The 254 area code covers Waco, Killeen and 96 more places in Texas.
Area code 254 is in Texas, on Central Time. In the 254 area, phone numbers are given out most in Bell County, then McLennan and Hill counties. It has been in service since May 25, 1997.
- Where
- 8 counties in Texas, mostly Bell County, McLennan County and Hill County
- Time zone
- Central Time
- In service since
- May 25, 1997
- Shares its area with
- No other area code
- Prefixes in use
- 671
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 254-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 254 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 (254) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Waco holds 17% of the phone prefixes in area code 254.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 671 prefixes in use shows where 254 numbers are actually given out.
- Waco117 prefixes, 17%
- Killeen90 prefixes, 13%
- Temple47 prefixes, 7%
- Hillsboro17 prefixes, 3%
- Stephenville16 prefixes, 2%
- Copperas Cove15 prefixes, 2%
- Marlin11 prefixes, 2%
- Mexia10 prefixes, 1%
Also served: Gatesville, Breckenridge, Eastland and Belton and 86 smaller places.
Southwestern Bell (AT&T) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 254: 93 of 671.
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 671 prefixes in use in 254 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Bell (AT&T)AT&T's landline company | 93 | 14% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 77 | 11% |
| BrightspeedLandline company | 60 | 9% |
| WindstreamLandline company | 51 | 8% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 36 | 5% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 30 | 4% |
| 42 other carriers | 324 | 48% |
77% 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.
254 has covered the same ground since 1997.
1997
254 starts on May 25, 1997, split off from 817.
A 254 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 254 are 817, 512 and 214.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
Texas has 28 other area codes.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 254.
Where is area code 254?
254 covers Waco, Killeen, Temple and Hillsboro and 94 more places in Texas. In the 254 area, phone numbers are given out most in Bell County, then McLennan and Hill counties.
What state is area code 254 in?
Texas. 254 is a Texas area code on Central Time.
What cities use area code 254?
The places holding the most 254 prefixes are Waco, Killeen, Temple, Hillsboro, Stephenville, Copperas Cove, Marlin and Mexia, out of 98 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 254?
No single phone company owns 254. NANPA's records show Southwestern Bell (AT&T) holds the most 254 prefixes, 93 of 671, followed by AT&T Mobility and Brightspeed. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 254 in?
254 is on Central Time.
When did area code 254 start?
254 went into service on May 25, 1997, when it was split off from 817.
How do I dial a 254 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 254-555-0142.
Is 254 a toll-free number?
No. 254 is a regular area code for Waco and Killeen in Texas, 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 254?
The closest are 817/682 (Arlington, Texas), 512/737 (Austin, Texas), 214/972/469/945 (Dallas, Texas) and 940 (Wichita Falls, Texas), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 254 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 254 a scam?
254 is a real Texas 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.