CallataGuidesGet a local business phone number in Decatur, AL
Decatur's area codes, prefixes and carriers from NANPA records, and how to put a Decatur number in front of your customers.
- Area code
- 256 / 938
- Exchanges
- 67NANPA-assigned
- Carriers
- 16
- Population
- 57,974Census 2024 est.
Decatur area codes
With 57,974 residents in the Census 2024 estimate, Decatur sits in Morgan County, Alabama. NANPA lists 67 exchanges for its rate center across 2 area codes; 256 has the most (50, 75%). 256 is part of an overlay with 938, so a new local number in Decatur may carry any of those codes depending on which have numbers available. Decatur is in the Central time zone.
According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 256 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits.
Decatur exchanges by carrier
16 carriers hold the 67 exchanges assigned to Decatur's rate center. New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - Ga has the most, with 23. 50 of them are pooled codes, which the holder shares with other carriers in blocks of 1,000 numbers. A business number in Decatur can come from any of these blocks; once it is yours, porting lets it move between providers.
| Carrier (NANPA operating company) | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - Ga | 23 | 34% |
| Bellsouth Telecomm INC d/b/a South Central Bell Tel | 15 | 22% |
| Powertel Birmingham Licenses, INC. | 5 | 7.5% |
| Onvoy, LLC - Al | 5 | 7.5% |
| Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless - Al | 4 | 6.0% |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 3 | 4.5% |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC - Al | 3 | 4.5% |
| Metropcs, INC. | 1 | 1.5% |
| Spok, INC. | 1 | 1.5% |
| Centurylink Communications LLC - Al | 1 | 1.5% |
| Charter Ip Enabled Services, LLC | 1 | 1.5% |
| Shelcomm | 1 | 1.5% |
Carrier names are the operating company (OCN) names on NANPA's utilized central office code file dated 10/01/2026. A carrier holding a code may port numbers to other carriers.
Decatur phone prefixes
A prefix (NXX) is the three digits after the area code. Numbers starting with these prefixes are rated as local to Decatur. The earliest assignment date recorded in the file for these codes is 2001. 25 of the 67 were assigned in 2020 or later.
| Area code | Prefixes (NXX) |
|---|---|
| 256 | 209, 214, 221, 227, 250, 260, 274, 280, 301, 303, 306, 308, 309, 318, 340, 341, 345, 350, 351, 353, 355, 416, 432, 445, 466, 476, 552, 556, 560, 565, 566, 580, 584, 606, 616, 621, 642, 654, 686, 791, 821, 822, 898, 916, 938, 941, 957, 973, 986, 994 |
| 938 | 219, 228, 230, 250, 260, 265, 272, 277, 286, 291, 298, 305, 306, 307, 322, 329, 444 |
Source: NANPA utilized central office code file.
When Decatur's exchanges were assigned
Assignment dates show when each block of Decatur numbers was added to the local supply.
| Decade assigned | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9 | 25% |
| 2010s | 2 | 5.6% |
| 2020s | 25 | 69% |
Assignment dates as recorded in NANPA's utilized code file; codes without a recorded date are excluded.
How local numbers work in Decatur
Phone numbers are tied to a rate center, the local calling area used to decide whether a call is local or toll. Decatur's numbers are rated to the DECATUR rate center in NANPA's records. A business number from one of the prefixes above shows up on customers' phones as a Decatur number.
New local numbers are drawn from carrier inventory, so the exact 256 numbers available change over time; porting an existing number is free.
The local business market
Decatur is part of the Decatur, AL metro area, home to 160,000 people in 2024. County Business Patterns counted 3,092 business establishments in the Decatur, AL metro area in 2023, employing 51,514 people. The largest sectors by establishment count are retail trade (547), health care and social assistance (389), and other services (except public administration) (332).
| Industry | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited-service restaurants | 129 | 2,617 | 20.3 |
| Physician practices | 79 | 644 | 8.2 |
| Full-service restaurants | 77 | 1,695 | 22.0 |
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors | 71 | 1,172 | 16.5 |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 54 | — | — |
| Electrical contractors | 46 | 803 | 17.5 |
| Law offices | 42 | 119 | 2.8 |
| Dental offices | 41 | 314 | 7.7 |
Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Business phone service in Decatur
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 Decatur, 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.
Per-seat phone plans multiply by headcount. For the rounded average establishment size in the Decatur, AL metro area, 17 users on RingCentral RingEX Core come to $510.00 a month and on Ooma Office Pro $424.15, at month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026. On Callata the same 17 people cost $339.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $339.00 | $4,068.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $323.00 | $3,876.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $391.00 | $4,692.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $424.15 | $5,089.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $459.00 | $5,508.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $510.00 | $6,120.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is Decatur, AL?
Decatur has exchanges in 256 and 938; 256 has the most.
How many phone companies have exchanges in Decatur?
16, holding 67 exchanges between them, according to NANPA's 10/01/2026 file.
Can I keep my existing Decatur business number?
Yes. Porting an existing number to Callata is free. Texting from it starts after carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee.
How much is a business phone line in Decatur?
Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, with up to 3 local numbers; 17 users come to $339.00 a month. For comparison, 17 users on RingCentral RingEX Core list at $510.00 a month (checked September 28, 2026).