252 Area Code — North Carolina
252 is a North American Numbering Plan area code for North Carolina, the United States. It covers about 1,077,915 people in 196 towns and 218 ZIP codes, including Greenville, Rocky Mount and New Bern.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Area code | 252 |
| Country | United States (+1) |
| State / province | North Carolina |
| Type | Standalone (no other NANP code covers the same towns) |
| Time zone | Eastern |
| Population covered | 1,077,915 |
| Towns covered | 196 |
| ZIP codes | 218 |
| Approx. centre | 35.789, -77.024 |
Where area code 252 is used
Area code 252 is assigned to North Carolina, the United States, inside the North American Numbering Plan. Numbers in the code are written (252) NXX-XXXX at home and +1 252 NXX-XXXX when dialled from outside Canada and the United States. Since the NANP moved to 10-digit dialling you must always include the area code, even for a local call.
Towns and cities in area code 252
The 196 towns below are the largest in the 252 footprint, ranked by population. Every one of them links to its own page with the full list of area codes and ZIP codes for that town.
| Town | County | Population | ZIP codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | Pitt County | 115,121 | 5 |
| Rocky Mount | Edgecombe County | 70,300 | 5 |
| New Bern | Craven County | 67,743 | 5 |
| Wilson | Wilson County | 57,967 | 4 |
| Elizabeth City | Pasquotank County | 40,869 | 3 |
| Henderson | Vance County | 40,006 | 2 |
| Kinston | Lenoir County | 38,049 | 4 |
| Winterville | Pitt County | 27,471 | 1 |
| Roanoke Rapids | Halifax County | 24,958 | 1 |
| Washington | Beaufort County | 24,371 | 1 |
| Newport | Carteret County | 22,197 | 1 |
| Havelock | Craven County | 20,908 | 1 |
Counties covered
| County | ZIP codes |
|---|---|
| Pitt County | 16 |
| Carteret County | 16 |
| Currituck County | 15 |
| Dare County | 14 |
| Northampton County | 13 |
| Craven County | 12 |
| Edgecombe County | 10 |
| Wilson County | 10 |
| Pamlico County | 10 |
| Nash County | 9 |
| Bertie County | 8 |
| Beaufort County | 8 |
Nearby area codes
How to dial area code 252
- Within North America: 252 + 7-digit number (252-NXX-XXXX). The leading 1 is optional on a mobile phone and required on most landlines for long-distance.
- From abroad: your country's international prefix, then 1, then 252, then the 7-digit number — for example 00 1 252 NXX-XXXX from most of Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is 252?
252 is a North American Numbering Plan area code assigned to North Carolina, the United States. It covers about 1,077,915 people in 196 towns.
Is 252 a US or Canadian area code?
252 is a United States area code. Canada and the United States share the +1 country code, so both are part of the same numbering plan.
What time zone is area code 252 in?
Area code 252 is in the Eastern time zone.
Do I have to dial 10 digits?
Yes. Every NANP call now requires the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for a local call.