504 Area Code: A Guide to New Orleans, Louisiana

Quick answer: Area code 504 is the telephone code for the New Orleans metropolitan area in southeastern Louisiana. It covers New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, and Chalmette, spanning Orleans, most of Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes. One of the original 1947 area codes, it sits in the Central Time Zone and remains a single standalone code with no active overlay.

What is the 504 area code?

The 504 area code is the telephone prefix for the heart of southeastern Louisiana — the city of New Orleans and the closely knit parishes that surround it. It is one of the most recognizable codes in the South, tied to a city famous for its music, cuisine, and culture, and it covers a compact, densely populated metro rather than a sprawling region.

Unlike the 484 area code, an overlay that shares its territory with another code, 504 is a single standalone area code that has the New Orleans metro to itself. In fact, 504 is one of the original North American area codes from 1947 — it once covered the entire state of Louisiana, and over the decades it was gradually narrowed to the New Orleans area as other regions were split away.

That history makes 504 unusual among big-city area codes. Most major metros have long since needed overlays or splits that introduced a second or third code, but New Orleans has held onto a single, instantly recognizable prefix. For local businesses and residents, that means a 504 number carries genuine hometown identity — it is shorthand for the city itself, woven into everything from radio ads to restaurant signs.

Cities and parishes in the 504 area code

The 504 area code covers the New Orleans metro area, hugging the lower Mississippi River as it winds toward the Gulf of Mexico. It is geographically compact compared with most area codes, but it is one of the densest and most culturally distinct regions in the country.

Major cities and communities in the 504 area:

• New Orleans — Louisiana's largest city, the cultural capital of the Gulf South, home to the French Quarter, Mardi Gras, and a globally famous music and culinary scene
• Metairie — A large unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, effectively New Orleans's biggest suburb and a major commercial center
• Kenner — A Jefferson Parish city beside Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
• Gretna, Harvey, Marrero, and Westwego — West Bank communities across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans
• Chalmette and Arabi — St. Bernard Parish communities just downriver from the city
• Plaquemines Parish communities — The narrow stretch of land following the river toward its mouth at the Gulf

Parishes within the 504 service territory:

What makes the 504 footprint distinctive is its geography. The metro sits in the crescent of the lower Mississippi River, much of it at or below sea level and ringed by levees, lakes, and wetlands. That compact, water-bound layout packs a remarkable density of neighborhoods, suburbs, and river communities into a small area — from the historic core of New Orleans to the East Bank suburbs of Jefferson Parish, across the river to the West Bank, and downriver through St. Bernard and Plaquemines toward the Gulf.

The entire 504 coverage area observes Central Time (UTC−6 in winter, UTC−5 during DST). When scheduling calls between New Orleans and Eastern Time cities such as Atlanta or New York, remember that the 504 region runs one hour behind.

A short history of the 504 area code

Area code 504 has one of the longest histories in the country. In 1947, it was created as one of the original eighty-six North American area codes, and it served the entire state of Louisiana on its own.

As the state grew, 504's territory was repeatedly trimmed. In 1957, area code 318 was split off to serve the northern and western portions of Louisiana. For four decades afterward, 504 covered the entire southern half of the state, from Baton Rouge to the Gulf.

In 1998, area code 225 was split off to serve Baton Rouge and the surrounding capital region. Then, in 2001, area code 985 was split off to cover much of southeastern Louisiana — the North Shore, Houma, and Hammond — leaving 504 with the compact New Orleans metro it serves today.

Because the New Orleans area is now served by a single code with room still available, 504 remains free of any active overlay, though area code 826 has been reserved as a future relief code.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission, which oversees telephone numbering in the state, coordinates any future relief planning with the North American Numbering Plan Administration. The code also proved its resilience after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when New Orleans switching facilities were rebuilt and 504 service was fully restored across the recovering metro.

Key milestones:

• 1947 — 504 created as one of the original area codes, serving all of Louisiana
• 1957 — 318 split off for northern and western Louisiana
• 1998 — 225 split off for Baton Rouge and the capital region
• 2001 — 985 split off for southeastern Louisiana, leaving 504 for the New Orleans metro

Calling a 504 number

Because 504 is a single standalone area code, the New Orleans area historically allowed seven-digit local dialing. Today, dialing all ten digits is the reliable standard that connects every call, and it is the format you should save for every contact.

To avoid any failed calls, store every New Orleans contact with the full 504 area code. Any number saved as seven digits should be updated to the complete ten-digit format so it connects dependably from any phone or carrier.

Time zone tip: New Orleans observes Central Time — one hour behind Eastern Time (Atlanta, New York), one hour ahead of Mountain Time, and two hours ahead of Pacific Time. Houston, Dallas, and Chicago share the 504 region's Central Time Zone, which makes coordinating calls across the Gulf South and the central United States straightforward.

Why a 504 number is good for business

New Orleans pairs a world-famous tourism economy with a deep base of maritime trade, energy, and healthcare — a distinctive mix that makes a local 504 number a genuine asset for any business serving the region. Because the metro is served by a single, storied area code, a 504 prefix signals real local roots in a way that an out-of-state or toll-free number simply cannot, reassuring customers that they are dealing with a true New Orleans neighbor.

Reasons to choose a 504 area code number:

• Tourism and hospitality — New Orleans draws millions of visitors each year for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, conventions, and its restaurant and music scene, supporting a vast hospitality, events, and service economy
• Port and maritime logistics — The Port of New Orleans is one of the busiest in the United States, anchoring a shipping, warehousing, and supply-chain sector along the lower Mississippi
• Energy and offshore industry — The metro is a hub for Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations, support services, and the engineering firms that serve the offshore industry
• Healthcare and bioscience — Ochsner Health is one of the region's largest employers, and the New Orleans BioInnovation District has built a growing life-sciences cluster around it
• Virtual reach — Just as businesses reach northwest Arkansas through a 479 area code number without an office there, a virtual 504 number routes calls to any device and connects you with New Orleans from any location

504 area code scam calls to watch for

Because 504 is instantly recognized as a New Orleans number, scammers spoof it to appear local and trustworthy. Neighbor spoofing — displaying a 504 number with a prefix matching your own exchange — is especially effective in a metro where the single area code is so familiar.

Common 504 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
• Utility shutoff threats — Callers posing as Entergy New Orleans 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
• Disaster relief and FEMA scams — Fraudsters posing as FEMA agents, insurers, or contractors after hurricanes and floods, a recurring threat across the storm-prone New Orleans region

How to protect yourself:

• Let unknown 504 calls go to voicemail and verify the caller independently before returning the call
• No government agency, utility, or relief organization 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 504 scam calls to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov

The 504 area code in brief

• The 504 area code covers the New Orleans metropolitan area in southeastern Louisiana, a compact and densely populated region
• It is one of the original 1947 area codes and once served the entire state of Louisiana
• The entire 504 region observes Central Time — one hour behind Eastern Time and two hours ahead of Pacific Time
• It remains a single standalone code with no active overlay, with 826 reserved for future relief
• The economy is anchored by tourism, the Port of New Orleans, energy, and healthcare
• Major cities include New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, and Chalmette
• Common scam types include IRS fraud, Social Security calls, utility shutoff threats, Medicare fraud, and disaster-relief scams

Frequently asked questions about the 504 area code