Area Code 213: Downtown LA & Historic Core

213 · Los Angeles

What is the area code for Los Angeles?

The area code for Los Angeles, California is 213, with overlay codes 323, 738 sharing the same geographic footprint. The 213 area code is a North American Numbering Plan geographic code assigned in 1947, covering the Central Los Angeles region. It serves approximately 4,000,000 residents on the Pacific Time (PT) (UTC-8 / UTC-7 DST).

The 213 area code has 787 assigned central-office prefixes (NXX codes, the three digits after the area code) across 16 rate centers, with numbers allocated to roughly 52 carriers.

At 787 of the ~792 usable central-office prefixes, the 213 area code has about 99% of its numbering capacity assigned, and that near-exhaustion is part of why overlay codes 323, 738 were added to the region. See how 213 compares in our NXX prefix allocation analysis across 338 US area codes. (Prefix data: localcallingguide.com / NANPA, 2026.)

Where is area code 213? Location and map area

Area code 213 is located in California, the United States. Its coverage area centers on Los Angeles and spans the Central Los Angeles region. If you received a call from a 213 number, the caller's number was assigned in this area — though with number porting and virtual numbers, the person may be calling from anywhere.

The 213 location sits in Pacific Time (PT), so local business hours run roughly 9 a.m.–5 p.m. PT. Neighboring California area codes include 209, 279, 310.

For the full story — every city covered, overlay history, and local scam patterns — read the complete Los Angeles area code guide.

All Los Angeles area codes

Los Angeles is served by 7 area codes across the metro area. 213 is the original 1947 code; the others were added as overlays or for surrounding suburbs.

• 213 (current page) — Downtown LA, Koreatown, Boyle Heights (1947 original)
• 310 — West LA, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, beach cities
• 323 — South/Central LA, Hollywood, East LA
• 424 — Westside overlay (424 over 310, since 2006)
• 661 — Santa Clarita, Antelope Valley, north LA County
• 747 — San Fernando Valley overlay (747 over 818, since 2009)
• 818 — San Fernando Valley — Burbank, Glendale, Sherman Oaks

Cities served by the 213 area code

The 213 area code covers 5 major cities and towns across the Central Los Angeles region (CA):

Businesses across Los Angeles and surrounding cities use 213 numbers to project local presence and lift call answer rates. Industry studies of local presence dialing consistently report answer-rate gains of 20–40% over toll-free or out-of-area numbers — a caller ID that matches the recipient's region looks familiar and gets picked up.

213 area code time zone and business hours

The 213 area code is in the Pacific Time (PT) zone (UTC-8 / UTC-7 DST). Standard business hours in 213 run 9 AM to 5 PM PT.

If you're calling into 213 from a different time zone, factor in the offset. For example, an Eastern Time business calling 213 at 9 AM ET reaches Los Angeles at 6 AM PT — likely outside standard business hours.

History of the 213 area code

The 213 area code was one of the original 86 area codes assigned in 1947 when the North American Numbering Plan was first deployed. As Los Angeles grew and number demand increased, overlay codes 323, 738 were added to serve the same geographic region — a common solution that avoids forcing existing subscribers to change their numbers.

• 1947 213 entered service (one of the 86 original NANP area codes)
• 1998 323 added to serve the same region
• 2024 738 added to serve the same region

The 213 area code in popular culture

213 is the original Los Angeles area code, dating to 1947. It covers downtown LA and carries cultural weight in hip-hop, film, and entertainment industry circles — 'two-one-three' references the LA core neighborhoods (Pico-Union, Koreatown, Boyle Heights).

Is the 213 area code safe? Spam and scam calls

213 is a legitimate geographic area code for Los Angeles — it is not a scam code or a premium-rate prefix, and a call from a 213 number is most likely a genuine local caller. The risk is not the area code itself but a tactic called neighbor spoofing: scammers fake their caller ID so an unwanted call appears to come from your own area code, because people answer familiar numbers more readily.

