253 area code
Area code 253 is in Washington. It covers Tacoma, Kent, Federal Way and 55 other places: 79 ZIP codes in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. Local time there is , Pacific Time. In service since 1997, with no overlay.
- State
- Washington
- Time zone
- Pacific
- Largest city
- Tacoma
- Overlays
- none
- In service since
- 1997
- Rate centres
- 10
- Prefixes assigned
- 508 (5,080,000 numbers)
Who calls from a 253 number
NANPA records the carrier each block of 253 numbers is assigned to. Of the 5.0 million 253 numbers assigned, 39% are with mobile carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility); 31% with cable, internet-calling, business and other carriers (Onvoy and Level 3); 28% with local phone companies (Qwest (CenturyLink)); 1% with paging companies.
That is who the numbers were assigned to: people keep their number when they change carrier, so any one number may have moved since.
| Carrier | Kind | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Qwest (CenturyLink) | Landline | 27% |
| T-Mobile | Mobile | 20% |
| Onvoy | Cable, VoIP, other | 13% |
| Verizon Wireless | Mobile | 12% |
| AT&T Mobility | Mobile | 7% |
| Level 3 | Cable, VoIP, other | 3% |
An area code says where a number was issued, not where the caller is: people keep their numbers when they move, and caller ID can be set to show any number, which the FCC calls spoofing. If a call you did not expect asks for money or personal details, the FCC advises hanging up and calling the company back on a number you look up yourself. Unwanted calls can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Places in area code 253
The 9 places with a telephone rate centre of their own using 253, largest first. Each links to its ZIP codes.
| Place | ZIP codes | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, WA | 35 | 222,758 |
| Kent, WA | 7 | 135,603 |
| Auburn, WA | 4 | 85,676 |
| Puyallup, WA | 5 | 42,746 |
| Graham, WA | 1 | 35,079 |
| Des Moines, WA | — | 32,823 |
| Gig Harbor, WA | 3 | 12,424 |
| Sumner, WA | 2 | 10,733 |
| Roy, WA | 1 | 735 |
Nearby places using 253
These places have no rate centre of their own in NANPA's records; the nearest one uses 253. Near an area-code boundary that can be wrong for part of a town.
- Federal Way
- Lakewood
- Parkland
- University Place
- Spanaway
- Frederickson
- Covington
- Fort Lewis
- Elk Plain
- Artondale
- Lakeland South
- Edgewood
- Fife
- Dupont
- Midland
- Milton
- Summit
- Summit View
- Waller
- Clover Creek
- Fircrest
- Pacific
- Wollochet
- Normandy Park
- North Fort Lewis
- Maplewood
- Lakebay
- Wauna
- Rosedale
- Lake Holm
- Key Center
- Fox Island
- Algona
- Mcchord Afb
- Canterwood
- Burley
- South Creek
- Stansberry Lake
- Home
- North Puyallup
- Fife Heights
- Purdy
- Ruston
- Browns Point
- Dash Point
- Vaughn
- Camp Murray
- Raft Island
- Herron Island
ZIP codes in area code 253
79 ZIP codes in 22 towns, by the town each is mailed to, largest first. Each links to its own page.
Where 253 numbers are issued
NANPA's rate centres with the most 253 prefixes (each prefix is 10,000 numbers), under NANPA's own abbreviated names.
| Rate centre | Place | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|
TACOMA | Tacoma | 228 |
AUBURN | Auburn | 82 |
TACOMAWVLY | — | 51 |
KENT | Kent | 44 |
PUYALLUP | Puyallup | 27 |
DES MOINES | Des Moines | 23 |
Counties
The counties of its ZIP codes, most residents first, with how many of its ZIP codes each has.
Which code covers where you are now? What area code am I in? answers from your location.
Questions about area code 253
Where is area code 253?
Area code 253 is in Washington. It covers Tacoma, Kent, Federal Way and 55 other places: 79 ZIP codes in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.
What ZIP codes are in area code 253?
79 ZIP codes, by the town each is mailed to: Tacoma (35, 98401 to 98493), Kent (7, 98030 to 98089), Federal Way (4, 98003 to 98093), Auburn (4, 98001 to 98092) and 18 more towns. The full list is on this page.
What time zone is area code 253 in?
Pacific time.
Is a 253 number a mobile or a landline?
It can be either. 39% of 253 numbers are assigned to mobile carriers and 28% to local phone companies (NANPA, 2026-10-10); the rest are with cable, internet-calling, business and paging carriers. A number keeps its area code when it moves to another carrier.
Does a 253 number mean the caller is in Washington?
Not necessarily. An area code says where the number was first issued. People keep their numbers when they move or switch carriers, and calling software can show any number, so a 253 call can come from anywhere.
Other area codes in Washington
All 6 Washington area codes, by area, with the cities each covers
Source: NANPA NPA database, central office code and thousands-block assignments, 2026-10-10. Places are matched to NANPA's rate centres by name; see sources.
Cite this page
zipcodes.pro. “Area code 253.” Data release 2026-10-12. Retrieved 2026-10-20. https://zipcodes.pro/area-code/253
Underlying data is public domain or openly licensed — sources, vintages and licences.