253
Area code
Statusin service
Introduced1997-04-27
JurisdictionWA, US
Local dialing10D
Time zonePacific
Last verified2026-09-17
Utilization 66.3% of assignable prefixes assigned
As of 09/17/2026
0%525 of ~792 assignable NXX values (200–999 excl. N11)100%
Prefix-level assignment does not equal number-level exhaustion; thousands-block pooling extends capacity. First assignment on record 2001-01-23, most recent 2026-03-20.
Area codes serve rate-center geographies, not municipal boundaries. “WA” identifies the jurisdiction, not an exact city footprint.
Top assignees
Ranked by assigned prefixes · initial assignee ≠ current carrier| Rank | Assignee | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | QWEST CORPORATION | 141 | 26.9% |
| 02 | T-MOBILE USA, INC. | 77 | 14.7% |
| 03 | ONVOY, LLC - WA | 49 | 9.3% |
| 04 | CELLCO PARTNERSHIP DBA VERIZON WIRELESS - WA | 48 | 9.1% |
| 05 | NEW CINGULAR WIRELESS PCS, LLC | 35 | 6.7% |
| 06 | ELECTRIC LIGHTWAVE LLC DBA ALLSTREAM | 30 | 5.7% |
| 07 | LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC - WA | 29 | 5.5% |
| 08 | TELEPORT COMMUNICATIONS AMERICA, LLC - WA | 15 | 2.9% |
| 09 | COMCAST IP PHONE, LLC | 13 | 2.5% |
| 10 | MCIMETRO ACCESS TRANSMISSION SERVICES LLC | 12 | 2.3% |
Important: these are initial assignees from NANPA CO-code records — the carrier a prefix was originally assigned to. Because of number portability, the current serving carrier of any individual number may differ.
Change history
Recorded events for this NPA- 1997-04-27Area code 253 entered service (created from 206).
Planning letters & orders
Primary documents| Date | Document | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-28 | PL-492 ↗ | NPA 564 to Overlay NPA 360 (Washington) |
| 2001-08-29 | PL-298 ↗ | Suspension of 564 Overlay (Washington) |
| 2000-07-27 | PL-239 ↗ | NPA 564 to Overlay NPAs 206, 253, 360, and 425 (Washington) |
| 1996-10-31 | PL-019 ↗ | NANP-Split of 206 (Washington State) Numbering Plan Area (NPA) |