Area code
Area code 202 — Washington, DC
District of Columbia · in service since 1947
Area code 202 covers all of District of Columbia. It is an overlay: 771 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 771
Local time in Washington
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
High #13 of 461 codes
1,245 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneEastern Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes800 assigned
- Runs out~3Q 2088
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 202 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 79 |
| Sep 14 | 211 |
| Sep 21 | 276 |
| Sep 28 | 279 |
| Oct 5 | 307 |
| Oct 12 | 256 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 211 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 52%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 10%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #13of 461 · top tenth (most complaints)
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 822206 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 | 487 30% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 194 12% | |
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 90 6% | |
| Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes | 43 3% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 14 1% | |
| Computer & technical support | 8 <1% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 180 11% | |
| District of Columbia | 127 8% | |
| Virginia | 95 6% | |
| Texas | 88 5% | |
| New York | 80 5% |
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 202 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSHNGTNZN1 | Washington | District of Columbia | 786 |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
Nearby area codes
Same area (overlay)
Nearest by exchange location
NANPA record
- Location
- District of Columbia
- Assigned by NANPA
- 1947
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-547
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 202 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2073, moved later by 15 years.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 202 prefixes
The five largest of 39 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon Washington DC, Inc. | 329 41% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 88 11% | |
| Omnipoint Communications Cap Operations, LLC | 55 7% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 53 7% | |
| Metropcs, Inc. | 42 5% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 202
What area code is 202?
A District of Columbia area code, in service since 1947.
Where is 202 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Washington, DC; Eastern Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 202?
1,245 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about impostors (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 202 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 3Q 2088; no relief planning listed.