Area Code 213: Calls and Texts From Downtown LA
Your 213 number, with +1 in front
Checking 213 numbers from downtown Los Angeles
Texts make up a big part of what people report about the 213 area code. Look the sender up here before you tap any link or reply.
Where is area code 213?
Area code 213 covers downtown Los Angeles and the central neighborhoods around it. It shares that ground with 323, which wraps around it, and with the newer 738, so a caller from the same street can show any of the three. The 213 exchanges are spread over 16 local rate centers, almost half of them in the downtown core.
| Location | Downtown Los Angeles, California |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Time zone | Pacific Time (PT) |
| Origin | Dates from 1947 and once served all of Southern California |
| Shares its area with | 323 and 738 |
| Exchanges assigned | 786 |
| Local rate centers | 16 |
| Carriers holding exchanges | 45 |
Inside the 213 area code
Downtown LA is where 213 is most concentrated: the Financial District, Bunker Hill, the Arts District, Little Tokyo and the blocks around City Hall, with Koreatown, Westlake and Echo Park close by. The code wraps into a crowded metro where neighbors can have 213, 323 or 738 numbers, so the area code says less about the street than people expect.
Where 213 exchanges are
| Place (rate center) | Exchanges |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (central zone 01) | 362 |
| Los Angeles (zone 10) | 113 |
| Los Angeles (zone 07) | 84 |
| Los Angeles (zone 09) | 35 |
| Los Angeles (zone 13) | 21 |
| Los Angeles (zone 14) | 21 |
| Montebello | 21 |
| Los Angeles (zone 04) | 20 |
213 spam and scam reports
213 is one of the codes with the most complaints in our data: 1,377 FCC complaints (place 23 of 714 area codes) and 2,214 FTC Do Not Call reports between March and June 2026. Complaints are rising: 184 in the last six months against 132 in the six before. Text messages are a big share here, 108 of 319 FCC complaints in the last year, more than in most of the codes we track.
213 FCC complaints by year
*2026-10-21
213 complaints month by month
| Nov 25 | Dec 25 | Jan 26 | Feb 26 | Mar 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 | Jun 26 | Jul 26 | Aug 26 | Sep 26 | Oct 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 25 | 35 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 28 | 25 | 30 | 39 | 35 | 27 |
213 call types, Oct 2025–Oct 2026
- Live caller: 138 (43%)
- Text message: 108 (34%)
- Recorded message (robocall): 73 (23%)
Top 213 FTC topics
- Dropped calls with no message: 396
- Impostors (government, business or family): 229
- Debt relief offers: 207
213 numbers by carrier
- AT&T (landline): 137 exchanges (17%)
- T-Mobile: 120 exchanges (15%)
- Onvoy (wholesale numbers): 65 exchanges (8%)
- AT&T Mobility: 58 exchanges (7%)
The old Pacific Bell landline exchanges are now outnumbered by mobile carriers taken together, and Onvoy, a wholesaler that supplies numbers to internet calling apps, holds a block of its own. Check the exact number to see which kind of line called.
Got an unwanted call from 213?
If you’re wondering who called you from 213, start with the exact 213 phone number: the lookup at the top shows whether this 213 area code line is a mobile, a landline or an app number.
File the call with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Californians can also complain to the California Attorney General, and texts go to 7726.
Frequently asked questions
What state is area code 213?
213 is downtown Los Angeles and the central neighborhoods around it, on Pacific Time. 323 and 738 numbers share that same ground.
Should I worry about calls from 213?
Not as a whole, but 213 is among the most complained-about codes we track: place 23 of 714 by FCC complaints (1,377) plus 2,214 FTC reports in four months. Many of them are text messages, so a 213 text with a link deserves extra care.
What’s the difference between 213 and 323?
They serve the same part of Los Angeles. 213 used to be downtown only and 323 the ring around it, but today both, plus 738, are issued across the same area. A 323 or 738 number can be just as local as a 213 one.
I keep getting texts from 213 numbers. What are they?
Text messages make up about a third of recent FCC complaints about 213 numbers. Don’t tap links in texts about unpaid tolls, parcels or bank alerts; check the number above and report the text by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM).
Is a 213 number always in Los Angeles?
The number was issued for a downtown LA exchange, but people keep their numbers when they move and VoIP services hand out 213 numbers to users anywhere. So the code shows where the line was issued; the person dialing could be anywhere.
Which neighborhoods have 213 numbers?
Downtown Los Angeles first of all: the Financial District, Bunker Hill, Little Tokyo and the Arts District. Older lines in Koreatown, Westlake and Echo Park also carry 213, and the code shares that ground with 323 and 738.
Can a 213 number be an internet (VoIP) line?
Yes. In the numbering records, Onvoy alone holds 65 exchanges in 213, numbers that end up with internet calling services and apps. The lookup tells you whether the specific number is mobile, landline or VoIP.
More checks after a 213 call
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