What is a country calling code?

A country calling code is the numeric prefix you dial before a national phone number to route a call to a specific country. For example, +1 reaches the United States and Canada, +44 reaches the United Kingdom, and +91 reaches India. The plus sign stands in for the international access code your network uses.

How do I dial an international number correctly?

Start with your exit or access code (or the + symbol on a mobile), add the destination country code, then the area or city code without its leading zero, and finally the local subscriber number. So a London line looks like +44 20 7946 0000.

What does the plus (+) sign mean in a phone number?

The + is a universal placeholder for the international dialing prefix. Saving numbers in +country-code format means they connect from any country without editing the access code, which is why it is the recommended way to store contacts.

Why do the United States and Canada share the country code +1?

Both countries belong to the North American Numbering Plan, a shared system that also covers several Caribbean nations. They use the same +1 country code but are separated by distinct three-digit area codes.

Do I need to remove the leading zero from a phone number when calling internationally?

Usually yes. Many countries print a trunk prefix, often a 0, for domestic calls. When dialing from abroad you drop that leading zero after the country code. For example, a UK mobile written as 07700 900000 becomes +44 7700 900000.

Which US area codes are most commonly associated with major business hubs?

212 and 646 cover Manhattan, 310 and 424 serve Los Angeles, 312 covers Chicago, 415 and 628 are San Francisco, and 202 is Washington D.C. If your business targets a specific US city, letsdial lets you acquire a virtual number with that city's area code to build local credibility.

How do US time zones affect scheduling calls through letsdial?

The contiguous US spans four main time zones: Eastern (ET, UTC-5/4), Central (CT, UTC-6/5), Mountain (MT, UTC-7/6), and Pacific (PT, UTC-8/7). Hawaii is UTC-10 and Alaska UTC-9. A call that's 9 AM Pacific is already noon Eastern, so letsdial's time-zone display helps you avoid calling outside US business hours.

Is SMS a reliable pre-call channel for reaching US contacts?

Yes — SMS remains the dominant pre-call messaging channel in the United States, with near-universal adoption across both iOS and Android devices. Sending a brief text before placing a letsdial call significantly increases answer rates, especially for cold outreach to US business numbers.

Can I get a US virtual number from letsdial if my business is based abroad?

Absolutely. letsdial provides US virtual numbers with real area codes that give your business a local American presence without a physical office. Incoming calls ring on your device anywhere in the world, and outbound calls display your US number as the caller ID, making international teams appear local to US customers.

Do US mobile numbers look different from landline numbers, and does letsdial treat them differently?

No — US mobile and landline numbers share the same 10-digit format (+1 area code 7-digit number) with no visual distinction. letsdial routes calls to both seamlessly; the underlying carrier determines whether the call lands on a mobile or fixed line without any change required on your end.

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United States

Country code

International prefix

The United States uses country code +1 under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), shared with Canada and several Caribbean nations. With 331 million people and the world's largest economy, a US local number is essential for any global business.

Best hours:9 AM – 6 PM ET

Language:English

Capital:Washington D.C.

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🇺🇸

United States

US · North America

dial code

Capital

Washington D.C.

Currency

USD ($)

Language

English

Population

335 million

Best calling window

9 AM – 6 PM ET

12 AM

12 PM

11 PM

Eastern / Central / Mountain / Pacific · UTC-5 to UTC-10

Country

United States

2 Digit ISO

Country Calling Code

ISO Alpha-3

USU

Loading map…

Washington D.C.

Capital

Live

Washington D.C.

--:--:-- --

Time Zone

Eastern / Central / Mountain / Pacific

Quick Facts

CurrencyUSD ($)

LanguageEnglish

Population335 million

GMT OffsetUTC-5 to UTC-10

Best Hours9 AM – 6 PM ET

Step by step

How to call United States from abroad

International dialing is a four-step process.
Use + on mobile to skip the exit code entirely.

Step 01

011

Exit code

Dial from US/Canada (or use +)

Step 02

Country code

United States international prefix

Step 03

212

Area / city code

Local routing prefix

Step 04

555-1234

Local number

Subscriber number

dialing-example.txt

International format

011—1—212—555-1234

Shorthand (works from any device): +1 212 555 1234

Why letsdial

Benefits of calling United States
with letsdial

Start free trial

Get a local +1 number

A US +1 caller ID with a recognisable area code (212 New York, 310 Los Angeles) signals a local presence and dramatically improves answer rates from American contacts.

