254
Area code
Statusin service
Introduced1997-05-25
JurisdictionTX, US
Local dialing10D
Time zoneCentral
Last verified2026-09-17
Utilization 87.4% of assignable prefixes assigned
As of 09/17/2026
0%692 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 2001-01-15, most recent 2026-09-15.
Area codes serve rate-center geographies, not municipal boundaries. “TX” identifies the jurisdiction, not an exact city footprint.
Top assignees
Ranked by assigned prefixes · initial assignee ≠ current carrier| Rank | Assignee | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | SOUTHWESTERN BELL | 100 | 14.5% |
| 02 | ONVOY, LLC - TX | 82 | 11.8% |
| 03 | NEW CINGULAR WIRELESS PCS, LLC - IL | 77 | 11.1% |
| 04 | CELLCO PARTNERSHIP DBA VERIZON WIRELESS - TX | 43 | 6.2% |
| 05 | BRIGHTSPEED OF TEXAS, INC. | 41 | 5.9% |
| 06 | LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC - TX | 36 | 5.2% |
| 07 | T-MOBILE USA, INC. | 30 | 4.3% |
| 08 | VALOR TELECOMM TX, LD-TX #2 DBA WINDSTREAM COMM SW | 25 | 3.6% |
| 09 | BRIGHTSPEED OF EASTERN TEXAS, INC. | 19 | 2.7% |
| 10 | IP HORIZON LLC | 14 | 2% |
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- 1997-05-25Area code 254 entered service (created from 817).
Planning letters & orders
Primary documents| Date | Document | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-08 | PL-556 ↗ | Transition to 10-digit dialing (for 988 as 3-digit access to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) – supersedes PL-544 |
| 2020-08-17 | PL-544 ↗ | Transition to 10-digit dialing (for 988 as 3-digit access to National Suicide Prevention Hotline |
| 1997-05-22 | PL-064 ↗ | Change in Test Number for Split of 817 NPA (Texas) |
| 1997-01-22 | PL-034 ↗ | NANP-Split of 817 (Texas) Numbering Plan Area (NPA) |