---
title: "Area code 205: Alabama, United States"
url: "https://lookvalid.com/area-code/205.md"
canonical_url: "https://lookvalid.com/area-code/205"
last_updated: "2026-10-23"
type: "reference"
summary: "Area code 205 serves Alabama, United States. Number formats, numbering rules, a live phone validator and the other codes in Alabama."
---

# Area code 205: Alabama, United States

Area code 205 serves Alabama, United States. Number formats, numbering rules, a live phone validator and the other codes in Alabama.

NANPA lists 785 central office codes (prefixes) in use in area code 205, held by 51 holders across 71 rate centers.
The largest rate center is BIRMINGHAM, with 370 prefixes (47%).
South Central Bell Tel holds the most prefixes, 223 (28%). 65% of the prefixes are pooled, which means their thousands-blocks can belong to different companies.
The FCC unwanted-call data has 4,038 complaints on file for 3,039 numbers in 205, most often filed as "Unwanted Calls". These are consumer reports, not findings.

## Facts

- In service since: 1947-01-01
- Time zone: Central (C)
- Assigned overlays: 659 (2019-11-12)
- Prefixes in use: 785
- Pooled prefixes: 512 (65%)
- Rate centers: 71
- Companies holding prefixes: 51
- Assignment dates on file: 2001-01-29 to 2025-06-27 (282 prefixes)
- ZIP codes in its places: 135

## Rate centers

| Rate center | Prefixes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BIRMINGHAM | 370 | 47% |
| TUSCALOOSA | 69 | 9% |
| BESSEMER | 31 | 4% |
| JASPER | 21 | 3% |
| ALABASTER | 19 | 2% |
| CLANTON | 13 | 2% |
| PELL CITY | 11 | 1% |
| EUTAW | 9 | 1% |
| 63 other rate centers | 242 | 31% |

## Carriers

| Holder | Prefixes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| South Central Bell Tel | 223 | 28% |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS | 92 | 12% |
| Verizon Wireless | 84 | 11% |
| Paetec Itel | 53 | 7% |
| Powertel Birmingham Licenses | 42 | 5% |
| Brightspeed Of Alabama, LLC - Northern | 35 | 4% |
| 45 other carriers | 256 | 33% |

A prefix holder is the company a code was assigned to, not necessarily a number's current carrier, because numbers can be ported to another company.

## History

- 1947-01-01: Area code 205 went into service.
- 1995-01-15: Area code 334 went into service and names 205 as its parent.
- 1998-03-23: Area code 256 went into service and names 205 as its parent.
- 2019-11-12: Area code 659 went into service as an overlay in the same area as 205.

## Nearest area codes

The area codes closest to 205, measured between the centers of the ZIP code places they serve, are 938 (about 70 miles), 256 (about 72 miles), 483 (about 93 miles), 334 (about 116 miles) and 662 (about 147 miles).

## ZIP codes

135 ZIP codes fall in places that have a rate center in this area code. The places with the most are Birmingham, AL (62 ZIP codes), Tuscaloosa, AL (9 ZIP codes) and Bessemer, AL (4 ZIP codes). A ZIP code and an area code are unrelated systems, so a ZIP code can sit in more than one area code and an area code spans many ZIP codes.

## Complaints on file

4,038 complaints for 3,039 numbers. Numbers whose latest complaint falls in each year:

- 2023: 135
- 2024: 107
- 2025: 138

## Questions

### Where is area code 205?

NANPA assigns area code 205 to Alabama, United States.

### In which state does area code 205 sit?

Alabama. 205 is one of 7 area codes the NANPA table assigns to the state.

### Which places does area code 205 cover?

The places with the most ZIP codes among the rate centers in 205 are Birmingham, AL, Tuscaloosa, AL and Bessemer, AL. The rate center list on this page shows all of them.

### Who owns area code 205?

NANPA assigns area codes. Within 205, South Central Bell Tel holds the most prefixes, 223 prefixes or 28%.

### Which time zone does 205 use?

The NANPA NPA report lists the time zone for 205 as Central (C).

### What year did 205 enter service?

The NANPA NPA report gives an in-service date of 1947-01-01, so 205 has been in use since 1947.

### Does area code 205 have an overlay?

Yes. 659 (in service 2019-11-12) shares the same area with 205, so numbers from all of them are local to each other.

### Which area codes are nearest to 205?

The area codes closest to 205, measured between the centers of the ZIP code places they serve, are 938 (about 70 miles), 256 (about 72 miles), 483 (about 93 miles), 334 (about 116 miles) and 662 (about 147 miles).

### How many prefixes does area code 205 have?

NANPA's report dated 2026-10-17 lists 785 prefixes in service in 205, spread over 71 rate centers and 51 holders.

### Are there complaints about 205 numbers?

The FCC data on file has 4,038 complaints for 3,039 numbers in 205. They are unverified consumer reports. A number with no complaints on file is not proven safe.

Sources: NANPA central office code report dated 2026-10-17; NANPA NPA report dated 2026-10-18; FCC unwanted-call complaints, data fetched 2026-10-17; ZIP code places from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).