274 Area Code: Green Bay, Appleton & NE Wisconsin

The 274 area code covers the northeastern corner of Wisconsin — from Green Bay, home of the Packers and the Fox River paper mills, south through the Fox Cities of Appleton and Oshkosh, out to Sheboygan and Fond du Lac on Lake Michigan, and up the Door County peninsula. It is the newest overlay of 920, so the two codes share the exact same 18-county region across the bay, the lakeshore, and the Fox River Valley.

This guide explains where 274 reaches, how the 920 overlay works, the northeastern-Wisconsin region it serves, the nearby area codes, how businesses use a 274 number, and how to get one from anywhere.

Where is the 274 area code?

The 274 area code covers the northeastern third of Wisconsin — the broad sweep of the state along Lake Michigan and Green Bay, from the Door County peninsula in the north down to the edge of the Milwaukee metro. It entered service on May 5, 2023 as an overlay on top of the older 920.

Cities and towns inside the 274/920 footprint include:

274 and the 920 overlay

The 920 area code was created in 1997 from a split of southeastern Wisconsin's 414. When 920 began to run low, regulators added 274 as an overlay in 2023 rather than split northeastern Wisconsin again. A 274 number covers the exact same northeastern-Wisconsin geography as a 920 — the two simply share the territory. Because two codes overlap, 10-digit dialing is required for every local call.

A 920 number is the older, more established of the pair; a 274 is the newer code, just beginning to roll out. For a neighboring southeastern-Wisconsin code, see the 262 area code around Kenosha and Racine.

Northeastern Wisconsin: the bay, the lakeshore, and the Fox Valley

The 274 region is a string of distinct industrial and lake cities. Green Bay — the smallest market in the NFL — anchors a paper, shipping, and meatpacking economy at the mouth of the Fox River. The Fox Cities of Appleton, Neenah, and Oshkosh form a fast-growing manufacturing corridor up the river toward Lake Winnebago, where Oshkosh hosts the EAA AirVenture fly-in every summer.

East on Lake Michigan, Sheboygan and Manitowoc carry a shipbuilding and lakeshore heritage, and to the north the Door County peninsula draws cherry orchards, harbors, and weekend tourism.

Area codes near 274

Northeastern Wisconsin borders the rest of the state and reaches across Lake Michigan, so 274's neighbors include:

• 920 — the same northeastern-Wisconsin region (274's overlay partner).
• 262 — the suburbs between Milwaukee and the Illinois line, to the south.
• 414 — Milwaukee proper, to the south (the parent code of 920).
• 608 / 353 — Madison and southwestern Wisconsin, to the west.
• 715 / 534 — northern Wisconsin, across the top of the state.

Business uses for a 274 number

A 274 number works as a local identity across northeastern Wisconsin. Businesses put one to use in a few common ways:

• Local support line — Green Bay and Appleton customers reach you on a number they recognize.
• Sales and outreach — a 274 caller ID earns more callbacks than an unknown out-of-state number.
• Local marketing — a 274 number on an ad or vehicle reads as northeastern-Wisconsin local.
• Multi-location — give each branch its own local number while routing to one team.

You do not need an office on Green Bay's Washington Street to set this up. My Country Mobile can assign you a 274 number and route it to the phones, laptops, and apps your team already uses, anywhere in the world.

Dialing and time zone

Because 274 and 920 share one region, 10-digit dialing is required — every local call needs the full area code. The 274 area code sits in the Central Time Zone (CT) — America/Chicago — observing CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer, the same clock as Chicago and Milwaukee.

Staying safe from 274 scam calls

Like any local code, 274 gets spoofed. Scammers fake a 274 caller ID — sometimes matching the first digits of your own number — so a call looks like a nearby business or county office. A 274 on your screen does not prove the caller is really in Wisconsin.

A few habits keep you safe:

• Let unknown 274 calls go to voicemail; legitimate callers leave a message.
• Never share one-time codes, card numbers, or login details with an inbound caller.
• Be wary of "utility shutoff," "warrant," or refund-style calls that pressure you to act fast.
• Use carrier spam filtering. The FCC's STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework is why many phones now flag these as "Spam Risk."

How to get a 274 number

Getting a 274 line takes minutes, with no Wisconsin address required. A cloud phone provider can assign you one and route calls to the devices your team already uses:

1. Sign up for a free account — no card needed to browse inventory.
2. Search 274 (or 920) and pick a number from available northeastern-Wisconsin inventory.
3. Choose a plan by seat count and features.
4. Route and go live — send calls to a cell, desk phone, or softphone.

Porting an existing 274 or 920 number runs 5–10 business days in the background while you stay live on a temporary number.

Key takeaways

• 274 covers northeastern Wisconsin — Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, and Door County.
• It is the newest overlay of 920 (since 2023), which makes 10-digit dialing required.
• The region runs on paper and shipbuilding, the Fox River Valley, Lake Michigan ports, and the Packers.
• 274 sits in Central Time; its neighbors include 920, 262, 414, and 715.
• A 274 number signals a genuine northeastern-Wisconsin presence and can be held from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions