Texas has 29 active area codes as of 2026, covering the state through a mix of original 1947 assignments, geographic splits, and modern overlays. This guide walks through the full list, which regions each code serves, the order they came online, and where new codes are most likely to land next.
The Short Answer
Texas currently has 29 active area codes in service. The count reflects a combination of population growth, the rise of mobile lines, and the way modern numbering allocates blocks — every line activated, whether a cellphone, a business desk line, a VoIP number, or a connected device, consumes a slot in the pool.
By population, Texas ranks #2 nationally with roughly 31,290,831 residents as of the most recent estimates. That puts the state’s area code count in line with its population peers — denser, faster-growing states need more codes; smaller states need fewer.
The Full List of Texas Area Codes
The active area codes serving Texas are listed below, in numerical order. Where a code is an overlay or a split-off from an earlier code, that relationship is noted.
- 210 — San Antonio and Bexar County
- 214 — Dallas and the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex
- 254 — Central Texas (Waco, Temple, Killeen)
- 281 — Greater Houston metropolitan area (overlay of 713)
- 325 — West-central Texas (Abilene, San Angelo)
- 346 — Greater Houston metropolitan area (overlay of 713, 281, and 832)
- 361 — Coastal Bend (Corpus Christi, Victoria)
- 409 — Southeast Texas (Beaumont, Galveston, Port Arthur)
- 430 — Northeast Texas (Tyler, Longview, Texarkana) (overlay of 903)
- 432 — West Texas (Midland, Odessa)
- 469 — Dallas and the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (overlay of 214 and 972)
- 512 — Austin metro and central Texas
- 621 — Greater Houston metropolitan area (overlay of 713, 281, 832, and 346)
- 682 — Fort Worth and the western Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (overlay of 817)
- 713 — Houston and central Harris County
- 726 — San Antonio and Bexar County (overlay of 210)
- 737 — Austin metro and central Texas (overlay of 512)
- 806 — Panhandle and South Plains (Amarillo, Lubbock)
- 817 — Fort Worth and the western Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex
- 830 — South-central Texas (New Braunfels, Del Rio, Kerrville)
- 832 — Greater Houston metropolitan area (overlay of 713 and 281)
- 903 — Northeast Texas (Tyler, Longview, Texarkana, Sherman)
- 915 — Far West Texas (El Paso)
- 936 — East Texas (Huntsville, Lufkin, Nacogdoches)
- 940 — North Texas (Wichita Falls, Denton, Gainesville)
- 945 — Dallas and the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (overlay of 214, 972, and 469)
- 956 — Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo)
- 972 — Dallas and the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (overlay of 214)
- 979 — Brazos Valley and southeast coast (College Station, Bryan, Lake Jackson)
How Texas’s Area Codes Grew Over Time
Texas was assigned 4 area codes in the original 1947 NANP launch — 214, 512, 713, 915 — reflecting the state’s population and territorial size at the time. Subsequent splits and overlays have added codes as demand has grown.
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Browse Texas Area Codes →- 1947 — Texas was divided into four area codes at the launch of the North American Numbering Plan: 214 (northeast), 512 (south-central), 713 (southeast), and 915 (west and northwest).
- 1954 — 817 was created, combining most of Tarrant County with the eastern part of 915 to serve the Fort Worth area.
- 1957 — 806 split off from 915 to serve the Panhandle and South Plains (Amarillo, Lubbock).
- 1990 — 903 split off from 214 for northeast Texas (Tyler, Longview, Texarkana, Sherman).
- 1992 — 210 split off from 512 for San Antonio and South Texas.
- 1993 — 972 was originally planned as a split of 214; it instead went into service in 1996 in the Dallas area.
- 1996 — 281 split off from 713 for the Houston suburbs, the first division of the original Houston code.
- 1996 — 254 split off from 817 for central Texas (Waco, Temple, Killeen).
- 1996 — 956 split off from 210 for the Lower and Middle Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo).
- 1996 — 972 split off from 214 in the Dallas area, later converted to an overlay.
- 1997 — 940 split off from 817 for North Texas (Wichita Falls, Denton, Gainesville).
- 1997 — 830 split off from 210 for the areas surrounding San Antonio (New Braunfels, Del Rio, Kerrville).
- 1997 — 409 was reduced as 936 and 979 were planned; 409 continued to serve Beaumont, Galveston, and Port Arthur.
- 1998 — 832 was added as an overlay of the combined 713/281 region in Houston, making ten-digit dialing mandatory there.
- 1999 — 469 was added as an overlay of 214 and 972 in the Dallas area.
- 1999 — 361 split off from 512 for the Coastal Bend (Corpus Christi, Victoria).
- 2000 — 936 split off from 409 for east Texas (Huntsville, Lufkin, Nacogdoches).
- 2000 — 979 split off from 409 for the Brazos Valley and southeast coast (College Station, Bryan, Lake Jackson).
- 2000 — 682 was added as an overlay of 817 in the Fort Worth area.
- 2003 — 325 split off from 915 for west-central Texas (Abilene, San Angelo).
- 2003 — 430 was added as an overlay of 903 in northeast Texas.
- 2013 — 346 was added as a fourth overlay code for the Houston area, effective July 2014.
- 2013 — 737 was added as an overlay of 512 in the Austin area.
- 2017 — 726 was added as an overlay of 210 in the San Antonio area.
- 2021 — 945 was added as a fourth overlay code for the Dallas area, with assignments available beginning January 15.
- 2025 — 621 was added as a fifth overlay code for the Houston area, with assignments beginning January 23.
