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Area code 256

Area code 256 serves Alabama, including Huntsville, Decatur and Anniston (Central time). It has been in service since March 23, 1998 and shares its area with 938.

Numbers starting with 256 drew 2,648 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 566 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 256 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
Alabama(birmingham, AL Msa) and Birmingham, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Central
In service since
March 23, 1998Created from 205
Overlay
Same area as 938
Local calls
Dial 10 digitsArea code needed, even next door
Exchanges in use
786 of 792held by 52 carriers
Projected to run out
4Q 2042NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 256 numbers

Reports where the number on the consumer's caller ID (or, for the FCC, the number the caller asked them to call back) starts with 256. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

FTC reports, Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026

2,648

FCC complaints since November 2023

566

Different 256 numbers reported

3,025

FCC complaints naming a 256 number, by month

November 2023 to October 2026. Source: FCC Consumer Complaints Data.

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 202314
December 202310
January 202412
February 20248
March 20247
April 202413
May 202416
June 202418
July 202419
August 202421
September 202414
October 202421
November 202427
December 202413
January 202529
February 202521
March 20259
April 202518
May 202518
June 202521
July 202510
August 202512
September 202517
October 20251
November 20254
December 202510
January 202610
February 20265
March 202615
April 202628
May 202610
June 202612
July 202612
August 202630
September 202627
October 202624

What people said 256 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 1,707 of 2,648 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other1,248
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends584
Medical and prescriptions213
Dropped call or no message195
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)186
Charities35

Most reported 256 numbers

Numbers with at least five reports from three or more places in the last twelve months. Many of them are likely spoofed.

Places served by 256

NANPA lists 92 rate centers for 256. A rate center is the town or district a block of numbers is tied to for billing; sorted here by how many exchanges each holds.
  • Huntsville158
  • Decatur50
  • Anniston43
  • Gadsden37
  • Cullman36
  • Florence29
  • Athens26
  • Alexander City18
  • Guntersville18
  • Scottsboro18
  • Talladega17
  • Albertville15
  • Fort Payne15
  • Madison15
  • Rogersville15
  • Sylacauga14
  • Arab11
  • Hartselle11
  • Russellville11
  • Sheffield11
  • Jacksonville8
  • Boaz7
  • Centre7
  • Ashland6
Show all 92 rate centers

Attalla, Dadeville, Hanceville, Moulton, Ardmore, Hazel Green, Killen, Bridgeport, Childersburg, Courtland, Crossville, Gurley, Heflin, Munford, Ohatchee, Red Bay, Stevenson, Town Creek, Camp Hill, Cherokee, Fruithurst, Fyffe, Goodwater, Leighton, Lexington, Lineville, Mentone, Morgan City, New Market, Piedmont, Pisgah, Rainsville, Union Grove, Valley Head, Wadley, Wedowee, Bryant, Delta, Elkmont, Falkville, Francisco, Gaylesville, Geraldine, Grant, Grayson, Henagar, Leesburg, Massey, Morrisons Cross Roads, New Hope, Ranburne, Rockford, Sand Rock, Section, Skyline, Veto, Woodland, Aroney, Cedar Bluff, Chulafinnee, Collinsville, Flat Rock, Lecta, Oden Ridge, Owens Cross Roads, Rinehart, Whorton, Xxxxxxxxxx.

Phone companies holding 256 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 74% of these exchanges are pooled: their numbers are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to other carriers, so the holder below is not always the company serving a given number.

Exchanges held, top 8 of 52 carriers

NANPA central office code assignments, file of November 11, 2026.

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Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Bellsouth Telecomm Inc dba South Central Bell Tel180
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - GA114
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - AL84
Paetec Itel, LLC58
Powertel Birmingham Licenses, Inc.50
Level 3 Communications, LLC - AL42
Onvoy, LLC - AL34
Metropcs, Inc.24

When today's 256 exchanges were assigned

Exchanges still assigned, by year of assignment. Exchanges returned since are not counted.

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200128
200244
200340
200419
200510
200612
20078
20087
20099
201011
20112
20126
20134
20143
20156
20169
20177
20188
201912
202018
202133
202213
202310
20251

Check a 256 number

A check shows the carrier and rate center of the number's exchange and every FTC and FCC report about that exact number. Why the number on screen can be fake.

Other area codes in Alabama

NANPA area code database and central office code file of November 11, 2026; FCC complaints November 1, 2023 to November 11, 2026; FTC reports August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. How the data is used.

Official sources (7)Show