483 Area Code: A Guide to Central and Southeast Alabama

Quick answer: Area code 483 is the newest area code for central and southeast Alabama, introduced in 2026 as an all-services overlay for area code 334. It covers Montgomery, Auburn, Opelika, Dothan, and Phenix City, across the same territory as 334. The entire region sits in the Central Time Zone, and ten-digit dialing is mandatory. Every existing 334 number stays exactly the same.

What is the 483 area code?

The 483 area code is the latest telephone prefix for the central and southeastern portion of Alabama, anchored by the state capital of Montgomery and stretching across the Auburn-Opelika and Dothan regions. It is an all-services overlay, which means it shares the exact same geographic area as the long-established 334 code rather than carving out a new territory.

Like the 475 area code, which overlays 203 across southwestern Connecticut, 483 was added on top of an existing code instead of through a geographic split. When 334's supply of available numbers began to run low, regulators layered 483 over the same region so that growth could continue without anyone losing their current number.

For residents and businesses, the practical effect of an overlay is simple: nothing about an existing 334 number changes. Phones, contracts, business cards, and saved contacts all stay the same.

The only difference is that newly issued lines may carry the 483 prefix, and everyone in the region dials ten digits for every call. Over time, 334 and 483 numbers will sit side by side throughout the same neighborhoods, schools, and offices, with no way to tell from the area code alone how long a number has been in service.

Where is the 483 area code located?

The 483 area code covers the southern half of Alabama, from the capital region around Montgomery east to the Georgia border and south into the Wiregrass. It shares its footprint with 334, spanning the Montgomery, Auburn-Opelika, and Dothan metropolitan areas along with Phenix City and the Alabama side of the Columbus, Georgia metro.

Major cities in the 483/334 area:

• Montgomery — Alabama's capital and second-largest city, a center of state government, automotive manufacturing, and pivotal civil rights history
• Auburn and Opelika — A fast-growing university and manufacturing corridor anchored by Auburn University in Lee County
• Dothan — The hub of the Wiregrass region in the far southeast, known as the "Peanut Capital of the World" and a regional healthcare center
• Phenix City — A riverfront city on the Georgia line, part of the greater Columbus metropolitan area
• Prattville and Pike Road — Rapidly expanding suburban communities in the Montgomery metro
• Selma — A historic Black Belt city on the Alabama River, internationally known for the 1965 voting-rights marches
• Troy, Enterprise, Eufaula, and Tuskegee — Smaller cities that round out the region's universities, military communities, and agricultural towns

Counties within the 483 service territory:

The region the 483 code serves is unusually varied for a single overlay. It joins a growing state capital and automotive hub in Montgomery, a booming university corridor in Auburn-Opelika, and the agricultural Wiregrass around Dothan, alongside the historic Black Belt communities of Selma and Tuskegee. That mix of government, manufacturing, education, agriculture, and deep civil rights heritage gives the 334/483 footprint a character that ranges from fast-growing suburbs to small rural towns, all now sharing the same two area codes.

The entire 483 coverage area observes Central Time (UTC−6 in winter, UTC−5 during DST). When scheduling calls between central Alabama and Eastern Time cities such as Atlanta or the neighboring Columbus, Georgia, remember that the 483 region runs one hour behind.

Why was the 483 area code created?

Alabama started the telephone era with one area code. In 1947, when AT&T established the North American Numbering Plan, the entire state was assigned area code 205. For nearly five decades, a single code covered all of Alabama.

In 1995, area code 334 was split from 205 to serve the southern half of the state, including Montgomery and the Gulf Coast. The new code earned a small place in history as the first "interchangeable" area code — the first to use a middle digit other than 0 or 1 — a sign of just how quickly numbers were being used up nationwide.

In 2001, area code 251 was split from 334 to serve the southwestern Gulf Coast around Mobile, leaving 334 to cover central and southeast Alabama on its own. That arrangement held for more than two decades as the Montgomery, Auburn, and Dothan regions grew.

The combination of mobile phones, additional business lines, and steady population growth eventually pushed 334 toward exhaustion. The Alabama Public Service Commission, which oversees telephone numbering in the state, approved area code 483 as an all-services overlay in 2024, and the new code went into service in February 2026 with ten-digit dialing already mandatory.

