What Is the US Country Code? How to Call the USA From Anywhere
4 min read
Whether you're calling a friend in New York, filling in an international form or getting a US number for your business, you'll need the code for the United States. Here are the short answers first, then everything else you need to call the US from anywhere.
What is the US number code?
The US number code, officially the country calling code, is +1. You add it in front of a US phone number when you call from outside the United States and Canada. A full US number written internationally looks like this: +1 212 555 0100.
The US shares +1 with other countries
One thing surprises many people: +1 isn't only for the United States. It belongs to the North American Numbering Plan, which also covers Canada and a number of Caribbean countries and territories. Every number in the plan starts with +1, and the area code tells you which country it's in.
That's why a call from +1 416 is from Toronto, Canada, and a call from +1 876 is from Jamaica, even though both start with +1. If you don't recognize an area code, look it up before calling back, since some Caribbean codes are used in scams that rack up international charges.
How to call the US from another country Calling the US from abroad takes three parts: your country's exit code, the US country code (1) and the ten-digit US number.
Exit code + 1 + area code + number
Get a US number without living in the US
If you call the US often, there's a simpler option than dialing +1 from abroad every time: get a US phone number of your own. A virtual US number works over the internet, so you can use it from anywhere.
To the people you call, it looks like any other US number. It's a good fit if you:
• Have family or friends in the US and want them to reach you on a familiar number.
• Work with US clients and want a number they're comfortable calling back.
• Run a business selling to Americans from another country.
• Recently moved abroad and want to stay reachable for US contacts. For yourself: the Second Number app
Download Second Number from the App Store or Google Play. There's no account to create: pick the United States as your country, choose your number and start using unlimited calling and texting from your new US line.
For your team: Second Number for Teams Create a free account at 2ndnumber.co and have your organization verified. Then add credit, search US and Canada numbers by area code and assign each number to a team member. Your team can take US calls in the browser from wherever they work.
Frequently asked questions
Is the US country code 1 or 001? The country code is 1. The "00" you see in "001" is the exit code used in many countries, not part of the US code. On a mobile phone, "+1" works everywhere.
Do the US and Canada have the same country code? Yes. Both use +1, along with several Caribbean countries. The three-digit area code tells you which country a number belongs to.
How many digits is a US phone number? Ten digits: a three-digit area code, a three-digit prefix and a four-digit line number. With the country code, it's 11 digits.
Do I need to dial +1 when calling within the US? No. Within the US, you dial 1 plus the area code and number for long-distance calls, or just the ten digits for many local calls.
Can I get a US phone number if I live outside the US? Yes. A virtual US number from the Second Number app works anywhere you have an internet connection.
Get your US number today
For yourself: download Second Number, pick the United States and choose your number. No account needed.
Download on the App Store · Get it on Google Play