Area Code 515

About Area Code 515

Area code 515 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Des Moines, Iowa. It operates in the Central time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Central Iowa.

Within Iowa, area code 515 shares numbering capacity with 4 other area codes. The state's 3,205,158-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 5 active codes, with 515 primarily responsible for the Des Moines region. Iowa's state capital is Des Moines, and its largest city is Des Moines.

When you receive a call from a 515 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 515 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 515 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 515 area code located?

Area code 515 is assigned to Des Moines, Iowa, in the Central time zone. The state of Iowa uses 5 active area codes, and 515 is one of them. Calls placed from the 515 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 515 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 515 area code?

The 515 area code serves 10 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 515 territory is Des Moines (212,031 residents in Polk County).

• Des Moines, IA — 212,031 residents (22.7% of 515 numbers)
• Cedar Rapids, IA — 137,710 residents (14.7% of 515 numbers)
• Davenport, IA — 101,724 residents (10.9% of 515 numbers)
• Sioux City, IA — 85,797 residents (9.2% of 515 numbers)
• Iowa City, IA — 74,828 residents (8% of 515 numbers)
• Waterloo, IA — 66,934 residents (7.2% of 515 numbers)
• Ames, IA — 66,371 residents (7.1% of 515 numbers)
• West Des Moines, IA — 67,899 residents (7.3% of 515 numbers)
• Council Bluffs, IA — 62,416 residents (6.7% of 515 numbers)
• Dubuque, IA — 59,547 residents (6.4% of 515 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 515

All phone numbers within area code 515 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(515) 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 + 515 + 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 515 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 515

Original NANP code. Central Iowa.

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 515 area code safe to answer?

Area code 515 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 515 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.