Area codes 256 and 938 are telephone numbering plan codes that mostly cover North Alabama as well as some eastern portions of the state. The main area code, 256, was created on March 23, 1998, as a split from area code 205. In order to allow people time to reprogram electronics such as computers, cell phones, pagers and fax machines, use of the 205 area code continued in the 256 areas through September 28, 1998. It covers north and northeast Alabama and includes the following metropolitan areas: *

Huntsville Metropolitan Area The Huntsville Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area on the northern border of Alabama. The metro area's principal city is Huntsville, and consists of two counties: Limestone and Madison. As of the 2020 United State ...

* Decatur Metropolitan Area * The Shoals *

Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area Gadsden may refer to: Places *Gadsden, Alabama **Gadsden Depot, a United States Army Depot in the city of Gadsden, Alabama *Gadsden, Arizona *Gadsden, Indiana *Gadsden, South Carolina *Gadsden, Tennessee *Gadsden County, Florida *Gadsden Indepen ...

* Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area In March 2009, the Alabama Public Service Commission announced that the state's first all-services

overlay Overlay may refer to: Computers *Overlay network, a computer network which is built on top of another network *Hardware overlay, one type of video overlay that uses memory dedicated to the application *Another term for exec, replacing one process ...

area code, 938, would be added with the current 256 area code "sometime in 2011". As a result, 10-digit dialing was implemented for all numbers in the area with voluntary compliance beginning on November 7, 2009, and mandatory use by June 5, 2010 instead of dialing 7 digits. The 938 area code took effect beginning July 10, 2010. This timing roughly coincided with the end of the originally projected 12-year "life span" of the original 256 area code.

Counties and cities included

Counties

* Blount County (part, near Arab on Brindlee Mountain, most of Blount County is in area code 205) * Calhoun County (part, some of Calhoun County is in area code 205) * Cherokee County * Clay County * Cleburne County *

Colbert County Colbert County () is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals. The county is named in ...

* Coosa County *

Cullman County Cullman County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 87,866. Its county seat and largest city is Cullman. Its name is in honor of Colonel John G. Cullmann. Cu ...

* DeKalb County * Elmore County (part, most of Elmore County is in area code 334) * Etowah County (part, some of Etowah County is in area code 205) * Franklin County (part, some of Franklin County is in area code 205) * Jackson County * Lawrence County * Lauderdale County * Limestone County * Madison County * Marshall County * Morgan County * Randolph County (part, some of Randolph County is in area code 334) * Saint Clair County (part, the Steele area. Most of Saint Clair County is in area code 205) *

Talladega County Talladega County (pronounced Talla-dig-a) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama."ACES Winston County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpageACES-Talladega As of t ...

(part, the Lincoln area is in area code 205) *

Tallapoosa County Tallapoosa County is located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama."ACES Tallapoosa County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpageACES-Tallapoosa As of the 2020 United States census, ...

(part, some of Tallapoosa County is in area code 334) *

Winston County Winston County is the name of two counties in the United States: * Winston County, Alabama Winston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,540. Its county seat is Double Springs. Known as H ...

(part, most of Winston County is in area code 205)

Cities

* Albertville * Alexander City * Anniston * Arab * Ashland * Athens * Attalla * Boaz * Centre * Collinsville * Cullman * Dadeville * Decatur * Florence *

Fort Payne Fort Payne is a city in and county seat of DeKalb County, Alabama, DeKalb County, in northeastern Alabama, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 14,877. European-American settlers gradually developed th ...

Gadsden Gadsden may refer to: Places *Gadsden, Alabama **Gadsden Depot, a United States Army Depot in the city of Gadsden, Alabama *Gadsden, Arizona *Gadsden, Indiana * Gadsden, South Carolina * Gadsden, Tennessee * Gadsden County, Florida * Gadsden Ind ...

Guntersville Guntersville (previously known as Gunter's Ferry and later Gunter's Landing) is a city and the county seat of Marshall County, Alabama, Marshall County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the ...

Hartselle Hartselle is the second largest city in Morgan County, Alabama, United States, south of Decatur. It is part of the Decatur Metropolitan Area and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the ...

Heflin Heflin may refer to: Places in the United States * Heflin, Alabama * Heflin, Kentucky * Heflin, Louisiana * Heflin, Virginia Other uses * Heflin (surname) {{Disambiguation ...

* Hokes Bluff * Huntsville * Jacksonville * Leesburg * Madison * Moulton * Muscle Shoals * Oxford * Rainbow City * Rainsville * Red Bay * Rockford * Russellville * Scottsboro * Sheffield *

Sylacauga Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,578. Sylacauga is known for its fine white marble bedrock. This was discovered shortly after settlers moved into the area and has been ...

* Talladega * Tuscumbia * Wedowee

References

External links

List of exchanges from CIDLookup.com, 256 Area Code938 Area Code
{{Coord, 34, 8, N, 85, 58, W, display=title Telecommunications-related introductions in 1998 Telecommunications-related introductions in 2010

256 Year 256 ( CCLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Claudius and Glabrio (or, less frequently, year 1009 ''Ab urbe condi ...

Counties and cities included

Counties

Cities

See also

References

External links