Area Code Box

Area code 281

Where is area code 281?

Houston, Spring and Sugar Land, Texas

Local time: … (Central Time)

StateTexas
CountryUnited States
Main citiesHouston, Spring and Sugar Land
Time zoneCentral Time
Overlay area codes346, 621, 713 and 832
In service since1996 (created from 713)
Assigned prefixes786
Dialing format(281) XXX-XXXX · +1 281 XXX XXXX from abroad

Look up a 281 number

Enter a 3-digit area code or a full 10-digit number.

Cities and towns in area code 281

Listed by how many phone prefixes (the 3 digits after the area code) are assigned to each place in 281.

Phone companies in area code 281

The carriers that hold the most 281 prefixes. People can move their number to another carrier, so this shows who first issued a number, not who serves it today.

PrefixesCarrier
283Southwestern Bell (AT&T)
66Verizon Wireless
57Frontier Comm of Texas
50New Cingular Wireless PCS (AT&T)
38Windstream Sugar Land
33Mcimetro Access Transmission Services
32Onvoy
29Level 3 Communications

All 786 prefixes in area code 281

Pick the 3 digits after the area code to see that prefix’s city and carrier.

Area codes that overlay 281

Questions

Where is area code 281?
Area code 281 is in Texas. It serves Houston, Spring, Sugar Land, Katy and Baytown and 32 other cities and towns.
What time zone is area code 281 in?
Area code 281 uses Central Time.
What area codes overlay 281?
346, 621, 713 and 832 serve the same area as 281. New numbers in the area can get any of these codes, which is why local calls need all 10 digits.
Is a call from area code 281 a scam?
The area code alone doesn’t tell you. Most calls from 281 are ordinary local calls, but scammers can fake (“spoof”) any number. If you don’t recognize a 281 number, let it go to voicemail.
When did area code 281 start?
281 went into service in 1996. It was created from area code 713.
Can a 281 number be outside Texas?
Yes. People keep their numbers when they move and when they switch to mobile or internet phone services, so a 281 caller can be anywhere.

Other area codes in Texas

Area codeMain cities
210San Antonio
214Dallas, Grand Prairie and McKinney
254Waco, Killeen and Temple
325Abilene, San Angelo and Brownwood
361Corpus Christi, Victoria and Alice
409Beaumont, Galveston and Texas City
430Longview, Greenville and Tyler
432Odessa, Midland and Big Spring
469Grand Prairie, Dallas and Plano
512Austin, Georgetown and San Marcos
682Arlington, Fort Worth and Weatherford
726San Antonio
737Austin, Georgetown and Bastrop
806Lubbock, Amarillo and Plainview
817Fort Worth, Arlington and Hurst
830New Braunfels, Del Rio and Seguin
903Tyler, Longview and Texarkana
915El Paso, Clint and Canutillo
936Conroe, Lufkin and Huntsville
940Wichita Falls, Denton and Decatur
945Grand Prairie, Dallas and Frisco
956Laredo, Brownsville and McAllen
972Dallas, Grand Prairie and Irving
979Bryan, Angleton and Freeport