If you get an unexpected 213 call, a few signals point to a likely scam — a pre-recorded message, urgent pressure to act now, a demand for payment by gift card or wire transfer, or anyone asking for passwords, Social Security, or account numbers. Let suspicious calls go to voicemail, never share personal information, and report fraud to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

The FCC consumer guide on spoofing explains your rights under the Truth in Caller ID Act. A real Los Angeles business will leave a clear voicemail and will not pressure you.

US carriers verify caller ID with the STIR/SHAKEN framework, which flags many spoofed numbers as "Spam Likely" before they ring. DialPhone 213 numbers are registered for STIR/SHAKEN attestation, so calls from your business are verified as genuine and reach customers without a false spam label. See the DialPhone guide to VoIP security for more.

Why get a 213 area code number for your business?

Getting a 213 number gives your business three measurable advantages over a toll-free or out-of-area number:

1. Local trust signal. Customers in Los Angeles recognize 213 as their home area code. Caller ID matching builds immediate credibility for service businesses, sales outreach, and patient communication.
2. Higher answer rate. Calls from a familiar local area code are answered far more often than unknown or toll-free numbers — industry measurements of local presence dialing put the lift at 20–40%, which matters most for outbound sales, appointment confirmations, and time-sensitive service callbacks.
3. Targeted marketing. Businesses serving Los Angeles and the broader Central Los Angeles can advertise a local number across print, radio, billboards, and digital channels for higher conversion than a national 800 number.

For businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding cities, top industries that benefit from local 213 presence include Tech, Entertainment, and Healthcare. DialPhone's AI receptionist is available for every 213 number — never miss a call, even after standard business hours.

How to get a 213 area code number

Setting up a 213 business number with DialPhone takes under 10 minutes:

1. Sign up for a DialPhone plan. Choose any plan starting at $24/user/month. Free 14-day trial, no credit card required.
2. Search available 213 numbers. Filter the DialPhone number inventory by area code, city, or pattern.
3. Choose your number and configure. Assign your new 213 number to a user or team, set up call routing, voicemail, AI receptionist, and business SMS.
4. Port your existing number (optional). Already have a 213 number? Free number porting in 2 to 5 business days with zero service interruption.

New to local numbers? The complete guide to getting a local phone number covers choosing the right area code, porting an existing line, and avoiding spam flags.

213 area code overlay codes

The Central Los Angeles region is served by multiple overlay area codes:

Area Code	Coverage
213	Primary area code for Central Los Angeles, assigned 1947
323	Overlay — same geography (assigned 1998)
738	Overlay — same geography (assigned 2024)

All overlay codes serve the same Los Angeles region. New subscribers may be assigned any available code; existing numbers retain their original prefix.

AI receptionist for 213 area code businesses

Every DialPhone 213 number includes optional AI receptionist coverage, available 24/7. The AI handles calls when your team is unavailable — answering common questions, booking appointments, routing urgent callers to on-call staff, and capturing voicemail with full transcription and intent tagging.

For businesses in Los Angeles that handle high call volume, run extended hours, or need bilingual support (especially valuable in multilingual metros like Los Angeles), the AI receptionist reduces voicemail backlog and improves first-call resolution.

HIPAA-compliant 213 numbers for healthcare

Los Angeles has one of the largest healthcare systems in California. DialPhone signs HIPAA Business Associate Agreements on the Advanced plan ($34/user) and above, covering all 213 area code phone numbers, business SMS, and AI receptionist features.

Medical practices, telehealth groups, and behavioral health providers in the Central Los Angeles region can use DialPhone 213 numbers for patient calls, appointment reminders, and post-visit follow-up. See the DialPhone healthcare solutions page for compliance details.

All area codes in California

California has 40 active geographic area codes. The 213 area code is part of the same numbering plan as the codes listed below — calls between them are typically local within the state, depending on the carrier.

