Fun numbers to call: real lines that still answer
Fun numbers to call include talking clocks and NORAD Tracks Santa, plus the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. Every one is a real public line, and the agency or company that owns a line is the one that runs it.
Fun numbers to call that still answer
Fun numbers to call: each one is a real public line that plays something worth hearing, or connects you with someone who answers unusual questions. The agency or company that owns a line runs it, and the last column of the table links to the owner's own page where the number is listed. Two of them answer only in their season. One is the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, open in November and December. The other is NORAD Tracks Santa, reachable on December 24.
| Line | Number | Run by | What you hear | Listed at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIST WWV Telephone Time-of-Day (Colorado) | (303) 499-7111 | National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) | Audio from WWV, the shortwave time station in Fort Collins, Colorado, comes over the line, with the UTC time spoken aloud plus tones; callers are cut off after 2 minutes. | Source |
| NIST WWVH Telephone Time-of-Day (Hawaii) | (808) 335-4363 | National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) | This line plays audio from WWVH, the shortwave time station based in Kekaha, Hawaii, and a female voice announces UTC. The alternates are (808) 335-4744, plus -4745 and -4747. | Source |
| Time line for the US Naval Observatory Master Clock (Washington, DC) | (202) 762-1401 | United States Naval Observatory (US Navy) | A recording gives the time, taken from the USNO Master Clock, the Department of Defense reference for time. | Source |
| Time line for the US Naval Observatory Alternate Master Clock (Colorado) | (719) 567-6742 | United States Naval Observatory (US Navy) | The USNO Alternate Master Clock in Colorado Springs supplies voice time announcements. | Source |
| Butterball Turkey Talk-Line | (800) 288-8372 | Butterball, LLC | Experts on turkey answer questions callers have about turkey roasting and Thanksgiving cooking (1-800-BUTTERBALL). (November-December) | Source |
| King Arthur Baker's Hotline | (855) 371-2253 | King Arthur Baking Company | Home bakers can put questions to professional bakers and get help troubleshooting baking problems. | Source |
| NORAD Tracks Santa hotline | (877) 446-6723 | North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) | On Christmas Eve, volunteers tell callers where Santa is on his flight around the world (1-877-HI-NORAD). (December 24) | Source |
| Yellowstone road and entrance status recorded line | (307) 344-2117 | National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park | The recorded message covers current Yellowstone road and entrance status. | Source |
| Yosemite road and weather conditions line | (209) 372-0200 | National Park Service, Yosemite National Park | This is the park's main line: press 1 then 1 for the newest recorded report on road conditions. | Source |
The lines and what each one offers
Clocks that speak
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) runs two time lines. (303) 499-7111 plays shortwave station WWV from Fort Collins, Colorado, with spoken UTC time and tones. (808) 335-4363 plays station WWVH from Kekaha, Hawaii, where a female voice reads the time. NIST also lists (808) 335-4744, 335-4745 and 335-4747 for Hawaii. Both lines hang up after 2 minutes.
The US Naval Observatory has its own talking clocks. (202) 762-1401 in Washington, DC reads the time from the USNO Master Clock, the Department of Defense time reference. (719) 567-6742 reads it from the Alternate Master Clock in Colorado Springs.
Hotlines where a person answers
- Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, 1-800-BUTTERBALL, (800) 288-8372: turkey experts answer roasting and Thanksgiving cooking questions in November and December. Butterball also lists a text line, 844-877-3456.
- King Arthur Baker's Hotline, (855) 371-2253: professional bakers help you troubleshoot a recipe that went wrong.
- NORAD Tracks Santa, 1-877-HI-NORAD, (877) 446-6723: on Christmas Eve, volunteers tell callers where Santa is on his flight.
Recorded lines for your road trip
Yellowstone National Park's recorded line, (307) 344-2117, gives current road and entrance status. Yosemite's main line, (209) 372-0200, plays the latest road conditions when you press 1, then 1 again.
Numbers to call when bored: a few ground rules
- Toll-free applies to the 800, 855 and 877 lines, so the owner covers the cost of the call. Other numbers use an ordinary area code, and your usual calling plan applies to them.
- People staff the hotlines to answer real questions. If you only want to hear who picks up, keep the call short.
- Seasonal lines may not answer outside the season. Before dialing, look at the owner's page in the table.
Famous phone numbers you should not call
The Jenny phone number, 867-5309
"867-5309/Jenny" is a 1981 song by Tommy Tutone that reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It started a fad of prank calls to 867-5309 asking for Jenny. The song's co-writer has said there was no real Jenny, but the number is not fictional: add an area code and it rings whoever holds that number there. It is a famous phone number, not a fun line to call.
555 numbers and phone numbers in movies
Phone numbers in movies and on TV usually use the 555 exchange, and that way viewers avoid reaching a real person. For fictional use, only the range from 555-0100 to 555-0199 is reserved, and 555-1212 handles directory assistance. The rest of the 555 block went back into the general numbering inventory in 2016, so a 555 number taken from an old film may still be a real one. For a story or a demo, stay within the 0100 to 0199 range.
Why the best phone numbers spell a word
Two vanity numbers are 1-800-BUTTERBALL and 1-877-HI-NORAD: every letter sits on a keypad key, so spelling the word dials the number. There are 10 letters in BUTTERBALL, though a toll-free call connects once you dial the seventh digit after 800, so the extra letters cause no trouble. Three things help here: words to phone number checks any word, phone number to words decodes a number, and phone keypad letters shows the full letter layout.
A provider supplies toll-free words like these to businesses rather than selling them outright; vanity toll-free numbers has the details. Local numbers with a memorable pattern are covered in premium phone numbers and lucky phone numbers.
Questions
Which number do I call to hear the time?
Call (303) 499-7111 for NIST's WWV broadcast from Colorado, or (202) 762-1401 for the US Naval Observatory Master Clock in Washington, DC. The NIST lines disconnect after 2 minutes.
Is the Butterball hotline open all year?
No. Butterball says the Turkey Talk-Line at 1-800-BUTTERBALL is open during November and December. It also lists a text option at 844-877-3456.
What number do you dial to track Santa?
NORAD Tracks Santa answers at 1-877-HI-NORAD, which is (877) 446-6723, on December 24.
Is it possible to call 867-5309?
You can, but it reaches a real subscriber in whatever area code you add, and the song made that number a prank-call target. Pick a line from the table instead.
Why do movies use 555 phone numbers?
So that a curious viewer does not end up calling a real person. Numbers 555-0100 to 555-0199 are set aside for fictional use.