The 502 area code covers Louisville, Frankfort and 30 more places in Kentucky.
Area code 502 is in Kentucky, on Eastern Time. In the 502 area, phone numbers are given out most in Jefferson County, then Nelson and Franklin counties. It has been in service since 1947. 761 is planned for the same area once NANPA sets a start date, and numbers already in use keep 502.
- Where
- 8 counties in Kentucky, mostly Jefferson County, Nelson County and Franklin County
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- No other area code
- Prefixes in use
- 734
- How to dial
- Local calls inside 502 can still be dialed with just 7 digits.
- Coming next
- 761, once NANPA sets a start date
Find out who called you from a 502 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 (502) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Louisville holds 54% of the phone prefixes in area code 502.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 734 prefixes in use shows where 502 numbers are actually given out.
- Louisville400 prefixes, 54%
- Frankfort41 prefixes, 6%
- Bardstown28 prefixes, 4%
- La Grange24 prefixes, 3%
- Shelbyville18 prefixes, 2%
- Georgetown18 prefixes, 2%
- Lawrenceburg16 prefixes, 2%
- Carrollton12 prefixes, 2%
Also served: Taylorsville, Shepherdsville, Owenton and Bedford and 20 smaller places.
BellSouth (AT&T) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 502: 190 of 734.
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 734 prefixes in use in 502 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BellSouth (AT&T)AT&T's landline company | 190 | 26% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 87 | 12% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 55 | 7% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 44 | 6% |
| Metro by T-MobileT-Mobile's prepaid brand | 33 | 4% |
| PAETEC (Windstream)Windstream's business phone network | 29 | 4% |
| 43 other carriers | 296 | 40% |
69% 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.
502 has been split once since 1947.
1947
502 is one of the original North American area codes.
1999
On April 19, 1999, 270 splits off and takes part of the 502 area.
Next
761 is due to be added on top of 502 once NANPA sets a start date.
A 502 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 502 are 859, 812 and 513.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
Kentucky has 4 other area codes.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 502.
Where is area code 502?
502 covers Louisville, Frankfort, Bardstown and La Grange and 28 more places in Kentucky. In the 502 area, phone numbers are given out most in Jefferson County, then Nelson and Franklin counties.
What state is area code 502 in?
Kentucky. 502 is a Kentucky area code on Eastern Time.
What cities use area code 502?
The places holding the most 502 prefixes are Louisville, Frankfort, Bardstown, La Grange, Shelbyville, Georgetown, Lawrenceburg and Carrollton, out of 32 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 502?
No single phone company owns 502. NANPA's records show BellSouth (AT&T) holds the most 502 prefixes, 190 of 734, followed by AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 502 in?
502 is on Eastern Time.
When did area code 502 start?
502 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 502 getting a new area code?
Yes. 761 is planned for the same area once NANPA sets a start date, and numbers already in use keep 502. Some new lines will get the new code after that, so two neighbours can end up with different codes. Local calls will then need all 10 digits.
How do I dial a 502 number?
Local calls inside 502 can still be dialed with just 7 digits.
Is 502 a toll-free number?
No. 502 is a regular area code for Louisville and Frankfort in Kentucky, 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 502?
The closest are 859 (Lexington, Kentucky), 812/930 (Evansville, Indiana), 513/283 (Cincinnati, Ohio) and 606 (Corbin, Kentucky), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 502 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 502 a scam?
502 is a real Kentucky 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.