The 938 area code covers the same area as 256, including Huntsville, Decatur and 75 more places in Alabama.
Area code 938 is in Alabama, on Central Time. In the 938 area, phone numbers are given out most in Madison County, then Morgan and Calhoun counties. It has been in service since July 10, 2010. 256 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in Alabama, mostly Madison County, Morgan County and Calhoun County
- Time zone
- Central Time
- In service since
- July 10, 2010
- Shares its area with
- 256 (since 1998)
- Prefixes in use
- 193
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 938-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 938 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 (938) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Huntsville holds 18% of the phone prefixes in area code 938.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 193 prefixes in use shows where 938 numbers are actually given out.
- Huntsville35 prefixes, 18%
- Cullman19 prefixes, 10%
- Decatur17 prefixes, 9%
- Rogersville16 prefixes, 8%
- Scottsboro15 prefixes, 8%
- Childersburg5 prefixes, 3%
- Athens4 prefixes, 2%
- Anniston4 prefixes, 2%
Also served: Alexander City, Scottsboro, Talladega and Albertville and 65 smaller places.
AT&T Mobility holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 938: 68 of 193.
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 193 prefixes in use in 938 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 68 | 35% |
| Ton80 Communications | 19 | 10% |
| Fractel | 18 | 9% |
| Teleport (AT&T)AT&T's business phone network | 6 | 3% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 5 | 3% |
| Coretel Alabama | 3 | 2% |
| 21 other carriers | 74 | 38% |
99% 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.
938 started in 2010 as an overlay on 256, and its ground has not changed since.
2010
938 starts on July 10, 2010, as an overlay on 256: new numbers on the same ground.
A 938 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 938 are 205, 931 and 404.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
Alabama has 6 other area codes.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 938.
Where is area code 938?
938 covers Huntsville, Decatur, Anniston and Gadsden and 73 more places in Alabama. In the 938 area, phone numbers are given out most in Madison County, then Morgan and Calhoun counties.
What state is area code 938 in?
Alabama. 938 is an Alabama area code on Central Time.
What cities use area code 938?
The places holding the most 938 prefixes are Huntsville, Decatur, Anniston, Gadsden, Cullman, Florence, Athens and Guntersville, out of 77 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 938?
No single phone company owns 938. NANPA's records show AT&T Mobility holds the most 938 prefixes, 68 of 193, followed by Ton80 Communications and Fractel. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 938 in?
938 is on Central Time.
When did area code 938 start?
938 went into service on July 10, 2010, as an overlay on 256: new numbers for the same area.
Is 938 the same area as 256?
Yes. 256 (since 1998) covers the same ground as 938. 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 938 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 938-555-0142.
Is 938 a toll-free number?
No. 938 is a regular area code for Huntsville and Decatur in Alabama, 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 938?
The closest are 205/659 (Birmingham, Alabama), 931 (Clarksville, Tennessee), 404/770/678/470/943 (Atlanta, Georgia) and 615/629 (Nashville, Tennessee), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 938 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 938 a scam?
938 is a real Alabama 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.