CallataGuidesGet a local business phone number in Columbus, WI
Columbus's area codes, prefixes and carriers from NANPA records, and how to put a Columbus number in front of your customers.
- Area code
- 920 / 274
- Exchanges
- 5NANPA-assigned
- Carriers
- 5
- Population
- 5,429Census 2024 est.
Area codes in Columbus
Columbus, in Columbia County, Wisconsin, had a Census-estimated population of 5,429 in July 2024. NANPA lists 5 exchanges for its rate center across 2 area codes; 920 has the most (4, 80%). 920 is part of an overlay with 274, so a new local number in Columbus may carry any of those codes depending on which have numbers available. Columbus is in the Central time zone.
According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 920 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits.
Who holds Columbus phone exchanges
5 carriers hold the 5 exchanges assigned to Columbus's rate center. T-mobile USA, INC. has the most, with 1. 5 of them are pooled codes, which the holder shares with other carriers in blocks of 1,000 numbers. A business number in Columbus can come from any of these blocks; once it is yours, porting lets it move between providers.
| Carrier (NANPA operating company) | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| T-mobile USA, INC. | 1 | 20% |
| Charter Ip Enabled Services, LLC | 1 | 20% |
| Wisconsin Bell INC | 1 | 20% |
| Teleport Communications America, LLC Wi | 1 | 20% |
| United States Cellular - Wi | 1 | 20% |
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.
Local prefixes for Columbus
Each prefix below is a block of up to 10,000 numbers that NANPA assigned to Columbus's rate center (COLUMBUS). The earliest assignment date recorded in the file for these codes is 2005. 1 of the 5 were assigned in 2020 or later.
| Area code | Prefixes (NXX) |
|---|---|
| 274 | 205 |
| 920 | 350, 623, 626, 630 |
Source: NANPA utilized central office code file.
When Columbus's exchanges were assigned
Assignment dates show when each block of Columbus numbers was added to the local supply.
| Decade assigned | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1 | 50% |
| 2020s | 1 | 50% |
Assignment dates as recorded in NANPA's utilized code file; codes without a recorded date are excluded.
How local numbers work in Columbus
What a caller sees as "local" is the area code plus prefix. In Columbus, those come from the COLUMBUS rate center, as recorded by NANPA.
New local numbers are drawn from carrier inventory, so the exact 920 numbers available change over time; porting an existing number is free.
The local business market
Columbus is part of the Madison, WI metro area, home to 708,000 people in 2024. County Business Patterns counted 17,791 business establishments in the Madison, WI metro area in 2023, employing 358,759 people. The largest sectors by establishment count are professional, scientific, and technical services (2,203), retail trade (2,026), and health care and social assistance (1,934).
| Industry | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 601 | 12,187 | 20.3 |
| Limited-service restaurants | 510 | 10,107 | 19.8 |
| Offices of real estate agents and brokers | 375 | 839 | 2.2 |
| Landscaping services | 302 | 2,192 | 7.3 |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 295 | 1,350 | 4.6 |
| Residential remodelers | 290 | 1,500 | 5.2 |
| Law offices | 252 | 1,969 | 7.8 |
| Child day care services | 242 | 3,537 | 14.6 |
Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Setting up a Columbus business line
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 Columbus, 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.
The comparison below uses 20 users, the rounded average establishment size in the Madison, WI metro area. At list prices checked September 28, 2026, that is $499.00 a month on Ooma Office Pro and $600.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core. On Callata the same 20 people cost $399.00 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 | $399.00 | $4,788.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $380.00 | $4,560.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $460.00 | $5,520.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $499.00 | $5,988.00 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $540.00 | $6,480.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $600.00 | $7,200.00 |
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 Columbus, WI?
Columbus has exchanges in 920 and 274; 920 has the most.
How many phone companies have exchanges in Columbus?
5, holding 5 exchanges between them, according to NANPA's 10/01/2026 file.
Can I keep my existing Columbus 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 Columbus?
Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, with up to 3 local numbers; 20 users come to $399.00 a month. For comparison, 20 users on RingCentral RingEX Core list at $600.00 a month (checked September 28, 2026).