Area code 253: where it is and who calls from it
Area code 253 is in Washington.
Washington (Tacoma, McChord Air Force Base, Fort Lewis, Lakewood, Auburn, Puyallup, Enumclaw, Spanaway, and the southern suburbs of Seattle)
| Where | Washington |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Pacific Time ยท local time |
| In service since | 1997 |
| Overlay | No |
| Prefixes assigned | 508 of 792 possible (64%) |
Where 253 numbers started
Every prefix is assigned to a rate center, the local calling area it was set up in. These are the biggest in 253, with how many prefixes each has.
Who holds 253 numbers
- Mobile carrier 33%
- Local phone company 30%
- Internet / business phone carrier 36%
- Paging service 1%
- Phone company 1%
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink / Lumen | Local phone company | 149 | 29% |
| T-Mobile (including Sprint) | Mobile carrier | 77 | 15% |
| Onvoy | Internet / business phone carrier | 49 | 10% |
| Verizon Wireless | Mobile carrier | 48 | 9% |
| AT&T Mobility | Mobile carrier | 35 | 7% |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Internet / business phone carrier | 33 | 6% |
| Allstream | Internet / business phone carrier | 30 | 6% |
| MCImetro (Verizon Business) | Internet / business phone carrier | 19 | 4% |
| Teleport Communications America | Internet / business phone carrier | 15 | 3% |
| Comcast | Internet / business phone carrier | 13 | 3% |
Most prefixes are pooled: the 10,000 numbers in each are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to different carriers, and people can also take their numbers to another carrier. So the carrier shown is where the prefix started, not a guarantee about any one number.
States served: Washington.
Other area codes in Washington
Got a call from 253?
An area code tells you where a number was first assigned, not where the caller is. People keep their numbers when they move, and scammers can fake any number. If you weren't expecting the call, let it go to voicemail.
If the call shows a 253 number that matches the first six digits of your own, that's often neighbor spoofing. Use the box above to check the full number.
Area code facts from the NANPA area code database (updated 10/06/2026); prefixes and carriers from NANPA's central office code records (updated 2026-10-10). Place description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.