Area Code 272

About Area Code 272

Area code 272 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Scranton, Pennsylvania. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 2013. Overlay for 570. Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Within Pennsylvania, area code 272 shares numbering capacity with 12 other area codes. The state's 12,964,056-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 13 active codes, with 272 primarily responsible for the Scranton region. Pennsylvania's state capital is Harrisburg, and its largest city is Philadelphia.

When you receive a call from a 272 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 272 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 272 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 272 area code located?

Area code 272 is assigned to Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Pennsylvania uses 13 active area codes, and 272 is one of them. Calls placed from the 272 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 272 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 272 area code?

The 272 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 272 territory is Scranton (75,799 residents in Lackawanna County).

• Scranton, PA — 75,799 residents (2.9% of 272 numbers)
• Philadelphia, PA — 1,567,442 residents (60.8% of 272 numbers)
• Pittsburgh, PA — 302,971 residents (11.8% of 272 numbers)
• Allentown, PA — 125,845 residents (4.9% of 272 numbers)
• Erie, PA — 93,928 residents (3.6% of 272 numbers)
• Reading, PA — 95,112 residents (3.7% of 272 numbers)
• Bethlehem, PA — 76,568 residents (3% of 272 numbers)
• Lancaster, PA — 58,039 residents (2.3% of 272 numbers)
• Harrisburg, PA — 50,118 residents (1.9% of 272 numbers)
• York, PA — 44,800 residents (1.7% of 272 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 272

All phone numbers within area code 272 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(272) 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 + 272 + 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 272 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 272

Overlay for 570. Northeastern Pennsylvania.

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 272 area code safe to answer?

Area code 272 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 272 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.