Area Code 501

About Area Code 501

Area code 501 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Little Rock, Arkansas. It operates in the Central time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Central Arkansas.

Within Arkansas, area code 501 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 501 primarily responsible for the Little Rock region. Arkansas's state capital is Little Rock, and its largest city is Little Rock.

When you receive a call from a 501 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 501 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 501 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 501 area code located?

Area code 501 is assigned to Little Rock, Arkansas, in the Central time zone. The state of Arkansas uses 3 active area codes, and 501 is one of them. Calls placed from the 501 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 501 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 501 area code?

The 501 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 501 territory is Little Rock (202,591 residents in Pulaski County).

• Little Rock, AR — 202,591 residents (21.9% of 501 numbers)
• Fort Smith, AR — 89,142 residents (9.6% of 501 numbers)
• Fayetteville, AR — 87,590 residents (9.5% of 501 numbers)
• Springdale, AR — 84,161 residents (9.1% of 501 numbers)
• Conway, AR — 70,376 residents (7.6% of 501 numbers)
• Rogers, AR — 71,289 residents (7.7% of 501 numbers)
• Bentonville, AR — 57,453 residents (6.2% of 501 numbers)
• Hot Springs, AR — 37,993 residents (4.1% of 501 numbers)
• Jonesboro, AR — 81,463 residents (8.8% of 501 numbers)
• Pine Bluff, AR — 41,473 residents (4.5% of 501 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 501

All phone numbers within area code 501 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(501) 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 + 501 + 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 501 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 501

Original NANP code. Central 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 501 area code safe to answer?

Area code 501 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 501 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.