USA CALLING GUIDE

Calling to USA

• General Tips for Calling to the U.S.A. from abroad
• Instructions for Calling to Cities within the U.S.A.
• Instructions for Calling to Cell Phones in the U.S.A.

Making Calls while in USA

• General Tips for Making Phone Calls within the U.S.A.
• Tips for Calling Internationally from The U.S.A.

Making Calls while in USA

• Information About the U.S.A.’s Telephone System
• Important Phone Numbers To Know if Traveling to the U.S.A.
• Other Important Information to Know About the U.S.A.
• Fun Facts About USA

It’s easy to save money calling to and from the U.S.A.  One way is to use our U.S. calling cards. Another way is to keep reading for great tips!

General Tips for Calling to the U.S.A. from abroad

STEP 1: Dial the international access code (00 in many countries).

STEP 2: Dial the U.S.A.’s country code, 1.

STEP 3: Dial the area code (3 digits).

STEP 4: Dial the local subscriber number (7 digits).

If you are unable to connect, dial 00 for the aid of an international operator. 

Instructions for Calling to Cities within the U.S.A.

If you are calling a city in the U.S.A. from abroad, be sure to begin with the international access code of the country you’re calling from, followed by the U.S.A’s country code, 1.  Next, you’ll need to dial the area code and local subscriber number.  e.g. For a call to Boston from London, begin with 00 (the UK’s international access code), followed by 1-617-xxx-xxxx.  For a call to Las Vegas from London, dial 00-1-702-xxx-xxxx.

If you are calling domestic long-distance, simply dial 1, followed by the area code and subscriber number.  e.g. For a call from Boston to Las Vegas, dial 1-702-xxx-xxxx.  For local calls, many states require that you still dial 1 and the area code before the subscriber number.  In a handful of states, you can simply dial the 7-digit subscriber number, but you can also use the longer format.  e.g. For a local call within downtown Chicago, you may dial just the subscriber number, xxx-xxxx, or 1-312-xxx-xxxx.  Either works!  Remember that this applies to just a few states; most states require that you dial 1 and the area code before the subscriber number: 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Here is a list of major area codes in the U.S.A.:

Instructions for Calling to Cell Phones in the U.S.A.

Calling a cellular phone in the U.S.A. is simple – it’s no different from calling a land line.  Cellular phones have area codes based on their primary calling area.  As with calling a land line internationally, you would need to dial the international access code, country code, area code, and subscriber number to reach an American cell phone from abroad. e.g. For a call from Mexico City to a cell phone in San Diego, dial 00-1-619-xxx-xxxx.  If calling the same cell phone from within the U.S., simply dial 1-619-xxx-xxxx.