205 area code
Birmingham area, Central Time.Area code 205 covers Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Bessemer and 67 more places in Alabama, on Central Time. 659 covers the same area.
Right now in Birmingham
Central Time (CST, UTC-6; CDT, UTC-5 in summer)
Calling hours: Mon to Sat, 8 AM to 8 PM · Sun, no calls (Alabama law)
Small talk
Calling a lot of them? RegieGO dials up to five lines at once. See the dialer
Where 205 numbers come from
Numbers are issued by rate center, a billing area named for its main town. 205 has 70. Each one's share is how many 205 numbers start there. Its biggest metro area is Birmingham, AL.
- Birmingham47%
- Tuscaloosa9%
- Bessemer4%
- Jasper3%
- Alabaster2%
Also: Clanton, Pell City, Pinson, Eutaw, Gardendale, Leeds, Dora, Butler, Centreville, Livingston (Sumter), Warrior, Chelsea + 53 more
Share of exchanges (blocks of 10,000 numbers). Source: NANPA rate center and exchange reports, November 10, 2026
When can you call a 205 number?
Sales calls to homes and cell phones have legal hours, set by Alabama law. Hold every 205 number to them, since you can't tell a work line from a personal cell.
What applies to 205Mon to Sat, 8 AM to 8 PM · Sun, no calls
- Federal (TCPA and FTC rule)Every day, 8 AM to 9 PMCalls to residential and mobile numbers. Most calls to businesses are exempt from the FTC's rule.47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1); 16 CFR 310.4(c) (opens in a new tab)
- Alabama lawMon to Sat, 8 AM to 8 PM · Sun, no callsNo calls on legal holidays either, which the tool doesn't track.Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-5-.17(2)(b) (opens in a new tab)
Local time comes from the area code, not from where the person is today. Mobiles keep their number when they move. Calling hours here are a guide, not legal advice. Every state's calling hours, with sources
205 and 659
205 is one of the original area codes from 1947, and 256 and 334 were later split off from it. 205 and 659 cover the same area, so new numbers can get either code and neighbors can have different area codes. 205 holds 82% of the area's exchanges; 659 holds the rest. Local calls take all 10 digits.
- 1947205 starts
- 1995334 split off
- 1998256 split off
- 2019659 overlay
Source: NANPA area code database
Calling a list of 205 numbers?
Paste it into the free phone number validator. It checks every number, finds each one's time zone and sorts the list by who you can call right now.
205 area code FAQ
What area code is 205?
205 is an Alabama area code for Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Bessemer, Jasper and 66 more places.
What time zone is the 205 area code in?
Central Time (CST, UTC-6; CDT, UTC-5 in summer).
Is 659 the same as 205?
Same area, different code. 205 and 659 cover the same area (an overlay), so new numbers can get any of them and local calls take all 10 digits.
What are the calling hours for 205 numbers?
Mon to Sat, 8 AM to 8 PM · Sun, no calls, local time, under Alabama law.
When did the 205 area code start?
In 1947: it's one of the original area codes.
Calling 205 numbers? Reach more of them.
RegieGO researches every account and dials up to five lines at once while you talk. 250 free credits, no credit card.