Area Code 901

About Area Code 901

Area code 901 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Memphis, Tennessee. It operates in the Central time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Memphis & western Tennessee.

Within Tennessee, area code 901 shares numbering capacity with 6 other area codes. The state's 7,126,744-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 7 active codes, with 901 primarily responsible for the Memphis region. Tennessee's state capital is Nashville, and its largest city is Nashville.

When you receive a call from a 901 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 901 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 901 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 901 area code located?

Area code 901 is assigned to Memphis, Tennessee, in the Central time zone. The state of Tennessee uses 7 active area codes, and 901 is one of them. Calls placed from the 901 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 901 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 901 area code?

The 901 area code serves 11 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 901 territory is Memphis (621,056 residents in Shelby County).

• Memphis, TN — 621,056 residents (26.3% of 901 numbers)
• Nashville, TN — 689,447 residents (29.2% of 901 numbers)
• Knoxville, TN — 192,648 residents (8.2% of 901 numbers)
• Chattanooga, TN — 181,099 residents (7.7% of 901 numbers)
• Clarksville, TN — 176,108 residents (7.5% of 901 numbers)
• Murfreesboro, TN — 157,084 residents (6.7% of 901 numbers)
• Franklin, TN — 83,454 residents (3.5% of 901 numbers)
• Jackson, TN — 67,191 residents (2.8% of 901 numbers)
• Johnson City, TN — 71,046 residents (3% of 901 numbers)
• Bartlett, TN — 57,910 residents (2.5% of 901 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 901

All phone numbers within area code 901 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(901) 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 + 901 + 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 901 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 901

Original NANP code. Memphis & western Tennessee.

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 901 area code safe to answer?

Area code 901 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 901 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.