The 601 area code covers Jackson, Hattiesburg and 84 more places in Mississippi.
Area code 601 is in Mississippi, on Central Time. In the 601 area, phone numbers are given out most in Hinds County, then Forrest and Lauderdale counties. It has been in service since 1947. 769 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in Mississippi, mostly Hinds County, Forrest County and Lauderdale County
- Time zone
- Central Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- 769 (since 2005)
- Prefixes in use
- 775
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 601-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 601 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 (601) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Jackson holds 20% of the phone prefixes in area code 601.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 775 prefixes in use shows where 601 numbers are actually given out.
- Jackson156 prefixes, 20%
- Hattiesburg55 prefixes, 7%
- Meridian50 prefixes, 6%
- Vicksburg31 prefixes, 4%
- Laurel29 prefixes, 4%
- Natchez23 prefixes, 3%
- Brookhaven20 prefixes, 3%
- McComb18 prefixes, 2%
Also served: Picayune, Wiggins, Lucedale and Columbia and 74 smaller places.
BellSouth (AT&T) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 601: 233 of 775.
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 775 prefixes in use in 601 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 | 233 | 30% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 80 | 10% |
| Telepak Networks | 75 | 10% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 67 | 9% |
| C SpireMobile network | 39 | 5% |
| BandwidthSupplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services | 31 | 4% |
| 26 other carriers | 250 | 32% |
59% 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.
601 has been split 2 times and overlaid once since 1947.
1947
601 is one of the original North American area codes.
1997
On September 15, 1997, 228 splits off and takes part of the 601 area.
1999
On April 19, 1999, 662 splits off and takes part of the 601 area.
2005
On March 14, 2005, 769 is added on top of 601, so new numbers here can get either code.
A 601 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 601 are 228, 225 and 251.
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 601.
Where is area code 601?
601 covers Jackson, Hattiesburg, Meridian and Vicksburg and 82 more places in Mississippi. In the 601 area, phone numbers are given out most in Hinds County, then Forrest and Lauderdale counties.
What state is area code 601 in?
Mississippi. 601 is a Mississippi area code on Central Time.
What cities use area code 601?
The places holding the most 601 prefixes are Jackson, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Vicksburg, Laurel, Natchez, Brookhaven and McComb, out of 86 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 601?
No single phone company owns 601. NANPA's records show BellSouth (AT&T) holds the most 601 prefixes, 233 of 775, followed by AT&T Mobility and Telepak Networks. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 601 in?
601 is on Central Time.
When did area code 601 start?
601 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 601 the same area as 769?
Yes. 769 (since 2005) covers the same ground as 601. 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 601 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 601-555-0142.
Is 601 a toll-free number?
No. 601 is a regular area code for Jackson and Hattiesburg in Mississippi, 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 601?
The closest are 228 (Biloxi, Mississippi), 225 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), 251 (Mobile, Alabama) and 504 (New Orleans, Louisiana), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 601 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 601 a scam?
601 is a real Mississippi 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.