Area Code 216

About Area Code 216

Area code 216 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Cleveland, Ohio. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Cleveland area. Overlay 220 (1997).

Within Ohio, area code 216 shares numbering capacity with 12 other area codes. The state's 11,799,448-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 13 active codes, with 216 primarily responsible for the Cleveland region. Ohio's state capital is Columbus, and its largest city is Columbus.

When you receive a call from a 216 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 216 area code — but be aware that Local Number Portability (in effect since 2003) means the caller could be physically located anywhere in the US or Canada. Area code 216 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 216 area code located?

Area code 216 is assigned to Cleveland, Ohio, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Ohio uses 13 active area codes, and 216 is one of them. Calls placed from the 216 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 216 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Eastern time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-5 to UTC-4 in summer. The local time shown above is always current, so you can quickly check whether it's a reasonable hour to call back.

What cities and counties use the 216 area code?

The 216 area code serves 10 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 216 territory is Cleveland (367,991 residents in Cuyahoga County).

• Cleveland, OH — 367,991 residents (14.9% of 216 numbers)
• Columbus, OH — 905,748 residents (36.7% of 216 numbers)
• Cincinnati, OH — 311,301 residents (12.6% of 216 numbers)
• Toledo, OH — 270,871 residents (11% of 216 numbers)
• Akron, OH — 190,469 residents (7.7% of 216 numbers)
• Dayton, OH — 137,644 residents (5.6% of 216 numbers)
• Parma, OH — 78,751 residents (3.2% of 216 numbers)
• Canton, OH — 70,033 residents (2.8% of 216 numbers)
• Youngstown, OH — 66,979 residents (2.7% of 216 numbers)
• Lorain, OH — 65,711 residents (2.7% of 216 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 216

All phone numbers within area code 216 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(216) NXX-XXXX. The NXX is the central office prefix (also called an "exchange") and XXXX is the subscriber line number. For long-distance calls within the NANP, dial 1 + 216 + NXX + XXXX. From outside North America, dial your country's international access code, then 1 (the NANP country code), then the 10-digit number.

If you need to verify whether a specific 216 number is wireless, landline, or VoIP, you can use our reverse phone lookup tool. Be aware that number portability means the area code no longer guarantees the caller's physical location — only where the number was first assigned.

History of area code 216

Original NANP code. Cleveland area. Overlay 220 (1997).

The original 86 area codes were assigned by AT&T and Bell Labs in 1947 as part of the North American Numbering Plan. At the time, rotary-dial phones meant codes with lower digits (like 212 for NYC, 213 for LA, 312 for Chicago) were given to the largest cities because they took less time to dial. Today's area code assignments still reflect those early choices, even though touch-tone and cell phones made the original reason obsolete.

Is the 216 area code safe to answer?

Area code 216 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 216 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.