California does not have a single area code. A US state has no one dialling code the way a country does — California has 40 area codes spread across its cities and regions, and which one you need depends entirely on where in the state the number is. It is the most of any state.
To call a California number from outside the United States, dial +1, then the three-digit area code, then the seven-digit number. The +1 is the country code for the whole United States, not for California specifically.
Often searched as cali area codes or socal area codes. Below: the codes for each major metro — Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Orange County, San Diego and Sacramento — then the complete list of all 40, and a city-by-city lookup.
Area codes by metro area. Where several codes share a row, they are one overlay covering the same ground — not separate places.
Los Angeles has no single area code either — the city and county are covered by ten codes arranged in six groups. Which one you need depends on the neighbourhood.
213, 323 and 738 are one overlay, not three areas. The boundary between 213 and 323 was erased in August 2017, and 738 was added as a third overlay on 1 November 2024 — so a downtown number, a Hollywood number and a Huntington Park number can each carry any of the three. Many guides still describe 213 and 323 as separate districts; they have not been separate since 2017.
The Valley uses 818 and its overlay 747 — Burbank, Glendale, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood. Simi Valley, despite the name, is not in the San Fernando Valley and uses 805.
Seven codes cover the Bay Area. The nine-county definition formally includes 707 and excludes 831, but people searching for Bay Area codes usually mean the urban core, so both edges are marked rather than silently included or dropped.
Orange County splits roughly north and south: 714 and its overlay 657 in the north, 949 in the south. That is genuinely how locals think about it, and most guides do not say so.
619 and 858 are an overlay pair, not two separate areas — the boundary between them was removed in June 2018, so a downtown number and a La Jolla number can carry either.
916 and 279 are the same geography — 279 overlays 916. 530 begins immediately outside it, which is why Davis, twenty minutes from downtown Sacramento, carries a different code.
SoCal spans several metros, so none of the sections above answers it on its own. These are the codes people mean by it.
Which code covers a given city. Where two codes are listed, they are an overlay over the same ground.
Several codes get attributed to California that do not belong to it. Only one code in this list is Californian:
Toll-free codes — 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888 — are not geographic at all, so a call from 877 could originate anywhere, inside or outside the United States.
California started with three area codes in 1947: 213, 415 and 916. Growth forced repeated splits through the 1990s, and since then relief has come through overlays instead — adding a second or third code over the same geography rather than redrawing boundaries. A split forces existing customers to change their numbers; an overlay does not.
More than a third of California's 40 codes are overlays. That has two consequences worth knowing. Ten-digit dialling is required anywhere an overlay exists, which is most of urban California — you cannot dial a neighbour with seven digits. And two houses next door to each other can have different area codes, because which code a number carries depends on when it was issued, not where it is.
So a list of 40 codes is not a list of 40 places. It is closer to 25 places, several of which are covered by two or three codes at once.
When your caller ID shows a Stockton number, customers in California are far more likely to pick up and trust the call.
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With 40 area codes across California, you can manage multiple local numbers from a single, simple dashboard.
The area codes serving California have evolved over decades, reflecting the state's growth and changing communication needs.
213 was California's first of these codes, assigned to Los Angeles and anchored by Los Angeles. It remains the code most California residents associate with Los Angeles and Downtown LA.
As San Francisco grew, 415 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Francisco and Marin County. Existing numbers kept their codes — 415 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Central Valley grew, 209 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Stockton and Modesto. Existing numbers kept their codes — 209 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Silicon Valley grew, 408 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Jose and Santa Clara. Existing numbers kept their codes — 408 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As San Diego grew, 619 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Diego and Chula Vista. Existing numbers kept their codes — 619 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As North Bay / Wine Country grew, 707 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Santa Rosa and Vallejo. Existing numbers kept their codes — 707 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Orange County grew, 714 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Anaheim and Santa Ana. Existing numbers kept their codes — 714 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Central Coast grew, 805 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Oxnard and Santa Barbara. Existing numbers kept their codes — 805 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As San Fernando Valley grew, 818 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Burbank and Van Nuys. Existing numbers kept their codes — 818 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Sacramento grew, 916 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Sacramento and Elk Grove. Existing numbers kept their codes — 916 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As West Los Angeles grew, 310 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Existing numbers kept their codes — 310 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As East Bay grew, 510 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Oakland and Berkeley. Existing numbers kept their codes — 510 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Inland Empire grew, 909 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Bernardino and Ontario. Existing numbers kept their codes — 909 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Northern California grew, 530 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Redding and Chico. Existing numbers kept their codes — 530 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Long Beach grew, 562 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Long Beach and Downey. Existing numbers kept their codes — 562 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As San Gabriel Valley grew, 626 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Pasadena and Alhambra. Existing numbers kept their codes — 626 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Peninsula / Silicon Valley grew, 650 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Palo Alto and Menlo Park. Existing numbers kept their codes — 650 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As South Orange County grew, 949 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Irvine and Newport Beach. Existing numbers kept their codes — 949 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As East Los Angeles grew, 323 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Hollywood and East LA. Existing numbers kept their codes — 323 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Monterey Bay grew, 831 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Salinas and Santa Cruz. Existing numbers kept their codes — 831 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As East Bay / Contra Costa grew, 925 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Concord and Walnut Creek. Existing numbers kept their codes — 925 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Fresno Area grew, 559 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Fresno and Visalia. Existing numbers kept their codes — 559 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Bakersfield / Santa Clarita grew, 661 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Bakersfield and Lancaster. Existing numbers kept their codes — 661 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Desert / North San Diego grew, 760 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Palm Springs and Victorville. Existing numbers kept their codes — 760 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As North San Diego grew, 858 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around La Jolla and Mira Mesa. Existing numbers kept their codes — 858 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Riverside County grew, 951 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Riverside and Moreno Valley. Existing numbers kept their codes — 951 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As West LA (overlay) grew, 424 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Santa Monica and El Segundo. Existing numbers kept their codes — 424 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Orange County (overlay) grew, 657 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Anaheim and Santa Ana. Existing numbers kept their codes — 657 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Desert & North San Diego grew, 442 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Oceanside and Escondido. Existing numbers kept their codes — 442 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As San Fernando Valley (overlay) grew, 747 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Burbank and Van Nuys. Existing numbers kept their codes — 747 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As South Bay (overlay) grew, 669 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Jose and Sunnyvale. Existing numbers kept their codes — 669 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As San Francisco (overlay) grew, 628 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Francisco and Daly City. Existing numbers kept their codes — 628 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Central Coast (overlay) grew, 820 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Existing numbers kept their codes — 820 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Sacramento (overlay) grew, 279 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Sacramento and Folsom. Existing numbers kept their codes — 279 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As East Bay (overlay) grew, 341 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Oakland and Fremont. Existing numbers kept their codes — 341 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Inland Empire (overlay) grew, 840 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around San Bernardino and Ontario. Existing numbers kept their codes — 840 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Central Valley (overlay) grew, 350 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Stockton and Modesto. Existing numbers kept their codes — 350 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As North Bay (overlay) grew, 369 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Santa Rosa and Napa. Existing numbers kept their codes — 369 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Los Angeles (overlay) grew, 738 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Los Angeles and Hollywood. Existing numbers kept their codes — 738 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Central San Joaquin Valley (overlay) grew, 357 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Fresno and Visalia. Existing numbers kept their codes — 357 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
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