Area Code 479

About Area Code 479

Area code 479 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Fort Smith, Arkansas. It operates in the Central time zone and was first introduced in 2002. Split from 501. Northwestern Arkansas.

Within Arkansas, area code 479 shares numbering capacity with 2 other area codes. The state's 3,067,732-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 3 active codes, with 479 primarily responsible for the Fort Smith region. Arkansas's state capital is Little Rock, and its largest city is Little Rock.

When you receive a call from a 479 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 479 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 479 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 479 area code located?

Area code 479 is assigned to Fort Smith, Arkansas, in the Central time zone. The state of Arkansas uses 3 active area codes, and 479 is one of them. Calls placed from the 479 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 479 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Central time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-6 to UTC-5 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 479 area code?

The 479 area code serves 10 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 479 territory is Fort Smith (89,142 residents in Sebastian County).

• Fort Smith, AR — 89,142 residents (10.8% of 479 numbers)
• Little Rock, AR — 202,591 residents (24.6% of 479 numbers)
• Fayetteville, AR — 87,590 residents (10.6% of 479 numbers)
• Springdale, AR — 84,161 residents (10.2% of 479 numbers)
• Conway, AR — 70,376 residents (8.5% of 479 numbers)
• Rogers, AR — 71,289 residents (8.7% of 479 numbers)
• Bentonville, AR — 57,453 residents (7% of 479 numbers)
• Hot Springs, AR — 37,993 residents (4.6% of 479 numbers)
• Jonesboro, AR — 81,463 residents (9.9% of 479 numbers)
• Pine Bluff, AR — 41,473 residents (5% of 479 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 479

All phone numbers within area code 479 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(479) 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 + 479 + 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 479 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 479

Split from 501. Northwestern Arkansas.

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 479 area code safe to answer?

Area code 479 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 479 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.