Area Code 505

About Area Code 505

Area code 505 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It operates in the Mountain time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Northwestern New Mexico. Overlay 575 (2007).

Within New Mexico, area code 505 shares numbering capacity with 1 other area code. The state's 2,115,877-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 2 active codes, with 505 primarily responsible for the Albuquerque region. New Mexico's state capital is Santa Fe, and its largest city is Albuquerque.

When you receive a call from a 505 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 505 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 505 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 505 area code located?

Area code 505 is assigned to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the Mountain time zone. The state of New Mexico uses 2 active area codes, and 505 is one of them. Calls placed from the 505 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 505 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Mountain time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-7 to UTC-6 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 505 area code?

The 505 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 505 territory is Albuquerque (562,540 residents in Bernalillo County).

• Albuquerque, NM — 562,540 residents (49.4% of 505 numbers)
• Las Cruces, NM — 113,549 residents (10% of 505 numbers)
• Rio Rancho, NM — 104,048 residents (9.1% of 505 numbers)
• Santa Fe, NM — 88,193 residents (7.7% of 505 numbers)
• Roswell, NM — 46,771 residents (4.1% of 505 numbers)
• Farmington, NM — 46,424 residents (4.1% of 505 numbers)
• Clovis, NM — 38,967 residents (3.4% of 505 numbers)
• Hobbs, NM — 40,178 residents (3.5% of 505 numbers)
• Alamogordo, NM — 31,660 residents (2.8% of 505 numbers)
• Carlsbad, NM — 32,237 residents (2.8% of 505 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 505

All phone numbers within area code 505 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(505) 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 + 505 + 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 505 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 505

Original NANP code. Northwestern New Mexico. Overlay 575 (2007).

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 505 area code safe to answer?

Area code 505 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 505 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.