The 402 area code covers Omaha, Lincoln and 262 more places in Nebraska.
Area code 402 is in Nebraska, on Central Time. In the 402 area, phone numbers are given out most in Douglas County, then Lancaster and Madison counties. It has been in service since 1947. 531 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in Nebraska, mostly Douglas County, Lancaster County and Madison County
- Time zone
- Central Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- 531 (since 2011)
- Prefixes in use
- 782
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 402-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 402 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 (402) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Omaha holds 34% of the phone prefixes in area code 402.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 782 prefixes in use shows where 402 numbers are actually given out.
- Omaha268 prefixes, 34%
- Lincoln80 prefixes, 10%
- Norfolk19 prefixes, 2%
- Fremont15 prefixes, 2%
- Hastings12 prefixes, 2%
- Columbus9 prefixes, 1%
- Beatrice8 prefixes, 1%
- York7 prefixes, <1%
Also served: South Sioux City, Tekamah, Nebraska City and Plattsmouth and 252 smaller places.
Windstream holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 402: 198 of 782.
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 782 prefixes in use in 402 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| WindstreamLandline company | 198 | 25% |
| Qwest (Lumen)Lumen's landline company | 160 | 20% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 35 | 4% |
| Great Plains Communications | 33 | 4% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 22 | 3% |
| Northeast Nebraska Telephone | 22 | 3% |
| 49 other carriers | 312 | 40% |
72% 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.
402 has been overlaid once since 1947.
1947
402 is one of the original North American area codes.
2011
On March 26, 2011, 531 is added on top of 402, so new numbers here can get either code.
A 402 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 402 are 712, 308 and 785.
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 402.
Where is area code 402?
402 covers Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk and Fremont and 260 more places in Nebraska. In the 402 area, phone numbers are given out most in Douglas County, then Lancaster and Madison counties.
What state is area code 402 in?
Nebraska. 402 is a Nebraska area code on Central Time.
What cities use area code 402?
The places holding the most 402 prefixes are Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Fremont, Hastings, Columbus, Beatrice and York, out of 264 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 402?
No single phone company owns 402. NANPA's records show Windstream holds the most 402 prefixes, 198 of 782, followed by Qwest (Lumen) and T-Mobile. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 402 in?
402 is on Central Time.
When did area code 402 start?
402 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 402 the same area as 531?
Yes. 531 (since 2011) covers the same ground as 402. 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 402 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 402-555-0142.
Is 402 a toll-free number?
No. 402 is a regular area code for Omaha and Lincoln in Nebraska, 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 402?
The closest are 712 (Sioux City, Iowa), 308 (Grand Island, Nebraska), 785 (Topeka, Kansas) and 515 (Des Moines, Iowa), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 402 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 402 a scam?
402 is a real Nebraska 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.