256
Area code 256
Alabama, United States
National (256) 555-0123, E.164 +12565550123
How the 800 central office codes (exchanges) of area code 256 were allocated, from the North American Numbering Plan's records: to which carrier, as which line type. A 256 number is mobile, fixed line or VoIP according to its exchange, the three digits after the area code; the allocation is the original one (below).
At a glance
- Country code
- +1
- State
- AL
- Exchanges on record
- 800
- Carriers on record
- 41
- Mobile 295 (37%)
- Fixed line 411 (51%)
- VoIP 80 (10%)
- No line type on record 14 (2%)
- 800 exchanges on record
Most exchanges: AT&T 320, Verizon 89, Lumen 82.
Check a number
Valid fixed line or mobile number in the United States.
+1
country code
256
area code
5550123
subscriber number
| Country | United States numbering plan |
|---|---|
| Line type | Fixed line or mobile |
| Carrier the block was allocated to | No carrier on record for this prefix |
| E.164 | +12565550123 |
| International | +1 256-555-0123 |
| National | (256) 555-0123 |
| RFC 3966 | tel:+1-256-555-0123 |
Source: North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA); Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNAC); National numbering plan: United States (ITU)
The example is 256-555-0123: 555-0100 to 555-0199 are set aside for fictional use in every area code.
The exchange map
One cell per exchange: blocks 256 2xx to 256 9xx; in each block the row is the tens digit, the column the units digit.
- Mobile 295
- Fixed line 411
- VoIP 80
- No line type on record 14
Formats and patterns
| E.164 | +12565550123 |
|---|---|
| International | +1 256-555-0123 |
| National | (256) 555-0123 |
| RFC 3966 (tel: URI) | tel:+1-256-555-0123 |
Any 256 number, in E.164
^\+1256[2-9]\d{6}$+1, the area code, a central office code that does not start with 0 or 1, then four digits.
Mobile exchanges (295 on record)
^\+1256(?:2(?:0[0-2569]|1[49]|2[13-7]|39|4[2-4]|5[1246]|6[679]|7[16]|8[2369]|9[0478])|3(?:0[02357]|1[0268]|2[0-468]|3[0457-9]|4[357-9]|6[468]|7[145]|8[578]|9[0348])|4(?:0[04]|1[0256]|26|3[13468]|4[013]|5[2-478]|6[68]|7[036-9]|8[134]|9[01367])|5(?:0[1-46-9]|1[03-6]|2[0579]|3[17]|4[18]|5[0346-9]|6[356]|7[27]|8[359]|9[0-259])|6(?:0[13-689]|1[0237-9]|2[125-8]|3[0136]|4[0-278]|5[1-68]|6[038]|7[1-359]|8[2-479]|9[3-58])|7(?:0[126-9]|1[04]|20|3[18]|4[49]|5[0589]|62|77|8[36]|9[013478])|8(?:0[046-9]|1[056]|2[13]|3[68]|4[369]|5[56]|6[189]|7[24]|[89]9)|9(?:0[1-489]|1[3479]|2[046]|3[02358]|4[127-9]|5[134]|6[02]|7[25]|8[03469]|9[0268]))\d{4}$Fixed line exchanges (411 on record)
^\+1256(?:2(?:0[478]|1[235-8]|2[0289]|3[0-8]|4[015-9]|5[03589]|6[0-58]|7[02-57-9]|8[01578]|9[23569])|3(?:0[14689]|1[3-579]|2[579]|3[1-36]|4[0-246]|5\d|6[0-359]|7[0236-9]|8[0-369]|9[125-79])|4(?:0[1-357-9]|1[347-9]|2[0-57-9]|3[02579]|4[24-9]|5[01569]|6[0-579]|7[1245]|8[025689]|9[24589])|5(?:0[05]|1[27-9]|2[1-468]|3[02-689]|4[02-79]|5[12]|6[0-247-9]|7[013-689]|8[0-246-8]|9[3478])|6(?:0[27]|1[4-6]|2[0349]|3[2457-9]|4[3-59]|5[079]|6[2457]|7[6-8]|8[01568]|9[17])|7(?:0[45]|1[236-8]|2[1-9]|3[024-79]|4[0-35-8]|5[1-467]|6[014-9]|7[0-689]|8[12459]|9[2569])|8(?:01|1[378]|2[02457-9]|3[0-579]|4[0-24578]|5[0-2489]|6[47]|7[68]|8[0-357]|9[0-24-68])|9(?:0[56]|2[23579]|3[1679]|43|5[25]|6[134]|7[01489]|8[1258]|9[3-57]))\d{4}$VoIP exchanges (80 on record)
^\+1256(?:2(?:03|10|57|84|91)|3(?:67|84)|4(?:06|87)|596|6(?:00|46|6[169]|7[04]|9[0269])|7(?:[036]3|1[59]|8[078])|8(?:0[235]|1[249]|26|[59][37]|6[02356]|7[013579]|8[468])|9(?:0[07]|1[02568]|2[18]|34|4[04-6]|5[67]|6[5-9]|7[37]|87|9[19]))\d{4}$The exchange patterns follow the original allocations; a number ported since keeps its digits but not necessarily its carrier or its line type.
