a geographic region of the state, with some areas using overlay codes that share the same geographic territory as an existing area code.
When calling a Alabama phone number from outside the area code, you must dial the full 10-digit number: the 3-digit area code followed by the 7-digit local number.
Many parts of Alabama now require 10-digit dialing even for local calls due to overlay area codes and the nationwide 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline implementation.
All Alabama Area Codes
The table below lists every active area code in Alabama, along with the major city served and other cities covered by each code.
| Area Code |
Major City |
Other Cities |
|
205
|
Birmingham
|
Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Vestavia Hills, Alabaster, Bessemer, Trussville, Hueytown, Calera and more
|
|
251
|
Mobile
|
Foley, Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Robertsdale, Bay Minette, Spanish Fort, Atmore, Brewton and more
|
|
256
|
Birmingham
|
Huntsville, Florence, Anniston, Decatur, Gadsden, Madison, Albertville, Athens and more
|
|
334
|
Birmingham
|
Montgomery, Auburn, Dothan, Decatur, Enterprise, Phenix City, Prattville, Opelika and more
|
|
659
|
Birmingham
|
Montgomery, Pell City, Leeds, Jackson |
|
938
|
Birmingham
|
Huntsville, Decatur, Chattanooga, Atlanta |
Largest Cities in Alabama
These are the largest cities in Alabama by population, along with their primary area codes and counties.
| City |
Population |
County |
| Birmingham |
739,573 |
Jefferson County |
| Huntsville |
319,249 |
Madison County |
| Mobile |
315,502 |
Mobile County |
| Montgomery |
254,634 |
Montgomery County |
| Tuscaloosa |
155,499 |
Tuscaloosa County |
| Auburn |
92,777 |
Lee County |
| Hoover |
85,768 |
Jefferson County |
| Florence |
79,964 |
Lauderdale County |
| Anniston |
73,501 |
Calhoun County |
| Dothan |
72,396 |
Houston County |
Frequently Asked Questions
Alabama has 6 active area codes.
These include
205 (Birmingham),
251 (Mobile),
256 (Birmingham),
334 (Birmingham) and
659 (Birmingham) , among others.
Alabama is primarily in the Central Time Zone (CDT).
The current local time is 8:44 PM.
The area code covering the most cities in Alabama is
256, which serves Birmingham and 89+ other communities.
Yes, most areas in Alabama now require 10-digit dialing (area code + 7-digit number) for all local calls. This requirement was implemented across the United States starting in October 2021 to support the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Even if you are calling within the same area code, you need to dial all 10 digits.
To call a Alabama number from within the United States, dial the area code followed by the 7-digit phone number (e.g., 205-XXX-XXXX). From outside the US, dial your country's exit code, then 1 (the US country code), then the full 10-digit number.
Alabama has 67 counties.
The state's total estimated population is 4,392,298, spread across these counties and served by 6 area codes.
Birmingham is served by area code
205.
Alabama has 6 area codes in total — see the complete list above.