253 Area Code — Washington
253 is a North American Numbering Plan area code for Washington, the United States. It covers about 1,273,107 people in 23 towns and 80 ZIP codes, including Tacoma, Kent and Puyallup.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Area code | 253 |
| Country | United States (+1) |
| State / province | Washington |
| Type | Standalone (no other NANP code covers the same towns) |
| Time zone | Pacific |
| Population covered | 1,273,107 |
| Towns covered | 23 |
| ZIP codes | 80 |
| Approx. centre | 47.231, -122.419 |
Where area code 253 is used
Area code 253 is assigned to Washington, the United States, inside the North American Numbering Plan. Numbers in the code are written (253) NXX-XXXX at home and +1 253 NXX-XXXX when dialled from outside Canada and the United States. Since the NANP moved to 10-digit dialling you must always include the area code, even for a local call.
Towns and cities in area code 253
The 23 towns below are the largest in the 253 footprint, ranked by population. Every one of them links to its own page with the full list of area codes and ZIP codes for that town.
| Town | County | Population | ZIP codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma | Pierce County | 369,480 | 35 |
| Kent | King County | 169,695 | 7 |
| Puyallup | Pierce County | 159,771 | 5 |
| Auburn | King County | 125,193 | 4 |
| Federal Way | King County | 102,067 | 4 |
| Lakewood | Pierce County | 67,344 | 5 |
| Gig Harbor | Pierce County | 59,397 | 3 |
| Bonney Lake | Pierce County | 59,240 | 1 |
| Spanaway | Pierce County | 50,774 | 1 |
| Graham | Pierce County | 32,687 | 1 |
| University Place | Pierce County | 15,387 | 1 |
| Sumner | Pierce County | 11,546 | 2 |
Counties covered
| County | ZIP codes |
|---|---|
| Pierce County | 64 |
| King County | 16 |
Nearby area codes
How to dial area code 253
- Within North America: 253 + 7-digit number (253-NXX-XXXX). The leading 1 is optional on a mobile phone and required on most landlines for long-distance.
- From abroad: your country's international prefix, then 1, then 253, then the 7-digit number — for example 00 1 253 NXX-XXXX from most of Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is 253?
253 is a North American Numbering Plan area code assigned to Washington, the United States. It covers about 1,273,107 people in 23 towns.
Is 253 a US or Canadian area code?
253 is a United States area code. Canada and the United States share the +1 country code, so both are part of the same numbering plan.
What time zone is area code 253 in?
Area code 253 is in the Pacific time zone.
Do I have to dial 10 digits?
Yes. Every NANP call now requires the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for a local call.