What is the 205 area code?

The 205 area code is an original 1947 numbering plan area serving Birmingham, Alabama. It is one of the oldest area codes still in service.

Where is the 205 area code located?

The 205 area code covers Birmingham and neighboring communities in Alabama, including Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Hoover. See the cities and counties table above for the full list.

What time zone is the 205 area code in?

The 205 area code is in Central Time (UTC−6 / UTC−5), the same time zone as Birmingham.

Is the 205 area code a scam?

No, the 205 area code is a regular geographic code used by residents and businesses in Alabama. Some scam calls spoof the 205 area code, so judge each call by its content, not its code.

How do I call a 205 area code number?

Dial 1 plus the ten-digit number, for example +1 205 555 0123. Inside the territory, local calls also require ten digits. From outside North America, use your exit code, then +1.

Can I find out who owns a 205 number?

This guide identifies numbering areas, not subscribers. To identify a caller, use a callback, an official contact channel, or a reverse-lookup service — and stay cautious with unexpected calls.

205 Area Code: Location, Cities, Time Zone & Phone Lookup

Where the 205 area code is used, which cities and counties it covers in Alabama, its time zone, overlay codes and the exact dialing format.

Quick answer

The 205 area code serves Birmingham and surrounding communities in Alabama, United States, in the Central Time zone (UTC−6 / UTC−5). It has been in service since 1947. Dial it as (205) 555-0123 locally or +1 205 555 0123 from abroad.

Free reference, no signup. Data reviewed against NANPA records.

Popular lookups

929 727 954 437 951

Location: Birmingham, AL
Country: United States
Time zone: Central Time (CT)
In service: Since 1947
Code type: Original 1947 code
Local format: (205) 555-0123
Population served: ≈ 1,400,000 residents
Service span: 79 years

Where Is the 205 Area Code?

The 205 area code is a geographic numbering plan area in the North American Numbering Plan.

The 205 area code is assigned to Birmingham, the anchor city of the region, together with the surrounding communities listed below. When the 205 area code was introduced, regulators drew its boundary around the calling communities that shared a local calling area, which is why the territory follows county lines rather than city limits.

In everyday terms, if you see the 205 area code on an incoming call, the number was originally assigned in the Birmingham area of Alabama. Landlines, mobile phones and business lines in that territory can all carry the 205 area code.

The cities below are the principal municipalities served by the 205 area code. County names are included because numbering plan boundaries in Alabama traditionally follow county lines.

Top cities at a glance

BirminghamJefferson County
TuscaloosaTuscaloosa County
HooverJefferson / Shelby County
BessemerJefferson County
AlabasterShelby County

Full city and county list for the 205 area code below.

205 Area Code Cities and Counties

Major cities covered by the 205 area code, including Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Hoover and more.

The 205 area code covers the communities in the table below. Together they form the local calling community for Birmingham, the primary city of the numbering plan area in Alabama.

City	County
Birmingham	Jefferson County
Tuscaloosa	Tuscaloosa County
Hoover	Jefferson / Shelby County
Bessemer	Jefferson County
Alabaster	Shelby County
Helena	Shelby County
Jasper	Walker County
Pell City	St. Clair County

City and county coverage reflects published numbering plan boundaries; individual carriers may assign numbers slightly differently within the territory.

If you are calling any of these cities from outside North America, prefix the 205 area code number with the US/Canada country code +1. Numbers are ten digits long: three for the area code plus seven for the line.

205 Area Code Time Zone

The 205 area code observes Central Time (CT), the same clock as Birmingham.

Communities in the 205 area code follow Central Time: UTC−6 / UTC−5 with daylight saving time in effect from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. When scheduling a call into the 205 area code territory from Europe or Asia, check both clocks first.

A quick reference: when it is 12:00 noon in the 205 area code, it is 17:00 in London and 01:00 the next day in Tokyo during standard time. The 205 area code shares its clock with the rest of its region.

How to Dial a 205 Area Code Number

Ten digits for local calls, +1 for international calls.

Every number in the 205 area code follows the North American format: a three-digit area code plus a seven-digit local number. From inside the US or Canada, dial 1, then the 205 area code, then the seven digits — for example (205) 555-0123. In overlay regions, the ten-digit form is required even for next-door calls.

From abroad, replace the leading 1 with your international exit code and add the country code: +1 205 555 0123. Mobile phones in most countries let you store the number with the + sign so the 205 area code number dials correctly from anywhere.

Dialing format

Local / national

(205) 555-0123

International

+1 205 555 0123

555 numbers are reserved for examples; real 205 area code lines use working exchange prefixes.

Who Is Calling From the 205 Area Code?

What the 205 area code does — and does not — tell you about a caller.

A call from the 205 area code most often comes from a person or business in the Birmingham area of Alabama. The 205 area code is used by ordinary households, government offices and companies across the territory, so the code alone is not a sign of spam.

However, the 205 area code cannot prove where a caller physically is. Number portability lets a customer keep a 205 area code number after moving away, and internet calling services can assign 205 area code numbers to users anywhere in the world. Scammers can also display a fake 205 area code through caller-ID spoofing.

The safe rule: treat the 205 area code as a hint about the number's origin, never as caller verification. Let unfamiliar calls go to voicemail, and contact organizations through official numbers rather than ones that called you.

205 Area Code History

How the 205 area code came to serve Alabama.

The 205 area code is one of the original area codes created in 1947 for the Bell System's nationwide numbering plan, making it one of the longest-serving codes in the country. Regulators have since pared its territory down as demand for numbers grew, leaving the 205 area code centered on Birmingham.

Demand for telephone numbers keeps growing because every mobile line, fax machine and internet phone needs one. When a numbering plan area approaches exhaustion, regulators either split the territory or overlay a new code on top of it — which is why the 205 area code boundary looks the way it does today.

205 Area Code Overlays and Neighbors

Codes that share territory with the 205 area code or border its region.

Overlay / shared territory

659

Neighboring codes

256334938

FAQ

205 Area Code FAQ

The most common questions about the 205 area code, answered briefly.

Data sources: NANPA (North American Numbering Plan Administration) numbering plans and public regulator announcements. Reviewed October 2026. Lookup results describe number assignment areas and cannot be used to infer the true location of a caller.

By the Area Code Lookup editorial team · Updated October 12, 2026

Sources & citations

NANPA — North American Numbering Plan Administrationwww.nationalnanpa.com
List of North American Numbering Plan area codes (Wikipedia)en.wikipedia.org
Local Calling Guide — NANP prefix databasewww.localcallingguide.com

Every guide on this site is verified against these sources and carries its own review date. Lookup results describe number assignment areas and never prove where a caller is located.