Tacoma

Area code 253 serves Tacoma and the southern Puget Sound region. It was created in the 1997 three-way split of the Seattle 206 area code.

The essentials Numbering data · NumberResearch · as of 2026-09-18

Place

Tacoma

Type

geographic

Status

in service

In service since

1997

Projected exhaust

2056 Q2

Status, dates and counts are read from NumberResearch (NANPA / CNAC / FCC records). Assignment records show initial assignees, not the carrier serving a number today.

A · Where it is

Where 253 is

Pierce County (western half) and the southern portion of King County..

Communities served wholly or partly by 253:

TacomaFederal WayKentAuburnPuyallupLakewoodUniversity PlaceGig HarborBonney LakeSpanawayMiltonSteilacoomRoy

Also includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Kent and Federal Way straddle King/Pierce boundaries.

B · Relationships

How it relates to other codes

The codes 253 was split from, spawned, or shares its area with. A split divides the map and changes some numbers; an overlay shares the same ground and changes none — what's the difference?

Split from · 1997 206 Seattle Split off from 206 in the April 1997 three-way division of the Seattle area.

Related · 1997 425 Bellevue / Everett (Seattle north & east suburbs) Created in the same 1997 split; borders 253 to the north and east.

Related 360 Western Washington (outside Seattle metro) Adjacent to the west and south (360/564 territory).

Overlay 564 Western Washington (statewide overlay) 253 is designated to join the 564 overlay complex when exhaustion requires relief; not yet active. Re-check NANPA.

What's changing. No overlay active yet; scheduled to participate in the 564 overlay complex when needed (re-check NANPA).

C · History

How 253 got here

1997-04-27

Area code 253 created when 206 was split three ways due to number-supply growth in the Seattle area.

Source: Wikipedia

D · Capacity

How full it is

Prefixes assigned

525

Prefixes available

275

Thousands-blocks assigned

2,302

Prefix-assignment counts describe allocation to carriers, not how many individual numbers are in use. Full technical records: NumberResearch ↗.

Compare 253 with another code →

Sources

Wikipedia ↗

Area code 253

NumberResearch.org ↗

Live status, dates, assignment counts and exhaust forecast — data as of 2026-09-18 (CC BY 4.0).

Place, relationships and history above are compiled by North American Numbers from the sources listed and last checked 2026-09-18. A check date is not an expert review — see how this is made. Flag an error.