252 area code: location, time zone and numbers
Area code 252 serves Virginia Beach, North Carolina, as a US telephone area code that has operated since 1998.
- Location
- Virginia Beach, North Carolina
- In use since
- 1998
- The time zone
- The Eastern time zone
- Overlay
- None: no other code serves its area
- Calls within the area
- Dialling: 7 digits
- Telephone rate centres
- 92
- Expected exhaust
- 2031
- Country calling prefix
- +1 (United States)
Source: NANPA public reports, including the area code report and rate-centre report, dated 11/01/2026. The exhaust year comes from NANPA projections 2026-1 (April 2026). The official NANPA site is not this one.
Pick up a 252 number
A 252 number can be obtained through two routes. A new number comes with a provider plan. At sign-up, it is selected from numbers the provider already has in the code. Numbers already held by a seller are offered for a one-time price and often follow a pattern. You then transfer the number to a provider.
Providers ranked by first-year cost
| Provider | Cheapest plan | First year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
 Free app | Basic (Just for me), free | $0 | Open Google Voice |
 Free app | Free plan, free | $0 | Open TextNow |
 Developer API | Pay-as-you-go local number, $1.15 a month | $13.80 | Open Twilio |
 Second-number app | Standard, $3.99 a month billed yearly | $47.99 | Open Burner |
 Toll-free specialist | Solo, $6.99 a month billed yearly | $84 | Open UniTel Voice |
 Second-number app | Deluxe (local number), $6.99 a month billed yearly | $102.88 | Open GoDaddy Conversations (formerly Smartline) |
Sellers listing local numbers
| Seller | What it sells | Listed price | Monthly fee | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Marketplace | Local numbers | From $9 one-time | None stated | Search at Exclusive Digits |
 Marketplace | Local and toll-free | From $9.95 one-time | $2.99 a month | Search at NumberBarn |
 Number broker | Local and toll-free | From $99 one-time | None stated | Search at RingBoost |
 Number broker | Local and toll-free | From $100 one-time | None stated | Search at PhoneNumberExpert |
| 212areacode.comNumber broker | Local numbers | From $150 one-time | None stated | Search at 212areacode.com |
Some sellers and providers may pay us a referral fee. The order stays based on first-year cost and never changes. How we earn
Places in the 252 area code
For 252, NANPA lists 92 rate centres. Each one is a local calling area where numbers are assigned:
Places include Ahoskie, Atlantic, Aulander, Aurora and Ayden. Bailey, Bath, Bayboro, Beaufort and Belhaven are also included. Bethel, Buxton, Coinjock, Colerain and Columbia appear too. Conway, Creswell, Edenton, Elizabeth City and Elm City are on the list. Enfield, Engelhard, Farmville, Fountain and Gatesville are included. Greenville, Grifton, Halifax, Hamilton and Havelock are listed. Henderson, Hertford, Jackson, Kinston and Kill Devil Hills are included. Knotts Island, La Grange, Lewiston, Littleton and Lucama are listed. Mamie, Manteo, Marshallberg, Morehead City and Moss Hill are included. Moyock, Murfreesboro, Nashville, New Bern and Newport are listed. Norlina, Ocracoke, Oriental, Pike Road and Pinetops are included. Pinetown, Piney Woods, Pink Hill, Plymouth and Pollocksville are listed, along with 32 more.
Other related area codes
North Carolina also uses these codes: 704, 919, 910, 336, 828, 980, 984, 743 and 472.
252 area code questions
What location does area code 252 serve?
Calls with the 252 code ring in Virginia Beach, North Carolina, around Virginia Beach-Chesepeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
Which country code does a 252 number use?
+1. For calls from abroad, dial +1 252 followed by the 7-digit number because 252 belongs to the North American Numbering Plan.
What time is it in the 252 area code?
The 252 area uses Eastern time.
Who uses a 252 number to call?
Anyone with a number in this code could be the caller. This includes homes, mobiles, local businesses and people who fake a local number. Your screen shows where a 252 number was assigned, but it does not identify the caller.