North American Numbers Source-cited · ownership disclosed
Area code
938
In service
United States · since 2010

Huntsville (overlay)

An all-services overlay of 256 covering northern and northeastern Alabama, established July 10, 2010. It shares the same geography as 256.

The essentials Numbering data · NumberResearch · as of 2026-09-18
Place
Huntsville (overlay)
Type
geographic
Status
in service
In service since
2010
Projected exhaust
2043 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 938 is

North and northeast Alabama; identical footprint to 256..

Communities served wholly or partly by 938:

HuntsvilleDecaturFlorenceGadsdenAnniston

Same geography as 256.

B · Relationships

How it relates to other codes

The codes 938 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?

Overlay · 2010 256 Huntsville 938 overlays the entire 256 numbering plan area (same geography, both sides).
What's changing. Overlay of 256 (co-extensive). Not a split.
C · History

How 938 got here

2010-07-10
Established as the overlay of 256; ten-digit dialing mandatory.
Source: Wikipedia
D · Capacity

How full it is

Prefixes assigned
206
Prefixes available
594
Thousands-blocks assigned
1,608

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

Compare 938 with another code →
Sources
Wikipedia ↗
Area codes 256 and 938
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.