Area code
Area code 252 — North Carolina
North Carolina · in service since March 22, 1998
Area code 252 covers parts of North Carolina. It was created from area code 919 on March 22, 1998 and no other code overlays it.
Local time in North Carolina
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
High #50 of 461 codes
842 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneEastern Time
- Local calls7 digits
- Prefixes717 assigned
- Runs out~1Q 2031
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 252 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 30 |
| Sep 14 | 156 |
| Sep 21 | 159 |
| Sep 28 | 174 |
| Oct 5 | 182 |
| Oct 12 | 193 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 186 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 69%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 45%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #50of 461 · top quarter
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 17222 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 243 22% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 79 7% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 74 7% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 58 5% | |
| Home security & alarms | 15 1% | |
| Warranties & protection plans | 15 1% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 614 57% | |
| Florida | 53 5% | |
| California | 38 4% | |
| Texas | 35 3% | |
| Virginia | 29 3% |
October 2026 (partial) report · most reported
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC · source
Source: FTC Do Not Call complaints created Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026. They are reported by consumers and are not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed (how we count).
Source: FCC Consumer Complaints data, unwanted calls filed Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026, by caller ID; not verified by the FCC.
Area code 252 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREENVILLE | Greenville | Pitt County | 71 |
| ROCKYMOUNT | Rocky Mount | spans 2 counties | 64 |
| WILSON | Wilson | Wilson County | 35 |
| NEW BERN | New Bern | Craven County | 33 |
| KINSTON | Kinston | Lenoir County | 27 |
| HENDERSON | Henderson | Vance County | 23 |
| ELIZABTHCY | Elizabeth City | spans 2 counties | 22 |
| MOREHEADCY | Morehead City | Carteret County | 21 |
| ROANOKERPD | Roanoke Rapids | Halifax County | 19 |
| WASHINGTON | Washington | Beaufort County | 17 |
Plus 82 smaller exchange areas.
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
NANPA record
- Location
- North Carolina
- Assigned by NANPA
- February 27, 1998
- Created from
- 919
- Local dialing
- 7 digits (NANPA: 7D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-114, PL-112
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 252 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2030, moved later by 1 year.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 252 prefixes
The five largest of 51 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed Of Eastern North Carolina, LLC | 207 29% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 76 11% | |
| Onvoy, LLC | 49 7% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 48 7% | |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC | 46 6% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 252
What area code is 252?
A North Carolina area code, in service since March 22, 1998.
Where is 252 area code, and what time zone is it in?
North Carolina; Eastern Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 252?
842 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 252 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 1Q 2031; no relief planning listed.