Carriers and their exchanges
Every carrier holding exchanges in 256, with the exchanges allocated to it (the three digits after the area code).
| Carrier | Exchanges | Mobile | Fixed line | VoIP | Exchanges held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | 320 | 114 | 201 | 5 | 201, 204, 206–209, 212–213, 215–217, 220, 229–240, 242–245, 247, 249, 263, 265–266, 268–269, 271–272, 276, 282–283, 287–288, 290, 298, 301, 306, 308–309, 314–316, 318, 321, 326, 329, 331–332, 340–344, 346–347, 350–353, 355–356, 358, 361–362, 365, 372–373, 375, 378, 381, 383, 385–386, 389–390, 392–393, 404, 409, 412–413, 427, 429–432, 435–439, 442, 446–448, 454, 461, 464–465, 467, 470, 473, 477–478, 480–481, 483–484, 486–487, 491–495, 499, 500, 502, 505–507, 512–513, 515–521, 527, 529, 532–536, 538–539, 542–543, 545–552, 556, 559–560, 564–566, 568–571, 577, 579–582, 584–585, 593, 603–604, 606, 614, 617, 619–622, 627–629, 631, 636–637, 641, 650–651, 653, 655, 663, 668, 672, 682–685, 693, 695, 702, 708–709, 714, 716, 718, 721–722, 726, 729, 733–741, 744, 746–747, 751, 757–758, 760–761, 764–769, 771–776, 778, 782, 791, 793, 795–796, 798, 804, 809–810, 812, 815–817, 820, 822, 824–825, 828–832, 835, 837–840, 843–845, 847–848, 851–852, 856–859, 864, 868–869, 878, 880–883, 885, 890–892, 894–895, 898–899, 903, 905, 917, 922, 930, 941–942, 945, 948–949, 963–964, 971, 974, 983–984, 986, 989, 992, 997–998 |
| Verizon | 89 | 84 | 5 | 0 | 200, 202, 221, 224, 252, 254, 267, 300, 302–303, 307, 324, 338–339, 366, 368, 387, 426, 440, 443, 452–453, 458, 476, 490, 496–497, 503–504, 508–509, 531, 537, 541, 557–558, 572, 583, 589–590, 599, 601, 605, 608–609, 612–613, 630, 633, 640, 647, 656, 665, 676, 678–680, 687, 689, 698, 701, 706, 710, 731, 762, 777, 783, 786, 790, 794, 807, 836, 902, 904, 909, 914, 924, 926, 932–933, 935, 938, 954, 960, 972, 975, 980, 988, 996 |
| Lumen | 82 | 0 | 80 | 2 | 203, 218, 228, 253, 259, 270, 273–275, 278, 280, 293, 313, 319, 327, 333, 336, 354, 357, 363, 369, 377, 391, 395–396, 399, 403, 405, 414, 417–418, 428, 449–450, 455, 460, 462–463, 469, 472, 474, 482, 485, 488, 544, 574–575, 587, 602, 615–616, 634–635, 649, 664, 667, 677, 697, 704–705, 712, 727, 730, 743, 748, 770, 781, 784, 792, 799, 826, 841–842, 854, 867, 876, 906, 952, 955, 961, 978, 994 |
| T-Mobile | 74 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 214, 223, 225–227, 251, 286, 289, 294, 297, 305, 310, 312, 320, 322–323, 328, 330, 334–335, 337, 345, 348–349, 364, 371, 374, 388, 394, 398, 400, 410, 415, 434, 441, 457, 466, 468, 479, 501, 510, 525, 553–554, 591–592, 595, 625–626, 642, 648, 652, 654, 658, 660, 673, 675, 694, 749–750, 755, 759, 797, 800, 849, 861, 872, 874, 889, 913, 919, 951, 962, 990 |
| Paetec Itel | 58 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 222, 241, 246, 248, 250, 255, 258, 260–262, 264, 277, 279, 281, 295, 299, 304, 380, 382, 397, 401–402, 408, 419, 424–425, 444–445, 456, 459, 522, 562, 567, 573, 576, 578, 588, 594, 598, 607, 624, 639, 644–645, 691, 713, 724, 745, 754, 756, 789, 813, 818, 827, 834, 850, 887, 970 |
| Onvoy | 34 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 257, 291, 406, 596, 646, 666, 674, 690, 719, 780, 787, 860, 862–863, 865–866, 870–871, 873, 884, 886, 888, 897, 910, 915–916, 918, 921, 928, 956–957, 967, 973, 987 |
| Bandwidth.com | 16 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 284, 384, 600, 670, 703, 763, 802–803, 805, 853, 907, 912, 940, 965, 991, 999 |
| TDS Telecom | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 292, 422, 475, 523–524, 526, 528, 561, 643, 779, 923, 927 |
| Farmers Telephone Cooperative | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 451, 597, 623, 632, 638, 657, 659, 717 |
| Brindlee Mountain Telephone Company | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 296, 317, 471, 498, 586, 753, 931 |
| USA Mobility | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 219, 416, 433, 707, 720, 855, 920 |
