020 Area Code: Who Is Calling You From London?
Paste the 020 number with +44
Check an 020 London number for free
Paste the number with +44 and see its line type, the provider holding the range and reports from other people before you call back.
What is the 020 area code?
020 is the dialling code for London. It covers the City and all 32 London boroughs, plus a handful of towns just outside Greater London. Every London landline number is 020 followed by eight digits, so the code alone tells you the call is from a London number, but not which part of the city.
| Area | Greater London and a few neighbouring towns, such as Loughton, Borehamwood, Bushey and Ewell |
|---|---|
| Number format | 020 xxxx xxxx (the code and an 8-digit local number) |
| Calling from abroad | +44 20 xxxx xxxx (drop the first 0) |
| Type of line | Landline or business/VoIP line, never a UK mobile (those start with 07) |
| Blocks in use (Ofcom) | 3,030 of 3,200 blocks of 10,000 numbers |
| Providers holding 020 blocks | 239 |
| Fictional numbers for TV and radio | 020 7946 0000 to 020 7946 0999 |
0203, 0207, 0208 and 0204: what is the difference?
Strictly speaking, none of them is an area code: the code is 020 and the next digit is the start of the local number. The confusion comes from history. London used 01 until 1990, then 071 for the centre and 081 for the rest, which became 0171 and 0181 in 1995. On 22 April 2000 both were merged into 020: 0171 numbers became 020 7 and 0181 numbers became 020 8. That is why many people still think 0207 means central London and 0208 the suburbs, but new 7 and 8 numbers no longer follow that rule, and numbers starting with 3 (from 2005) and 4 (announced by Ofcom in 2019) can be anywhere in London.
| Starts with | What it is | Blocks in use | Providers | Biggest holder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 020 7 | Old 0171 numbers (central London) from 2000, still issued | 984 | 56 | BT |
| 020 8 | Old 0181 numbers (outer London) from 2000, still issued | 969 | 95 | BT |
| 020 3 | Issued from 2005, anywhere in London | 921 | 169 | BT |
| 020 4 | Issued from 2019, anywhere in London | 156 | 50 | Colt |
Blocks of 10,000 numbers in Ofcom’s numbering data; history from Wikipedia.
Why do so many 020 numbers call you?
Because London has more numbers than anywhere else in the UK, spread across a huge number of companies. Ofcom lists 3,030 blocks of 020 numbers in use, held by 239 providers. BT holds 1,335 of them, followed by Vodafone (304), Gamma (213), Colt (200) and Virgin Media (181).
Since 2020 Ofcom has handed out 320 new 020 blocks, mostly to business and cloud phone providers such as Gamma, Colt and BT. Those numbers end up in call centres, apps and virtual offices, which is why a 0203 or 0204 number calling you may have nothing to do with someone sitting in London. Scammers like London numbers for the same reason: they look local and trustworthy. Ofcom now requires providers to block calls from abroad that fake a UK landline number, but spoofed calls still get through.
Got an unwanted call from an 020 number?
- Check the number first. Paste it in the lookup above to see the line type, the provider that holds its range and any reports from other people.
- On a landline, dial 1471 right after the call to hear the number if it wasn’t withheld.
- Never share bank details or codes with someone who rang you, even if the number looks like a London office. If they say they’re your bank, hang up and call 159.
- Report and block: forward scam texts to 7726, register your number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and report nuisance calls to the ICO. Where money has already gone, Londoners report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk; in Scotland the route is Police Scotland on 101.
Frequently asked questions
Is 0207 central London and 0208 outer London?
Only historically. When 0171 and 0181 were merged into 020 in April 2000, central numbers became 020 7 and outer numbers 020 8. New numbers don’t follow that split, so today a number starting 0207 or 0208 can be anywhere in London.
Is 0203 a London number?
Yes. 0203 numbers are London numbers issued since 2005, and they can belong to any part of London. Many are business, VoIP or call-centre lines, because newer ranges went largely to business phone providers.
Is 020 a mobile number?
No. 020 is a landline (geographic) code. UK mobile numbers start with 07. A call from 020 can still come from an app or a cloud phone system using a London number.
What are 0204 numbers?
They are the newest London numbers. Ofcom announced in 2019 that London local numbers starting with 4 would be issued alongside 3, 7 and 8, and they are mostly used by business and VoIP providers.
How do I find out who called me from an 020 number?
Enter the full number in the lookup at the top of this page. It shows the line type, the provider holding that range and any community reports, for free and without signing up. On a landline you can also dial 1471 straight after the call.
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