Ready to buy? See 213 area code numbers for business — pricing, availability, and instant setup for Los Angeles.

Nearby area codes

Related area codes in California and the Pacific Time (PT) region:

• 209 area code — Stockton, California
• 279 area code — Sacramento, California
• 310 area code — Los Angeles, California
• 323 area code — Los Angeles, California
• 341 area code — Oakland, California
• 408 area code — San Jose, California

All California area codes → · Browse all US area codes →

More area codes: ← 212 New York City · 214 Dallas →

How this page is verified

DialPhone re-verifies every area code page every 90 days. Area code geography, timezone, and overlay data come from the official North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) database. Pricing reflects the published DialPhone plan tiers — see the pricing page for current details. Number availability varies; check the DialPhone signup flow for live inventory in the 213 region.

What to know before getting a 213 number

• Number availability is finite. Popular Los Angeles area codes can be inventory-constrained — request specific vanity patterns early.
• Porting timing varies. Most 213 ports complete in 2-5 business days; complex multi-line legacy contracts can take 7-10.
• HIPAA tier required for healthcare. The Core $24 plan doesn't include a BAA — healthcare users need Advanced ($34) or above.

How to get a Los Angeles phone number →

213 vs 323 vs 310 — Los Angeles' core area codes

Los Angeles is served by several area codes, and 213 sits at the center of the family. It is the original 1947 code for the city, and as LA grew, new codes were added to expand numbering capacity. Knowing which code covers which part of the metro helps you pick the right local presence.

Code	Established	Covers	Role
213	1947	Downtown and central LA — Los Angeles, Bell, Huntington Park, Montebello, East LA	Original LA code
323	1998	Areas ringing downtown — Hollywood, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Compton, Culver City	Central-LA companion
310	1991	West LA and the South Bay — Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Torrance	Westside / coastal
818	1984	San Fernando Valley — Burbank, Glendale, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys	The Valley

213 vs 323

213 and 323 are the two central-LA codes. 213 (established 1947) is the original, covering downtown and the historic core. 323 (established 1998) covers the areas ringing downtown — Hollywood, Inglewood, and Culver City among them — and shares the central-LA numbering space alongside 213 and the newer 738 overlay. For a downtown or historic-core presence, 213 carries the original-code prestige.

See the 323 area code guide, or read the side-by-side 213 vs 323 comparison to choose between them.

213 vs 310

310 (established 1991) is the Westside and South Bay code — Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Torrance. Where 213 signals downtown and the city core, 310 signals the coast and the affluent Westside. They serve different halves of Los Angeles, so the right choice depends on which market you want to appear local in. See the 310 area code guide.

213 vs 818

818 (established 1984) covers the San Fernando Valley — Burbank, Glendale, Van Nuys, and Sherman Oaks — north of the Santa Monica Mountains and home to much of the region's film and TV production base. It is a distinct area from the 213 downtown core. See the 818 area code guide.

Choosing between a 213 number and an LA overlay

All of these codes are fully local to Los Angeles, so any of them reaches LA customers as a local call. The practical differences come down to prestige and availability.

As the original 1947 code, 213 carries the most local prestige — a 213 number reads as established, downtown Los Angeles. That demand also makes clean 213 numbers scarcer, because the code has been assigned for more than 75 years. Newer codes and overlays generally hold more available inventory, so a specific number pattern can be easier to secure on 323, 310, or the recent 738 overlay.

• Want downtown, original-LA prestige and a recognizable core-city number? Choose 213.
• Serving Hollywood, Culver City, or the areas around downtown? 323 is the natural fit.
• Targeting the Westside or South Bay coast? 310 reads as local there.
• Based in the Valley — Burbank or Glendale? 818 matches that market.

With DialPhone you can search availability across LA codes and claim a 213 number in minutes, with no Los Angeles office required. See pricing from $24/user/month, or read the full virtual phone number guide.