| Fractel | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 699, 788, 877, 944, 946, 977 |
| SouthernLINC Wireless | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 563, 610, 618, 846, 901, 947 |
| Farmers Telecommunications Corporation | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 407, 662, 925, 937, 979 |
| Mcc Telephony | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 785, 929, 943, 985, 995 |
| Spectrum | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 421, 681, 686, 742, 752 |
| Ardmore Telephone Company | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 379, 420, 423, 732 |
| TELNYX | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 661, 669, 692, 879 |
| Airus Inc | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 285, 936, 939 |
| Comcast | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 367, 715, 814 |
| Emergency Networks | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 205, 256, 908 |
| National Telephone of Alabama | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 359–360, 370 |
| New Hope Telephone Cooperative | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 723, 725, 728 |
| Nuso | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 981–982, 993 |
| Wow! Internet | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 325, 489, 801 |
| Brightlink Communications | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 808, 819 |
| Dovetel Communications | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 530, 540 |
| HD Carrier | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 696, 969 |
| Sharp Communication | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 514, 671 |
| Shelltel | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 821, 823 |
| Ton80 Communications | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 966, 968 |
| Windstream | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 688, 896 |
| Access2Go | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 875 |
| CSC Wireless LLC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 806 |
| CoreTel | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 833 |
| Dish Wireless | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 953 |
| IDT America | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 376 |
| IP Horizon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 934 |
| Terra Nova Telecom | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 900 |
| Twilio International | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 893 |
| Voip Street | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 210 |
Questions developers ask
- Where is area code 256?
- Area code 256 is in Alabama, in the United States: all 800 of its exchanges on record are there. From abroad it is dialled +1 256, then the seven-digit number.
- Is a 256 number mobile or landline?
- Either: in the North American Numbering Plan the line type belongs to the exchange (the three digits after the area code), not to the area code. Of the 800 exchanges on record in 256, 295 (37%) were allocated as mobile, 411 (51%) as fixed line, 80 (10%) as VoIP and 14 (2%) have no line type on record. A number can have been ported since, to another carrier and even to another line type.
- Which carriers have numbers in area code 256?
- 41 carriers hold exchanges in 256 on record; the most: AT&T (320), Verizon (89) and Lumen (82). These are the original allocations: with number portability, a number may be served by another carrier today, which only a live carrier lookup (an HLR or MNP query) can tell.
- How do I validate a 256 phone number?
- In E.164 a 256 number matches ^\+1256[2-9]\d{6}$: +1, the area code, a central office code that does not start with 0 or 1, then four digits. Written nationally it reads (256) 555-0123. The exchange patterns on this page narrow it to the exchanges allocated as mobile, fixed line or VoIP.