Area code 501: where it is and who calls from it
Area code 501 is in Arkansas.
Arkansas (Little Rock, Hot Springs, and much of central Arkansas, excluding Pine Bluff)
| Where | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Central Time ยท local time |
| In service since | 1947 |
| Overlay | No |
| Prefixes assigned | 630 of 792 possible (80%) |
Where 501 numbers started
Every prefix is assigned to a rate center, the local calling area it was set up in. These are the biggest in 501, with how many prefixes each has.
Plus 1 smaller rate centers.
Who holds 501 numbers
- Mobile carrier 30%
- Local phone company 38%
- Internet / business phone carrier 27%
- Paging service 2%
- Phone company 3%
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T (local phone) | Local phone company | 161 | 26% |
| AT&T Mobility | Mobile carrier | 86 | 14% |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Internet / business phone carrier | 60 | 10% |
| Verizon Wireless | Mobile carrier | 54 | 9% |
| Onvoy | Internet / business phone carrier | 49 | 8% |
| T-Mobile (including Sprint) | Mobile carrier | 42 | 7% |
| Windstream Communications | Local phone company | 34 | 5% |
| Windstream Arkansas | Local phone company | 20 | 3% |
| Brightspeed Of Central Arkansas | Local phone company | 18 | 3% |
| Bandwidth | Internet / business phone carrier | 11 | 2% |
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: Arkansas.
Other area codes in Arkansas
Got a call from 501?
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 501 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.