The 713 Area Code Explained — Texas Phone Numbers

Area code 713 covers Houston and surrounding areas in Texas. It is one of the original 86 area codes established by AT&T in 1947. Today it shares its territory with overlay codes 281 and 832 and 346 and 621. For the full picture, see all Texas area codes.

History of Area Code 713

Area code 713 is one of the 86 original area codes created by AT&T in 1947, when the first nationwide numbering plan went into effect on January 1 of that year. It was assigned to Texas as part of the initial map that divided the United States and Canada into geographic dialing regions.

Since its activation, the geographic area covered by 713 has been reshaped by the following splits:

• 1983 — area code 409 split off to cover the northern, eastern, and western portions of the original 713 territory — Beaumont, Galveston, College Station, Bryan, and the broader southeast Texas region — on March 19, 1983
• 1996 — area code 281 split off to cover Houston's suburbs outside Beltway 8 — The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland, and the outer ring — initially as a geographic split on November 2, 1996, then converted to an overlay of the entire Houston region on January 16, 1999

Overlay codes have been added to the same geographic territory in:

• 2000 — area code 281 activated as an overlay
• 1999 — area code 832 activated as an overlay
• 2014 — area code 346 activated as an overlay
• 2025 — area code 621 activated as an overlay

Cities and Areas Served by 713

Area code 713 serves Houston and the inner ring of the Houston metropolitan area inside Beltway 8, including the following cities and communities:

• Houston (inside Beltway 8, including Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, the Heights, River Oaks, Memorial, Galleria, Texas Medical Center)
• Bellaire
• West University Place
• Southside Place

Nearby area codes covering the same broader region include: 281, 832, 346, 621, 409, 936, 979.

Overlay Codes for 713

Area code 281 shares the same geographic territory as 713 (added in 2000). New phone numbers in the region may be assigned either code.

Area code 832 shares the same geographic territory as 713 (added in 1999). New phone numbers in the region may be assigned either code.

Area code 346 shares the same geographic territory as 713 (added in 2014). New phone numbers in the region may be assigned either code.

Area code 621 shares the same geographic territory as 713 (added in 2025). New phone numbers in the region may be assigned either code.

Because multiple area codes serve the same area, ten-digit dialing is mandatory for all local calls. A call from any of these codes originates from the same geographic region in Texas.

The Cultural Weight of a 713 Number

Area code 713 was one of the original four Texas area codes assigned in 1947, covering the southeastern quadrant of the state — from the Sabine River on the Louisiana border west to the Brazos Valley, north to the East Texas Piney Woods, and south to the Gulf Coast. The original territory included Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, College Station, and most of the modern Greater Houston metropolitan area’s outlying communities. On March 19, 1983 the first split moved the northern, eastern, and western portions to the new 409 area code, leaving 713 with the immediate Houston area. The configuration held for thirteen years before further growth forced the November 2, 1996 split that moved Houston’s suburbs outside Beltway 8 into the new 281 area code, restricting 713 to the inner-city core. Even that was insufficient — within two years both 713 and 281 were again approaching exhaustion, and on January 16, 1999 the 713/281 boundary was erased and 832 was added as a third area code, turning Houston into one of the earliest three-code overlay complexes in the United States.

Houston now operates on a five-code overlay complex — 713, 281, 832, 346 (added July 1, 2014), and 621 (added January 23, 2025) — that handles the numbering needs of roughly 7.3 million people across the eight-county Greater Houston metropolitan area. 713 retains cultural anchor status within Houston: the inner-loop neighborhoods, the Texas Medical Center (the world’s largest medical complex), the energy industry headquarters along the Katy Freeway, NASA’s contracted offices, the Astros and Rockets, and most of the city’s cultural institutions sit inside 713 territory. The 1999 reorganization that erased the 713/281 boundary preserved many existing cell-phone customers’ 713 numbers as a kind of grandfathered cultural artifact — Houstonians with cell numbers in the 1990s often still carry 713 prefixes regardless of where in the metro they currently live, and the prefix functions as a marker of long-term Houston residency.

How to Get a Phone Number with Area Code 713

There are three ways to get a phone number with the 713 area code, each suited to a different need:

1. Buy from a premium-number specialist. Companies that hold curated inventories of specific area codes can sell you a 713 number directly, often with a one-time fee and ownership transferred to you (no recurring carrier fees). This is the option for picking a specific memorable number, or for getting an area code that most carriers won’t let you request. Browse our 713 inventory.
2. Sign up with a VoIP carrier. Voice-over-IP services (such as Google Voice, OpenPhone, Grasshopper, and many others) can typically provision a 713 number on request, especially for active overlay codes. You won’t usually get to pick the specific number, but you’ll get a working line in the area code. This is the cheapest option for anyone who doesn’t need a particular number.
3. Port an existing 713 number. If you already have a 713 phone number with another carrier, you can transfer it (port it) to a new service provider while keeping the number. This works for landlines, cell phones, and VoIP services, though landlines outside of Texas sometimes can’t accept inbound ports of 713 numbers due to 911 routing rules.

Looking for a 713 number? 212areacode.com offers premium 713 numbers for Houston, Texas — choose your number, port it to any carrier in 3–5 business days, and pay a one-time fee with no monthly charges. Browse available 713 numbers →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 713 area code still in use?
Yes. 713 is actively assigned to new phone lines in Houston and the inner ring of the Houston metropolitan area inside Beltway 8.

What is the difference between 713 and 281?
Today they share the same geographic territory in Texas. New phone lines in the area may be assigned either code. The two codes work identically for calling, billing, and service.

Can I get a 713 number if I don't live in Texas?
Yes. Phone numbers are no longer tied to a physical address. With VoIP service or a number broker, you can hold a 713 number from anywhere in the world. The number routes to whatever device or carrier you specify.

Is 713 a scam area code?
No. 713 is a legitimate, active area code for Houston and the inner ring of the Houston metropolitan area inside Beltway 8. Like any area code, scammers occasionally spoof 713 caller IDs, but the code itself is heavily used by real Texas businesses, government offices, and residents.

Why does Houston have five area codes?
Houston is one of the fastest-growing US metropolitan areas, and the demand for new phone numbers has consistently outpaced relief actions. The five-code 713/281/832/346/621 overlay complex covers a region with approximately 7.3 million residents across eight counties; the most recent overlay (621) launched January 23, 2025.

Is 713 only for inner-loop Houston?
Today all five Houston codes (713, 281, 832, 346, 621) cover the entire metropolitan area as overlays — meaning new lines can be assigned any of the codes regardless of location. But many existing 713 numbers were grandfathered from when 713 was geographically restricted to inner Houston before the 1999 reorganization.

Related Reading

• How Are Area Codes Assigned?
• How Many Area Codes Are In the US?