Area code
Area code 253 — Tacoma, WA
Washington · in service since April 27, 1997
Area code 253 covers the Tacoma, WA area. It was created from area code 206 on April 27, 1997 and no other code overlays it.
Local time in Tacoma
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Average #222 of 461 codes
423 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zonePacific Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes525 assigned
- Runs out~2Q 2056
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 253 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 40 |
| Sep 14 | 98 |
| Sep 21 | 87 |
| Sep 28 | 100 |
| Oct 5 | 100 |
| Oct 12 | 94 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 65 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 55%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 39%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #222of 461 · middle half
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 8415 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 107 18% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 78 13% | |
| Home improvement & cleaning | 39 7% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 38 7% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 13 2% | |
| Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes | 9 2% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 381 65% | |
| Florida | 24 4% | |
| Oregon | 24 4% | |
| California | 16 3% | |
| North Carolina | 9 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 253 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TACOMA | Tacoma | Pierce County | 228 |
| AUBURN | Auburn | spans 2 counties | 82 |
| TACOMAWVLY | Tacoma | Pierce County | 51 |
| KENT | Kent | King County | 44 |
| PUYALLUP | Puyallup | Pierce County | 27 |
| DES MOINES | Des Moines | King County | 23 |
| GIG HARBOR | Gig Harbor | Pierce County | 20 |
| SUMNER | Sumner | Pierce County | 15 |
| GRAHAM | Graham | Pierce County | 13 |
| ROY | Roy | Pierce County | 5 |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
NANPA record
- Location
- Washington
- Assigned by NANPA
- October 31, 1996
- Created from
- 206
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-492, PL-298, PL-239, PL-019
- Relief planning
- 253 (status: Trigger)
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 253 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2059, moved earlier by 3 years.
Relief planning (NANPA): 253, status Trigger; prefixes left: 275.
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 253 prefixes
The five largest of 28 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | 141 27% | |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc. | 77 15% | |
| Onvoy, LLC | 49 9% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 48 9% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 35 7% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 253
What area code is 253?
A Washington area code, in service since April 27, 1997.
Where is 253 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Tacoma, WA; Pacific Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 253?
423 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 253 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 2Q 2056; relief planning: Trigger.