WASHINGTON · AREA CODE GUIDE
253 area code location: Tacoma, Kent, and Auburn, Washington
- Local date and time
- Pacific Time
Map data: HSIP (2010) · NANPA · US Census Bureau, checked 26 September 2026. Boundaries are approximate.
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Download the 253 area code map
A printable area code 253 location map, with time zone and state. Use the PNG image in a document or slide; the SVG stays sharp at any size.
253 area code at a glance
- State
- Washington
- Primary cities
- Tacoma, Kent, and Auburn
- Established
- Population
- Largest community: Tacoma, 229,816 (2025)Not an area-code population.
- Prefixes in service
- 508 as of 13 October 2026
An area code does not show where a caller is now.
History
Country and calling code: United States (+1).
Parent code: 206.
New code planned: No, as of 22 September 2026.
Time zone
- Pacific Time
- Standard time UTC−08:00
- Daylight saving time UTC−07:00
Counties and cities covered
253 numbers are issued across 10 communities. These are telephone exchange areas, which follow the phone network rather than city limits, so a place can sit just outside the boundary of the town it is named for.
Counties of the communities we could place (the code may reach further): Pierce County and King County.
- Tacoma
- Kent
- Auburn
- Puyallup
- Des Moines
- Gig Harbor
- Sumner
- Roy
- Graham
- Tacoma-Waverly
Notable places in 253
| Place | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Base Lewis-McChord | 14.0 km from Roy | Military base |
| McChord Field | 12.8 km from Tacoma | Military base |
| Fort Lewis | 10.5 km from Roy | Military base |
| University of Puget Sound | 2.0 km from Tacoma | College, 2,006 12-month enrollment (2023–24) |
| Tacoma Dome | 3.0 km from Tacoma | Arena |
| Tacoma Narrows Airport | 7.8 km from Gig Harbor | Airport |
| Gray Army Airfield | 10.4 km from Roy | Airport |
| Port of Tacoma | 4.0 km from Tacoma | Port |
| Norman Grier Field | 8.8 km from Auburn | Airport |
| Museum of Glass | 2.1 km from Tacoma | Museum |
Questions about 253
Where is the 253 area code?
253 is in Washington. Its numbers are issued in Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, and 7 other communities.
What time zone is area code 253 in?
253 is in Pacific Time. Daylight saving time is observed.
What cities are in the 253 area code?
Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, Puyallup, and Des Moines, and 5 other communities.
What state is area code 253 in?
Area code 253 is in Washington.
What counties are covered by area code 253?
Area code 253 covers communities in Pierce County and King County.
Is 253 a toll-free area code?
No. 253 is a geographic area code. The toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888.
Sources: NANPA area code listing, NANPA places by area code, NANPA central office code assignments, U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, OMB metropolitan area delineations. Checked .
Business phone numbers in area code 253, answered by an AI agent
A local number for Tacoma, Kent, and Auburn, Washington, with an AI receptionist that takes caller details, answers the questions you give it, and books appointments. Numbers depend on what carriers have left.