Area code
Area code 256 — Huntsville, AL
Alabama · in service since March 23, 1998
Area code 256 covers parts of Alabama; the place with the most of its prefixes is Huntsville. It is an overlay: 938 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 938
Local time in Huntsville
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
High #36 of 461 codes
945 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneCentral Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes800 assigned
- Runs out~2Q 2043
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 256 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 67 |
| Sep 14 | 215 |
| Sep 21 | 323 |
| Sep 28 | 233 |
| Oct 5 | 140 |
| Oct 12 | 144 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 215 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 71%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 76%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #36of 461 · top tenth (most complaints)
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 868 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 285 21% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 128 10% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 101 8% | |
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 98 7% | |
| Charities | 33 2% | |
| Warranties & protection plans | 27 2% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,045 78% | |
| New York | 77 6% | |
| Georgia | 27 2% | |
| Florida | 21 2% | |
| Tennessee | 18 1% |
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 256 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUNTSVILLE | Huntsville | spans 3 counties | 158 |
| DECATUR | Decatur | spans 2 counties | 50 |
| ANNISTON | Anniston | Calhoun County | 43 |
| GADSDEN | Gadsden | Etowah County | 37 |
| CULLMAN | Cullman | Cullman County | 36 |
| FLORENCE | Florence | Lauderdale County | 29 |
| ATHENS | Athens | Limestone County | 26 |
| ALEXANDRCY | Alexander City | Tallapoosa County | 18 |
| GUNTERSVL | Guntersville | Marshall County | 18 |
| SCOTTSBORO | Scottsboro | Jackson County | 18 |
Plus 81 smaller exchange areas.
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
Is 256 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2042, moved later by 1 year.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 256 prefixes
The five largest of 53 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| South Central Bell Tel | 180 22% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 114 14% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 84 10% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 58 7% | |
| Powertel Birmingham Licenses, Inc. | 50 6% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 256
What area code is 256?
An Alabama area code, in service since March 23, 1998.
Where is 256 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Huntsville, AL; Central Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 256?
945 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about impostors (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 256 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 2Q 2043; no relief planning listed.