Area Code 601

About Area Code 601

Area code 601 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Jackson, Mississippi. It operates in the Central time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Central & southern Mississippi. Overlay 769 (2005).

Within Mississippi, area code 601 shares numbering capacity with 3 other area codes. The state's 2,939,690-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 4 active codes, with 601 primarily responsible for the Jackson region. Mississippi's state capital is Jackson, and its largest city is Jackson.

When you receive a call from a 601 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 601 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 601 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 601 area code located?

Area code 601 is assigned to Jackson, Mississippi, in the Central time zone. The state of Mississippi uses 4 active area codes, and 601 is one of them. Calls placed from the 601 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 601 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 601 area code?

The 601 area code serves 9 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 601 territory is Jackson (143,752 residents in Hinds County).

• Jackson, MS — 143,752 residents (28.5% of 601 numbers)
• Gulfport, MS — 72,926 residents (14.5% of 601 numbers)
• Southaven, MS — 56,231 residents (11.1% of 601 numbers)
• Biloxi, MS — 49,319 residents (9.8% of 601 numbers)
• Hattiesburg, MS — 48,082 residents (9.5% of 601 numbers)
• Tupelo, MS — 38,459 residents (7.6% of 601 numbers)
• Olive Branch, MS — 39,565 residents (7.8% of 601 numbers)
• Greenville, MS — 28,836 residents (5.7% of 601 numbers)
• Horn Lake, MS — 27,322 residents (5.4% of 601 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 601

All phone numbers within area code 601 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(601) 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 + 601 + 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 601 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 601

Original NANP code. Central & southern Mississippi. Overlay 769 (2005).

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 601 area code safe to answer?

Area code 601 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 601 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.