Area code 302

About area code 302

302 is one of 1 geographic area codes serving Delaware; NANPA records its in-service date as January 1, 1947. It is not part of an overlay, so every number in its territory starts with 302. It is in the Eastern time zone. The places with the most assigned exchanges include Wilmington, Newark, Dover, New Castle, and Georgetown. By population, its largest named places are Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Middletown, and Milford.

Cities and towns in area code 302

302 holds 100% of the 656 central office codes assigned in Delaware, the most of any code in the state. 26 Census places could be matched to rate centers with 302 exchanges; the most populous are Wilmington (73,176), Dover (40,191), Newark (30,506), and Middletown (25,686). Each place page lists the exact prefixes and carriers for that town.

How calls are dialed in 302

According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 302 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits. Because local calls need the area code, business cards, signage and website copy should always show the full ten-digit number. NANPA's dialing-plan note for this code reads: "1+10 digit permissible at service provider discretion."

Carriers with 302 numbers

32 carriers hold the 656 central office codes assigned in 302. Verizon Delaware, INC. has the most, with 172 (26%). 500 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. The code holder is not necessarily the carrier serving a given number today, since numbers can be ported between providers.

Where 302 numbers are rated

NANPA assigns each central office code to a rate center, the local calling area that decides whether a call is local or toll. 302 has codes in 30 rate centers. Rate center names in the file are abbreviations; where one matches a Census place, the table links to that city's local-number page.

How full is area code 302?

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). 656 are assigned in 302, 82% of 800. 95 were assigned in 2020 or later.

Using area code 302 for business calls

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in area code 302 is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.