What is the 361 Area Code? Time Zone and Location
- Area code 361 is located in Texas and primarily serves the Corpus Christi area, covering 64 cities and 22 counties across South Texas.
- There are currently no overlays, meaning 361 is the only area code for the geographic region it serves.
- Covers major cities including Corpus Christi, Victoria, Kingsville, Alice, Rockport, Beeville, Ingleside, Portland, Port Lavaca, and Robstown.
- The 361 area code lies within the Central Time Zone, observing Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−6) during standard time and Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5) during daylight saving time.
- Area code 361 was put into service on February 13, 1999 and was the 250th area code in service, the 17th area code in the state of Texas.
- It was created to relieve pressure on the 512 area code as numbers in 512 were being exhausted due to South Texas population and economic growth.
- 10-digit dialing required for calls from outside the region.
Quick Facts
| Area Code | 361 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State / Region | Texas (Coastal Bend and South Texas) |
| Area Code Type | Geographic area code (no overlay) |
| Overlay Codes | None |
| Major Cities Covered | Corpus Christi, Victoria, Kingsville, Alice, Rockport, Beeville, Ingleside, Portland, Port Lavaca, Robstown |
| Primary City Association | Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Geographic Coverage | 99 cities across 22 counties in South Texas, including Nueces, San Patricio, Victoria, Jim Wells, Kleberg, and Bee counties |
| Time Zone | Central Time Zone (CT) |
| Standard Time Offset | UTC −6 hours |
| Daylight Saving Time | UTC −5 hours (CDT) |
| DST Period (2026 Example) | March → November |
| Introduced / Activation Date | February 13, 1999 |
| Reason for Creation | Split from area code 512 to accommodate growing demand for telephone numbers driven by population growth, economic expansion, and the rise of fax machines and early internet dial-up in South Texas |
| Dialing Requirement | 10-digit dialing required for calls outside the local region |
| Coverage Nature | Sole geographic area code — no overlay planned |
| Population Coverage | Serves a population of approximately 1,194,163 individuals across 25 counties |
| Nearby / Related Area Codes | 210/726 (San Antonio), 281/346/713/832 (Houston), 325 (Abilene), 512/737 (Austin), 830 (New Braunfels), 956 (Laredo/McAllen), 979 (College Station) |
| Telecom System | North American Numbering Plan (NANP) |
| Major Carriers | AT&T (Southwest Bell) holds 20%, AT&T Mobility 15%, Onvoy 10%, STPCS Joint Venture 8%, and Frontier 5% of active prefixes |
| Example Phone Format | (361) XXX-XXXX |
| Usage Type | Mobile, landline, VoIP numbers |
| Business Use | Common for local presence across the Coastal Bend energy, port, agriculture, and tourism sectors |
| Number Availability | Currently uses 534 prefixes, assigned from 361-200-XXXX through 361-999-XXXX |
| Area Code Status | Active and stable — no overlay or relief planning currently underway |
| Notable Geography | Corpus Christi is home to the fourth largest port in the United States, primarily handling oil and agricultural products, and draws approximately 8 million tourists annually |
Is the 361 Area Code a Scam?
| Spam Ranking | Ranked #246 for spam complaints nationally |
|---|---|
| Spam Share | Accounts for approximately 0.15% of all spam complaints |
| Most Common Scam Type | Live voice complaints make up 42.58% of total spam reports, followed by auto warranty (13.55%), health insurance (10.97%), mortgage loans (5.16%), credit card debt (4.52%), and Medicare/Medicaid (4.52%) |
| Top Reported Cities for Complaints | Corpus Christi, TX (7.26%), Aransas Pass, TX (3.22%), and Houston, TX (2.04%) |
| Peak Complaint Period | September 2025 saw the highest volume of complaints, with February 2026 showing an 87.5% decrease compared to January 2026 |
| Common Labels | Robocaller, Social Security impersonator, tech support scammer, medical spam caller |
| Spoofing Risk | Around 69% of scam calls from this area code use neighbor spoofing to appear as though they are calling from nearby Corpus Christi, Victoria, or Kingsville |
| Typical Strategy | Faking a familiar South Texas number to increase the likelihood of being answered by coastal community residents |
| Signature Scam — SSA Impersonation | Residents in the 361 area code receive threatening calls from individuals posing as Social Security Administration officials, sometimes using names like "Officer Steven White" or "Officer Maria," falsely claiming the recipient's Social Security Number has been compromised or used in criminal activities |
| Signature Scam — Tech Support Refund | Scammers claim to be from a tech support company that is going out of business and attempt to access victims' bank accounts under the guise of issuing a refund |
| Signature Scam — Medical Office Targeting | Callers identifying themselves as "Shawna," "Deb," or "Nicole" contact dental and medical offices asking to speak directly with the doctor, becoming evasive and rude when questioned by office staff |
| Other Scam Patterns | Spoofed Amazon and Apple account alerts directing recipients to call a toll-free number, as well as medical and prescription spam calls targeting Texas residents |
| Key Risk Indicator | Threatening calls about your Social Security number, urgent tech support refund requests, or suspicious calls asking for doctors by name at medical offices |
| Safety Tip | Never give financial information to someone who calls you unexpectedly, and do not allow anyone who calls you to gain remote access to your computer — if a call seems legitimate, hang up and find the company's official contact information online to verify |
What Are the Business Benefits of the 361 Area Code?
| Local Presence | Helps businesses appear local across the Coastal Bend — a distinct South Texas region where residents strongly favor local providers over unknown out-of-area businesses |
|---|---|
| Customer Trust Factor | A local Corpus Christi or Victoria number dramatically increases answer rates vs. unknown out-of-state numbers in a tight-knit coastal community |
| Coverage Advantage | One number covers 67 cities across 25 counties from the Gulf Coast inward, reaching both urban centers and rural agricultural communities throughout South Texas |
| VoIP Compatibility | Easily available for SaaS platforms, call centers, and remote teams serving the South Texas energy and agricultural markets |
| Scalability | Covers roughly 5.15 million unique phone numbers with solid prefix availability and no near-term exhaustion risk |
| Marketing Use | Ideal for local SEO, digital ads, and customer outreach across Corpus Christi, Victoria, Kingsville, Rockport, and surrounding coastal communities |
| Startup Friendly | Low-cost entry point for businesses targeting South Texas's energy, port, fishing, and tourism economy without a physical local office |
| Call Routing Flexibility | Can route calls globally while appearing local to Coastal Bend customers |
| Top Industries | Oil and gas, port logistics, commercial fishing, agriculture, healthcare, higher education (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Del Mar College), and tourism benefit most given the region's economic profile |
| Use Case Examples | AI receptionist, energy sector support lines, port and shipping services, healthcare practices, tourism and hospitality businesses, and agricultural service providers |