Why Texas Needs So Many Area Codes
A single area code can hold roughly 7.9 million possible phone numbers in theory — 792 valid central office codes (the second three digits) multiplied by 10,000 line numbers each. In practice the usable count is lower, because blocks of numbers are reserved, withheld, or assigned in bulk to carriers that may never fully use them. When the pool of available numbers in an area code falls below the threshold the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) tracks, the state requests relief, and either a split or an overlay is approved.
Texas’s population of roughly 31,290,831 residents would, on its own, fit comfortably inside a single area code’s capacity. The reason 29 codes are needed instead is that every adult typically carries at least one mobile line, many households have multiple lines per person, businesses concentrate phone numbers at extreme density, and connected devices, VoIP services, and second-line apps all draw from the same pool. The math compounds quickly.
Because Texas sits in the top tier of states by code count, the relief pattern over the past two decades has been almost exclusively overlay-based. Overlays add a new code on top of the existing geography rather than splitting it, which means no existing customer has to change their number — the only adjustment is that all local calls become ten-digit. The trade-off is invisible to most users today, since contact lists handle dialing automatically.
Texas Area Codes by Region
Dallas (214, 972, 469, 945): Dallas and the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Irving. 214 is one of the original 1947 codes; 972 was added in 1996, 469 in 1999, and 945 in 2021, all now overlaying the same region.
Fort Worth (817, 682): Fort Worth, Arlington, and the western side of the metroplex. 817 was created in 1954; 682 overlay added in 2000.
Houston (713, 281, 832, 346, 621): The greater Houston metropolitan area. 713 is one of the original 1947 codes; 281 split off in 1996, then 832 (1998), 346 (2014), and 621 (2025) were added as overlays covering the same geography.
San Antonio (210, 726): San Antonio and Bexar County. 210 split off from 512 in 1992; 726 overlay added in 2017.
Austin (512, 737): Austin and central Texas. 512 is one of the original 1947 codes; 737 overlay added in 2013.
Northeast Texas (903, 430): Tyler, Longview, Texarkana, and Sherman. 903 split off from 214 in 1990; 430 overlay added in 2003.
Central Texas (254): Waco, Temple, and Killeen. Split off from 817 in 1996.
Southeast Texas (409, 936, 979): 409 serves Beaumont, Galveston, and Port Arthur; 936 (east Texas, Huntsville and Lufkin) and 979 (Brazos Valley and the southeast coast) both split off from 409 in 2000.
West Texas (915, 325, 432, 806): 915 covers El Paso; 325 (Abilene, San Angelo) split off in 2003; 432 covers Midland and Odessa; 806 (Panhandle and South Plains) split off from 915 in 1957.
South Texas (956, 830, 361): 956 covers the Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo); 830 surrounds San Antonio (New Braunfels, Del Rio); 361 covers the Coastal Bend (Corpus Christi).
North Texas (940): Wichita Falls, Denton, and Gainesville. Split off from 817 in 1997.
What’s Next for Texas Area Codes
Texas continues to add overlay codes to keep pace with population growth, which led the nation in numeric terms between 2023 and 2024. The most recent addition was 621, the fifth code for the Houston metro, which began assigning numbers on January 23, 2025 and is projected to meet the area’s needs for roughly nine years. The Dallas overlay (214/469/972/945) is not expected to need a fifth code until around 2032 under 2023 projections. NANPA’s current NPA exhaust analysis shows no Texas numbering plan area on the near-term relief schedule beyond these recent activations, though the fast-growing Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio metros remain the most likely sites of future overlays.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many area codes does Texas have right now?
Texas has 29 active area codes in service across the territory it covers, including any overlays that share geography with an older code.
What is the oldest area code in Texas?
214 is the oldest active area code in Texas, assigned in 1947 when the North American Numbering Plan launched. It remains in service today, though its geographic footprint has typically been reduced by subsequent splits and overlays.
What is the newest area code in Texas?
The newest is 621, which began assigning numbers in the Houston area on January 23, 2025. It is the fifth overlay code for the Houston region and the first new Texas area code since 945 was added to the Dallas area in 2021.
Why does Texas need so many area codes?
Population growth combined with the proliferation of mobile lines, business direct-dial numbers, VoIP services, and connected devices has exhausted older codes faster than the original 1947 plan anticipated. Each new area code adds roughly 7.9 million additional phone numbers to the regional pool.
Which area codes cover Houston?
Five codes serve the greater Houston metro as overlays: 713 (the original, dating to 1947), 281 (split off in 1996), 832 (added 1998), 346 (added 2014), and 621 (added January 2025). All five cover the same geographic area, and new lines may be assigned any of them. Ten-digit dialing is required for all local calls.
Which area codes cover Dallas-Fort Worth?
The metroplex is split between two overlay clusters. The Dallas side uses 214, 972, 469, and 945, while the Fort Worth side uses 817 and 682. A number on either side is a local DFW number; the codes reflect which part of the metroplex the line was assigned in.
What were the original Texas area codes?
When the North American Numbering Plan launched in 1947, Texas had four area codes: 214 in the northeast (Dallas), 512 in the south-central region (Austin and San Antonio), 713 in the southeast (Houston), and 915 in the west (El Paso). Every other Texas code was carved out of these four through later splits and overlays.
Ready to Get a Number in Texas?
We carry available Texas numbers right now across multiple area codes. Order directly in 214, 469, 512, 713, or 210 — a one-time fee, no monthly charges, with pricing From $150 depending on the digit pattern and memorability of the number. Prefer help choosing? Call us at (212) 580-2000.
