The 956 area code covers Laredo, Brownsville and 28 more places in Texas.
Area code 956 is in Texas, on Central Time. In the 956 area, phone numbers are given out most in Hidalgo County, then Cameron and Webb counties. It has been in service since July 7, 1997.
- Where
- 7 counties in Texas, mostly Hidalgo County, Cameron County and Webb County
- Time zone
- Central Time
- In service since
- July 7, 1997
- Shares its area with
- No other area code
- Prefixes in use
- 735
- How to dial
- Local calls inside 956 can still be dialed with just 7 digits.
- Coming next
- NANPA is planning a new code for this area
Find out who called you from a 956 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 (956) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Laredo holds 17% of the phone prefixes in area code 956.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 735 prefixes in use shows where 956 numbers are actually given out.
- Laredo122 prefixes, 17%
- Brownsville105 prefixes, 14%
- McAllen103 prefixes, 14%
- Harlingen86 prefixes, 12%
- Edinburg53 prefixes, 7%
- Mission43 prefixes, 6%
- Weslaco36 prefixes, 5%
- Pharr33 prefixes, 4%
Also served: Rio Grande City, San Benito, Roma and Los Fresnos and 18 smaller places.
Southwestern Bell (AT&T) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 956: 145 of 735.
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 735 prefixes in use in 956 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 | 145 | 20% |
| STPCS Joint Venture | 144 | 20% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 129 | 18% |
| Metro by T-MobileT-Mobile's prepaid brand | 26 | 4% |
| Charter (Spectrum)Cable company's phone service | 19 | 3% |
| BandwidthSupplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services | 18 | 2% |
| 40 other carriers | 254 | 35% |
81% 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.
956 has covered the same ground since 1997.
1997
956 starts on July 7, 1997, split off from 210.
Now
NANPA is planning another new code for the 956 area.
A 956 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 956 are 361, 210 and 830.
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 956.
Where is area code 956?
956 covers Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen and 26 more places in Texas. In the 956 area, phone numbers are given out most in Hidalgo County, then Cameron and Webb counties.
What state is area code 956 in?
Texas. 956 is a Texas area code on Central Time.
What cities use area code 956?
The places holding the most 956 prefixes are Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen, Harlingen, Edinburg, Mission, Weslaco and Pharr, out of 30 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 956?
No single phone company owns 956. NANPA's records show Southwestern Bell (AT&T) holds the most 956 prefixes, 145 of 735, followed by STPCS Joint Venture and AT&T Mobility. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 956 in?
956 is on Central Time.
When did area code 956 start?
956 went into service on July 7, 1997, when it was split off from 210.
How do I dial a 956 number?
Local calls inside 956 can still be dialed with just 7 digits.
Is 956 a toll-free number?
No. 956 is a regular area code for Laredo and Brownsville 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 956?
The closest are 361 (Corpus Christi, Texas), 210/726 (San Antonio, Texas), 830 (New Braunfels, Texas) and 979 (Bryan, Texas), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 956 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 956 a scam?
956 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.