Area code
Area code 205 — Birmingham, AL
Alabama · in service since 1947
Area code 205 covers parts of Alabama; the place with the most of its prefixes is Birmingham. It is an overlay: 659 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 659
Local time in Birmingham
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
High #55 of 461 codes
831 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneCentral Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes800 assigned
- Runs out~1Q 2066
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 205 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 48 |
| Sep 14 | 177 |
| Sep 21 | 233 |
| Sep 28 | 236 |
| Oct 5 | 141 |
| Oct 12 | 157 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 156 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 72%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 64%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #55of 461 · top quarter
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 31654 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Dropped call or no message | 248 22% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 167 15% | |
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 113 10% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 72 6% | |
| Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes | 10 1% | |
| Vacation & timeshares | 8 1% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 816 71% | |
| Florida | 34 3% | |
| California | 28 2% | |
| Texas | 22 2% | |
| Virginia | 20 2% |
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 205 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIRMINGHAM | Birmingham | spans 2 counties | 370 |
| TUSCALOOSA | Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa County | 69 |
| BESSEMER | Bessemer | Jefferson County | 31 |
| JASPER | Jasper | Walker County | 21 |
| ALABASTER | Alabaster | Shelby County | 19 |
| CLANTON | Clanton | Chilton County | 13 |
| PELL CITY | Pell City | St. Clair County | 11 |
| EUTAW | Eutaw | Greene County | 9 |
| GARDENDALE | Gardendale | Jefferson County | 9 |
| LEEDS | Leeds | spans 3 counties | 9 |
Plus 60 smaller exchange areas.
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
NANPA record
- Location
- Alabama
- Assigned by NANPA
- 1947
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-523, PL-289, PL-284
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 205 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2062, moved later by 4 years.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 205 prefixes
The five largest of 53 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| South Central Bell Tel | 224 28% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 92 12% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 84 10% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 53 7% | |
| Powertel Birmingham Licenses, Inc. | 42 5% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 205
What area code is 205?
An Alabama area code, in service since 1947.
Where is 205 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Birmingham, AL; Central Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 205?
831 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about dropped calls or no message (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 205 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 1Q 2066; no relief planning listed.