213 Area Code
| State: | California |
| Top City: | Los Angeles |
| Timezone: | Pacific |
| Current Time: |
Where is Area Code 213 located?
Area code 213 is one of the telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of California. It is assigned to a numbering plan area (NPA) that covers, roughly, the area of central Los Angeles, including several Southeast LA communities, such as Bell and Huntington Park.
The 213 area code is one of the oldest and smallest area codes in the nation, serving only Downtown Los Angeles and its immediately adjoining neighborhoods, such as Chinatown, Westlake, Koreatown, South Park, and Exposition Park.
The 213 area code is also part of an overlay complex with area code 323, which means that both area codes can be used interchangeably in the same geographic area. This means that callers need to dial 1 + 10 digits to complete a local call within the NPA.
213 Area Code Time Zone
The 213 area code lies within the Pacific Time Zone (PT). The current time in the 213 area code is .
History of 213 Area Code
The 213 area code was one of the original North American area codes created in 1947 by AT&T and Bell Laboratories. At that time, California was divided into three NPAs: 213 for southern California, 415 for central California, and 916 for northern California.
The 213 area code originally extended from the Mexican border to the Central Coast. However, due to the rapid expansion of telephone service in southern California during the second half of the 20th century, the 213 area code was split five times in the period from 1951 to 1998.
The first split occurred in 1951, when most of the southern and eastern portion, including San Diego and most of Orange County, was assigned area code 714. In 1957, 213 was restricted to Los Angeles County, with most of the northern and western portions receiving area code 805.
In 1984, the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley received area code 818, making Los Angeles one of the first major cities in the US to be split into two NPAs. In 1991, West Los Angeles and the South Bay were assigned area code 310.
In 1998, the Los Angeles NPA was divided once more, to create area code 323. Area code 213 was kept by Los Angeles exchanges serving Downtown Los Angeles and its adjacent neighborhoods, while exchanges serving other parts of Los Angeles switched to area code 323. This split made 213 one of the geographically smallest NPAs in the nation.
In 2017, the two NPAs were recombined in an overlay complex, allowing both area codes to be used in the same geographic area. This was done to increase the availability of phone numbers in the region.
In November 2024, a new overlay area code will be activated for Los Angeles: area code 738. This will require callers to dial 1 +10 digits for all local calls within the NPA.
Top 10 Counties in Area Code 213
| County | Population |
| Los Angeles | 10,014,009 |
| Montebello | 62,549 |
| Gardena | 59,544 |
| Huntington Park | 58,114 |
| Burbank | 103,340 |
| Bell | 35,477 |
| Vernon | 112 |
| Maywood | 27,395 |
| Cudahy | 23,805 |
| Commerce | 12,823 |
Top 10 Cities in Area Code 213
| City | Population |
| Los Angeles | 3,898,747 |
| Montebello | 62,549 |
| Gardena | 59,802 |
| Huntington Park | 58,114 |
| Burbank | 103,340 |
| Bell | 35,477 |
| Vernon | 112 |
| Maywood | 27,395 |
| Cudahy | 23,805 |
| Commerce | 12,823 |
Top Telephone Carriers
| Landline | Wireless |
| Pacific Bell | Cellco Partnership DBA Verizon Wireless – CA |
| U.S. Telepacific Corp. DBA TPX Communications | Sprint Spectrum L.P. |
| Onvoy, LLC – CA | USA Mobility Wireless, Inc. |