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256 Area Code

Area code 256 serves Huntsville, Madison, Decatur, Florence, Athens and nearby communities in Alabama. It has been in service since March 23, 1998, when it was split from 205.

StateAlabama
Time zoneCentral
Local time now…
Prefixes in use785
Overlay with938
Projected to run out2043
HuntsvilleMadisonDecaturFlorenceAthensGadsdenAlbertvilleOxfordAnnistonCullmanMuscle ShoalsHartselleScottsboroCenter PointFort PayneTalladegaAlexander CityJacksonvilleSylacaugaRussellvilleSaksBoazRainbow CityMeridianvilleSouthsideSheffieldGuntersvilleTuscumbiaArabHarvestMoores MillRainsvilleGrayson ValleyAttallaGlencoeTrianaHuntsvilleDecaturGadsdenAlbertvilleOxford
Cities and towns served by area code 256

Who issues 256 numbers

Mobile 32%VoIP and cable 16%Landline 52%

Share of the 785 prefixes (the three digits after 256) assigned to each type of carrier. Classification by carrier name, approximate.

CarrierPrefixes
South Central Bell Tel179
AT&T Mobility114
Verizon Wireless84
Paetec Itel58
T-Mobile50
Lumen (Level 3)42
Onvoy (Sinch)37
Metropcs24

Cities and towns in area code 256

CityPopulationOther area codes
Huntsville233,627938
Madison67,968938
Decatur58,056938
Florence42,581938
Athens34,209938
Gadsden33,367938
Albertville23,710938
Oxford22,199938
Anniston20,930938
Cullman20,799938
Muscle Shoals17,666938
Hartselle16,312938
Scottsboro16,123938
Center Point15,538
Fort Payne15,189
Talladega14,840938
Alexander City14,515938
Jacksonville14,400938
Sylacauga12,055938
Russellville10,904938
Saks10,727938
Boaz10,619938
Rainbow City10,406938
Meridianville10,268938
Southside9,718938
Sheffield9,416938
Guntersville9,394938
Tuscumbia9,332938
Arab9,061938
Harvest6,624938
Moores Mill6,041938
Rainsville6,020938
Grayson Valley5,882
Attalla5,807938
Glencoe5,426938
Triana5,244938

Got a call from 256?

A 256 number was originally issued in Alabama, but that does not prove the caller is there. 16% of 256 prefixes belong to VoIP and cable providers, whose numbers can be bought online and used from anywhere. Caller ID can also be spoofed, so treat urgent requests for money, codes or passwords from any area code with suspicion, and call back on a number you already know.

All 785 prefixes in area code 256

Format: (256) XXX-YYYY. Carrier is the company the block was originally assigned to; numbers may since have been ported to another carrier.

Questions about area code 256

Where is area code 256?
Area code 256 is in Alabama. It covers Huntsville, Madison, Decatur, Florence, Athens, Gadsden and 30 more cities and towns.
What time zone is area code 256?
Area code 256 is in the Central time zone.
Is 256 a toll-free number?
No. 256 is a geographic area code in Alabama. Toll-free numbers in the US start with 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 or 888.
Why does 256 share its area with 938?
256 and 938 form an overlay: they cover the same territory, so new numbers there can get any of these codes, and local calls need all 10 digits.
Will area code 256 run out of numbers?
NANPA's latest forecast projects the 256/938 overlay to exhaust in the second quarter of 2043. Before that happens, a new area code is usually added as an overlay; existing numbers keep their code.

Other area codes in Alabama