253 area code: location, time zone and numbers
The US telephone area code 253 serves Seattle, Washington and began operating in 1997.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Service start date
- 1997
- The time zone
- Pacific time zone
- Overlay
- None: the only code for the area
- Calls within the area
- Full 10-digit dialling
- The rate centres
- 10
- Projected exhaustion
- 2056
- The country code
- +1 (United States)
Source: public reports from NANPA, including the area code report and rate-centre report, in the 11/01/2026 file. The exhaust year comes from NANPA projections 2026-1 (April 2026). This site is not an official NANPA site.
Get your own 253 number
There are two routes to a 253 number. When you sign up, a provider assigns a new number through its plan. The number is chosen then from the numbers it has in the code. For a one-time price, a seller lists numbers it already has, often with a pattern. After that, you move 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. First-year cost determines the order, which referral fees never change. How we earn
Places in the 253 area code
For 253, NANPA lists 10 rate centres. Every one of them is a local calling area where numbers get assigned:
Tacoma-waverly, Tacoma, Sumner, Roy, Puyallup, Kent, Graham, Gig Harbor, Des Moines and Auburn.
Other related area codes
253 area code questions
Where is the 253 area code?
Calls to 253 ring in Seattle, Washington, around Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Which country code does a 253 number use?
+1. The North American Numbering Plan includes 253. When calling from abroad, use +1 253 followed by the 7-digit number.
What time is it in the 253 area code?
The time in the 253 area is Pacific time.
Who calls using a 253 number?
Homes, mobile phones and local businesses use this code. Callers who pretend to have a local number also use it. Your screen shows where a 253 number was assigned, but it does not identify the person calling.