Introduction
Los Angeles has 10 area codes, not one: 213, 323 and 738 downtown, 310 and 424 on the Westside, 818 and 747 in the San Fernando Valley, 626 in Pasadena, 562 in Long Beach and 661 in the Santa Clarita Valley.
213 is the downtown one. It covers downtown Los Angeles and the neighbourhoods immediately around it, and since 2017 it has shared that territory with 323 — with 738 added as a third code on November 1, 2024.
To call a 213 number from outside the United States, dial +1 213 and then the seven-digit number. Ten-digit dialling is mandatory within the area, because three codes share the same ground.
Key Takeaways
Covers 213 area code location in depth
Covers Los Angeles area code in depth
Covers downtown LA phone number in depth
Covers 213 time zone in depth
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Get started free213 Area Code at a Glance
The 213 area code is in California and covers downtown Los Angeles and the neighborhoods immediately around it, including Koreatown and Boyle Heights.
- Location: downtown and central Los Angeles
- State: California
- Main areas: Downtown LA, Koreatown, Westlake, Pico-Union, Boyle Heights, Echo Park
- Time zone: Pacific Time (PT), UTC-8 standard
- Overlay: shares one overlay with 323 (since 2017) and 738 (added November 1, 2024)
- In service since: 1947
- Dialing: 10 digits required, since three codes share the same ground
All Los Angeles Area Codes
Los Angeles County is covered by 10 area codes arranged in six groups. Where several codes share a row they are one overlay — the same ground, not different places.
| Codes | Area |
|---|---|
| 213, 323, 738 | Downtown and central LA, Hollywood, Koreatown, Boyle Heights |
| 310, 424 | The Westside and South Bay — Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Torrance |
| 818, 747 | The San Fernando Valley — Burbank, Glendale, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks |
| 626 | Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley — Arcadia, Alhambra, Glendora |
| 562 | Long Beach, Downey, Lakewood, Whittier, Norwalk |
| 661 | Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Palmdale and the Antelope Valley |
Only 626 and the 562 area code have no overlay of their own. Everywhere else in Los Angeles, two or three codes cover the same streets, which is why every local call needs all ten digits.
The rest of this page covers 213 specifically — downtown and central Los Angeles.
Where Is the 213 Area Code?
The 213 area code covers a compact zone in the core of Los Angeles. It is overlaid by 323 for nearby non-downtown areas, and surrounded by 310/424 (West LA/South Bay), 818/747 (San Fernando Valley), and 626/323 (East LA/San Gabriel Valley).
Key Neighborhoods Covered by 213
- Downtown Los Angeles — Financial District, Civic Center, Bunker Hill, South Park, Little Tokyo
- Koreatown — one of the densest urban neighborhoods in the US
- Westlake and MacArthur Park — dense Central American immigrant community
- Pico-Union — major Salvadoran and Guatemalan community
- Boyle Heights — predominantly Mexican-American, east of the LA River
- Historic Filipinotown — established Filipino-American community
- Echo Park and parts of Silver Lake
ZIP Codes in the 213/323/738 Area
These are the ZIP codes in the shared 213, 323 and 738 service area. Since the 2017 merge, none of them belongs to one code — a number in any of these ZIPs can carry any of the three.
| Neighbourhood | ZIP codes |
|---|---|
| Downtown LA core | 90012 Civic Center, 90013 Arts District, 90014 Fashion District, 90015 South Park, 90017, 90021 |
| Koreatown | 90005, 90006, 90010 |
| Pico-Union / Westlake | 90006, 90057 |
| Boyle Heights | 90033 |
| Echo Park | 90026 |
Time Zone
The 213 area code is in the Pacific Time Zone (PT): UTC−8 during Pacific Standard Time (November through mid-March) and UTC−7 during Pacific Daylight Time (mid-March through early November). Los Angeles observes daylight saving time.
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213, 323 and 738: One Overlay, Three Codes
213 was downtown and 323 was Hollywood — but that boundary was removed in 2017. The two became a single overlay, and 738 joined them in November 2024. Either code, or 738, can now be issued anywhere in the combined area.
Most guides still describe 213 and 323 as separate districts. They have not been separate for nine years, and a downtown number, a Hollywood number and a Boyle Heights number can each carry any of the three codes.
| Year | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1947 | 213 created — one of the original 86 North American area codes |
| 1984 | 818 split from 213 for the San Fernando Valley |
| 1991 | 310 split from 213 for West LA and the South Bay |
| 1998 | 323 split from 213; 213 shrank to its downtown core |
| 2017 | Boundaries removed — 213 and 323 became one overlay |
| Nov 1, 2024 | 738 added as a third code across the same area |
213 remains the scarcest of the three, simply because it has been issuing numbers since 1947, which is why it still reads as the original Los Angeles code.
How to Get a 213 Area Code Phone Number
A 213 number immediately signals a downtown Los Angeles presence. For law firms, entertainment companies, media outlets, tech startups, and hospitality businesses that want to signal they operate at the center of LA, a 213 number carries significant brand weight.
Cloud phone platforms can provision available 213 numbers in minutes. You don't need a physical downtown LA office — a virtual phone number with a 213 prefix routes to any device, anywhere in the world. Features like auto-attendant, call recording, and CRM integration are available from day one.
MeraTalk supports 213 virtual number provisioning and number porting. If you already have a 213 number from another carrier, you can port it to MeraTalk without any downtime. Explore available 213 numbers at meratalk.com.
213 vs 323 — Which LA Area Code Should You Choose?
- 213 = downtown LA, Koreatown, civic/financial core — strongest association with the city center
- 323 = Hollywood, East LA, Inglewood, Silverlake — creative industries, entertainment
- 310/424 = West LA, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, South Bay — affluent west side
- 818/747 = San Fernando Valley — suburban north and west LA
For a creative or entertainment-industry business specifically, the 323 area code carries the stronger association with Hollywood and the studios — while 213 reads as downtown civic and financial.
Scam Awareness: 213 Area Code Calls
Because 213 is instantly recognizable as an LA area code, scammers frequently spoof it to gain trust. Common impersonation targets include LA government agencies, the LAPD, the IRS, and local utilities (SoCalGas, LADWP). For more, see ten-digit dialing.
- LADWP and SoCalGas never threaten immediate disconnection by phone — hang up on any such call
- The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail first — phone calls demanding immediate payment are scams
- LAPD does not call civilians demanding payment to avoid arrest
- Report spoofed 213 calls to the FCC at fcc.gov/consumers
Conclusion
The 213 area code is Los Angeles's most historic telephone prefix — one of the original 86 NANP codes from 1947, now concentrated in the downtown and central LA core. It operates on Pacific Time and remains one of the most brand-rich area codes for any business wanting an authentic Los Angeles identity.
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