The 202 area code covers Washington in Washington, D.C.
Area code 202 is in Washington, D.C., on Eastern Time. It has been in service since 1947. 771 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- 771 (since 2021)
- Prefixes in use
- 784
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 202-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 202 number.
Enter the full 10-digit number to see who it is listed to and the city and state on the listing. It is the same free check as our who called me lookup. To see only the caller ID name on the number, use our free CNAM lookup. To see whether it is a mobile, a landline or a VoIP line, use our free VoIP checker. To see which carrier a (202) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Washington holds every phone prefix in area code 202.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 784 prefixes in use shows where 202 numbers are actually given out.
- Washington784 prefixes, 100%
Of the carriers named here, T-Mobile holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 202: 55 of 784.
NANPA, which runs the North American numbering plan, assigns each prefix (the three digits after the area code) to one carrier. Here is how the 784 prefixes in use in 202 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| T-MobileMobile network | 55 | 7% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 53 | 7% |
| Metro by T-MobileT-Mobile's prepaid brand | 42 | 5% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 30 | 4% |
| BandwidthSupplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services | 29 | 4% |
| PAETEC (Windstream)Windstream's business phone network | 19 | 2% |
| 29 other carriers | 556 | 71% |
56% of these prefixes are pooled, which means the blocks of 1,000 numbers inside them can belong to other carriers. Any number can also have been moved to another carrier since, so this shows who holds the prefixes, not who serves a given number.
Want the carrier of one exact number? Our free carrier lookup checks it, because numbers move between carriers.
Source: NANPA central office code assignments, October 1, 2026.
202 has been overlaid once since 1947.
1947
202 is one of the original North American area codes.
2021
On November 9, 2021, 771 is added on top of 202, so new numbers here can get either code.
A 202 number on your screen can still be a scam, because caller ID is easy to fake.
- Let an unknown call go to voicemail. A real caller leaves a message; a robocaller usually does not.
- Look the number up with the box above before you call back, because calling back tells a robocaller your line is live.
- Hang up on anyone who wants gift cards, crypto or a wire transfer, or asks you to read out a code that was just texted to you.
- Report unwanted robocalls at reportfraud.ftc.gov, or paste a suspicious message into our free scam checker.
The area codes closest to 202 are 703, 301 and 410.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 202.
Where is area code 202?
202 covers Washington in Washington, D.C.
Which phone company owns area code 202?
No single phone company owns 202. NANPA's records list its 784 prefixes across many carriers, and the ones named on this page include T-Mobile, AT&T Mobility and Metro by T-Mobile. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 202 in?
202 is on Eastern Time.
When did area code 202 start?
202 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 202 the same area as 771?
Yes. 771 (since 2021) covers the same ground as 202. Nobody's number changed when it was added; new lines simply get whichever code has numbers left, so two neighbours can have different codes.
How do I dial a 202 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 202-555-0142.
Is 202 a toll-free number?
No. 202 is a regular area code for Washington in Washington, D.C., not a toll-free one. The toll-free codes in North America are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888.
What area codes are near 202?
The closest are 703/571 (Washington, D.C. suburbs, Virginia), 301/240/227 (Washington, D.C. suburbs, Maryland), 410/443/667 (Baltimore, Maryland) and 302 (Wilmington, Delaware), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 202 number?
Enter the full 10-digit number in the lookup above. It returns the listed owner where there is a public record, where the number is registered, and whether it is a mobile, a landline or a VoIP line.
Is area code 202 a scam?
202 is a real Washington, D.C. area code, so the code itself is not a warning sign. Scam callers fake local-looking numbers on purpose, so judge the call by what the caller asks for, and look the number up before calling back.
Put this lookup on your site: our free area code widget takes two lines of code and shows any US area code's state, time zone and local time.
Source: NANPA, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator: its area code database and prefix assignments, as of October 1, 2026.