United States and 50+ countries, one plan

Cover the US and 50+ global markets from one letsdial subscription — no per-state or per-city add-ons for any of the 50 states.

Full call analytics

Track every US call across ET, CT, MT, and PT time zones — answer rates, peak hours, and team performance all in one dashboard.

Works on any device

Mobile app, desktop, or IP phone — your +1 number works anywhere your team operates, from New York to California.

Unified Communications

One platform. Every call, message and team — connected.

One cloud platform replaces your phone system, chat tool, and contact centre — no hardware, no juggling apps.
Reach United States and 50+ countries from one dashboard.

50+

Countries covered

99.9%

Uptime SLA

2 min

Setup time

Hardware needed

Voice & Video Calls

Crystal-clear HD calls to United States and 50+ countries from one number.

Team Messaging

Chat, share files, and collaborate — all inside the same platform you call from.

Real-Time Analytics

Live dashboards for call volumes, answer rates, and agent performance.

Global Number Coverage

Local +1 numbers plus 50+ country codes — managed from one dashboard.

Format reference

United States & neighbouring countries

US numbers follow the North American Numbering Plan: +1 + 3-digit area code + 7-digit local number, always totalling 11 digits in international format. There is no trunk prefix to drop.

CountryLocal formatInternational format

United Statescurrent555-1234+1 212 555 1234

Canada555-1234+1 416 555 1234

United Kingdom7123 4567+44 20 7123 4567

Australia9123 4567+61 2 9123 4567

Mexico1234 5678+52 55 1234 5678

Germany1234 5678+49 30 1234 5678

Good to know

Tips for calling United States

4 things to check before you dial internationally

US numbers follow NXX-NXX-XXXX

All US numbers are 10 digits: 3-digit area code + 3-digit exchange + 4-digit subscriber number. From abroad, dial +1 + all 10 digits. The US uses no trunk prefix — never add a leading 0.

Text before you call

SMS is the dominant pre-call channel in the US — a brief text identifying yourself before calling significantly improves answer rates compared to a cold call from an unknown number.

Show a local US area code

US recipients are far more likely to answer calls from a familiar local area code. A letsdial US virtual number with the right area code (212 NY, 213 LA, 312 Chicago) dramatically lifts pickup rates.

The US spans 4 main time zones

The contiguous US spans ET (UTC-5), CT (UTC-6), MT (UTC-7), and PT (UTC-8). Always confirm your contact's state before scheduling — 9 AM ET means only 6 AM for a California contact.

Market data

United States communication insights

93%

Internet penetration

90% of the US population uses the internet, one of the highest rates globally.

97%

Mobile users

97% of Americans use mobile phones, with voice and data services widely accessible nationwide.

81%

Smartphone owners

81% of US adults own a smartphone, making mobile-first communication the business standard.

95%

Digital businesses

95% of US businesses have adopted digital tools for internal and external communication.

Global directory

List of Country Codes

50+ countries listed with their international dial prefix and ISO code.

Filter by letter or search to find any country code instantly.

United States calling FAQs

Frequently asked about United States

US numbers follow the format +1 (area code) (7-digit local number), with no trunk prefix needed. Simply dial +1 followed by the 10-digit number, for example +1-212-555-0100 for a New York City number. letsdial handles the international routing automatically when you enter the full E.164 format.

Get a local United States number

Get a local United States number in minutes.

Build trust with United States customers using a local +1 virtual phone number — from the same letsdial dashboard your whole team already uses.

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Looking up US area codes? Browse all US area codes →

United States

United States

How to call United States from abroad

Benefits of calling United Stateswith letsdial

Get a local +1 number

United States and 50+ countries, one plan

Full call analytics

Works on any device

One platform. Every call, message and team — connected.

United States & neighbouring countries

Tips for calling United States

US numbers follow NXX-NXX-XXXX

Text before you call

Show a local US area code

The US spans 4 main time zones

United States communication insights

List of Country Codes

Frequently asked about United States

Get a local United States number in minutes.

Benefits of calling United States
with letsdial