Key milestones:

• 1947 — Alabama assigned a single area code, 205, for the entire state
• 1995 — 334 split from 205 to serve southern Alabama, the first interchangeable area code
• 2001 — 251 split from 334 for the Gulf Coast, leaving 334 for central and southeast Alabama
• 2026 — 483 activated as the first all-services overlay for 334, with mandatory ten-digit dialing

How to dial a 483 number

Because 483 overlays 334 across the same territory, ten-digit dialing is mandatory for every call in central and southeast Alabama — including calls between neighbors in the same town. Ten-digit dialing became required across the region in January 2026, ahead of the overlay's launch.

Any contact saved with only a seven-digit number should be updated to the full ten-digit format. Calls placed without the area code will no longer connect, so adding the prefix to your saved contacts prevents dropped or failed calls.

Time zone tip: Central and southeast Alabama observes Central Time — one hour behind Eastern Time (Atlanta, the Florida Panhandle's eastern edge), one hour ahead of Mountain Time, and two hours ahead of Pacific Time. Birmingham and the rest of Alabama share the 483 region's Central Time Zone.

Getting a 483 number for your business

Central and southeast Alabama blends state government, major manufacturing, military aviation, and a strong university presence into a diverse regional economy — one where a recognized local number signals that a business truly belongs to the community. With 483 still brand-new, securing a number in the overlay also positions a business as current and forward-looking, while a matching 334 or 483 prefix reassures local customers that they are dealing with a genuine neighbor rather than an out-of-state caller.

Reasons to choose a 483 area code number:

• Automotive manufacturing — Hyundai's large assembly plant in Montgomery anchors a deep network of automotive suppliers and logistics firms across the region, creating constant demand for local vendor relationships
• Aerospace and defense — Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery and the U.S. Army's aviation community near Enterprise make defense and aviation a major regional employer, supporting contractors and service providers
• Higher education — Auburn University, Troy University, Tuskegee University, and Alabama State University in Montgomery together enroll tens of thousands of students and fuel demand for housing, technology, and professional services
• Agriculture and the Wiregrass economy — Dothan and the surrounding Wiregrass form one of the South's most productive peanut and row-crop regions, supporting an agribusiness, equipment, and food-processing sector
• Virtual reach — Just as businesses reach northwest Arkansas through a 479 area code number without an office there, a virtual 483 number routes calls to any device and connects you with central Alabama from any location

How to spot and avoid 483 scam calls

Because 483 is a brand-new code, scammers are quick to spoof it to appear local and current. Neighbor spoofing — displaying a 483 or 334 number with a prefix matching your own town — is especially effective while the new code is still unfamiliar to residents.

Common 483 scam types to watch for:

• IRS and tax fraud — Callers threatening immediate arrest over unpaid taxes, a high-pressure tactic aimed at residents and small-business owners
• Social Security suspension fraud — Automated messages claiming your Social Security number has been suspended, frequently targeting older residents across the Wiregrass and Black Belt
• Utility shutoff threats — Callers posing as Alabama Power representatives demanding same-day payment to prevent electricity disconnection
• Medicare and health insurance fraud — Scammers offering fake benefits or "free" equipment to capture Medicare numbers from older residents
• Veteran benefit scams — Fraudsters posing as VA staff or benefit advisers, targeting the region's large military and veteran community around Maxwell Air Force Base and Fort Novosel

How to protect yourself:

• Let unknown 483 calls go to voicemail and verify the caller independently before returning the call
• No government agency, utility, or legitimate employer will demand payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency during an unsolicited call
• Confirm any organization through the contact details listed on its official website
• Report suspected 483 scam calls to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov

483 area code: key facts

• The 483 area code covers central and southeast Alabama, sharing its territory with 334 as an all-services overlay
• It was introduced in 2026 after the Alabama Public Service Commission approved relief for the 334 region
• The entire 483 region observes Central Time — one hour behind Eastern Time and two hours ahead of Pacific Time
• Ten-digit dialing is mandatory throughout the 334/483 region for every local and long-distance call
• The economy is anchored by automotive manufacturing, military aviation, higher education, and Wiregrass agriculture
• Major cities include Montgomery, Auburn, Opelika, Dothan, and Phenix City
• All existing 334 numbers stay the same — 483 is assigned only to new lines going forward

Frequently asked questions about the 483 area code