United States Phone Number Format Guide
Quick Overview
US phone numbers follow the North American format: 10 digits (XXX-XXX-XXXX) with country code +1.
United States Phone Number Generator
Need to generate United States phone numbers for testing? Use our free phone number generator tool that follows all the latest United States number format rules and conventions.
Try United States Phone Number GeneratorUnited States Phone Number Format Structure
US phone numbers follow a standardized format with several components:
Components
- Country Code: +1 (optional)
- Area Code: 3 digits (XXX)
- Central Office Code: 3 digits (XXX)
- Line Number: 4 digits (XXXX)
Format Examples
+1 (555) 123-4567
- Full format with country code(555) 123-4567
- Domestic format555-123-4567
- Simple format5551234567
- Plain format
United States Phone Number Area Code Distribution
Area codes in the United States are geographically assigned:
Major Regions
- 201-299: Northeast Region
- 300-399: Southeast Region
- 400-499: Southeast Region
- 500-599: Central Region
- 600-699: Central Region
- 700-799: Western Region
- 800-899: Toll-free numbers
- 900-999: Premium rate numbers
Major Cities
- 212, 646, 917: New York City
- 213, 310, 323: Los Angeles
- 312: Chicago
- 415, 628: San Francisco
- 202: Washington DC
- 305, 786: Miami
United States Phone Number Rules and Restrictions
Area Code Rules
Cannot start with 0 or 1
Cannot have 9 as second digit when first digit is 3-7
Second and third digits cannot both be 1
Special Considerations
- 555-0100 through 555-0199 are reserved for fictional use
- Numbers beginning with 911, 411, etc. are reserved for emergency/special services
- Some area codes are reserved for future use
United States Phone Number Recent Changes
- New area codes are regularly added due to number exhaustion
- Some regions now require 10-digit dialing for all calls
- Overlay area codes are becoming more common in populous areas