Area code 262

About area code 262

262 is one of 8 geographic area codes serving Wisconsin; NANPA records its in-service date as September 25, 1999. It is not part of an overlay, so every number in its territory starts with 262. It is in the Central time zone. The places with the most assigned exchanges include Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Lake Geneva, and West Bend. By population, its largest named places are Kenosha, Racine, Waukesha, Menomonee Falls, and West Bend.

Where 262 numbers are local

262 holds 17% of the 3,681 central office codes assigned in Wisconsin, the 4th most of the state's 8 codes. 48 Census places could be matched to rate centers with 262 exchanges; the most populous are Kenosha (99,578), Racine (78,057), Waukesha (71,461), and Menomonee Falls (40,700). For a storefront or service area inside 262, the place pages show which prefixes are rated local there.

Dialing 262 numbers

According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 262 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits. Ten-digit local dialing means the area code is part of how customers save and recognize your number, so print it in full everywhere. NANPA's dialing-plan note for this code reads: "1+10 digit permissible at service provider discretion."

Who holds 262 exchanges

47 carriers hold the 634 central office codes assigned in 262. Wisconsin Bell INC has the most, with 142 (22%). 485 of the codes (76%) are pooled, meaning the code holder shares blocks of 1,000 numbers with other carriers instead of using all 10,000 itself. Numbers can move between carriers through porting, so a code's holder tells you where the block started, not where every number lives now.

Local calling areas in 262

NANPA assigns each central office code to a rate center, the local calling area that decides whether a call is local or toll. 262 has codes in 60 rate centers. The table lists the rate centers with the most codes, with the matching Census place where the abbreviation could be matched.

How full is area code 262?

An area code has 800 possible central office codes that start with 2 through 9, a few of which are reserved (such as N11 service codes and 555). 634 are assigned in 262, 79% of 800. 105 were assigned in 2020 or later.

A local 262 number on Callata

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.

If you already have a number in area code 262, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.