What is the 901 Area Code? Time Zone and Location
- Area code 901 covers Memphis, Tennessee, and the surrounding metro area — it is one of the original 86 area codes from 1947, still in use today with no overlay, serving approximately 1 million people in the Memphis metro.
- There are currently no overlays, meaning 901 is the only area code for the geographic regions it serves, making it one of the few major US metro area codes never to have received an overlay.
- Major cities covered include Memphis, Collierville, Germantown, Arlington, Millington, Bartlett, Covington, Munford, Whiteville, Somerville, Lakeland, Oakland, and Atoka.
- The 901 area code is situated in the Central Time Zone, observing Central Standard Time (CST) at UTC−6 during standard time and Central Daylight Time (CDT) at UTC−5 during daylight saving time.
- Area code 901 was put into service in 1947 and was one of the original 86 area codes — it originally served the entire state of Tennessee before being split four successive times: 615 in 1954, 423 in 1995, 865 in 1999, and 731 in 2001, leaving 901 focused on the Memphis metro.
- 7-digit local dialing is supported within 901, as one of the few major metro area codes in the US without an overlay; 10-digit dialing is required only for calls to other area codes.
Quick Facts
| Area Code | 901 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State / Region | Tennessee (southwestern Tennessee — Memphis metropolitan area) |
| Area Code Type | Geographic area code (no overlay — sole area code for the region) |
| Overlay Codes | None |
| Major Cities Covered | Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Arlington, Millington, Covington, Munford, Whiteville, Somerville, Lakeland, Oakland, Atoka, Brighton, Mason |
| Primary City Association | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Geographic Coverage | 20 cities across 4 counties — Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Hardeman — in southwestern Tennessee |
| 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 | January 1, 1947 — one of the original 86 area codes under the North American Numbering Plan |
| Reason for Creation | One of the original 86 area codes established for the entire state of Tennessee, split four times over the following decades as Tennessee's population grew — 901 was reduced to its current Memphis-area footprint with the creation of area code 731 in 2001 |
| Dialing Requirement | 7-digit local dialing supported within 901; 10-digit dialing required for calls to other area codes |
| Coverage Nature | Sole geographic area code — no overlay planned, making 901 one of the few major US metro codes without one |
| Population Coverage | Serves a population of 1,058,166 across the Memphis metropolitan area |
| Nearby / Related Area Codes | 423 (Knoxville), 615/629 (Nashville), 731 (Jackson, TN), 865 (Knoxville), 228 (Gulfport, MS), 662 (Oxford, MS), 870 (Jonesboro, AR) |
| Telecom System | North American Numbering Plan (NANP) |
| Major Carriers | BellSouth (AT&T) holds 27% of active prefixes, followed by AT&T Mobility (14%), Powertel Memphis Licenses (10%), Verizon Wireless (5%), and MCI/Verizon (5%) |
| Example Phone Format | (901) XXX-XXXX |
| Usage Type | Mobile, landline, VoIP numbers |
| Business Use | Essential for any business operating in the Memphis metro — the area is home to FedEx's global headquarters, the world's busiest cargo airport, and a critical logistics hub for the entire United States |
| Number Availability | Currently uses 612 prefixes, assigned from 901-200-XXXX through 901-979-XXXX, with 639 active NXX prefixes — 30% wireless and 70% landline |
| Area Code Status | Active and widely used — uniquely without an overlay among major US metro area codes |
| Notable Distinction | Memphis is the largest city on the Mississippi River — bigger than St. Louis, New Orleans, or Minneapolis by city-limits population — and sits at the crossroads of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, making it one of the most strategically positioned logistics hubs in North America |
Is the 901 Area Code a Scam?
| Spam Ranking | Ranked #74 for spam complaints nationally — one of the highest-volume spam area codes in Tennessee — accounting for approximately 0.38% of all spam complaints |
|---|---|
| Robocall Per Capita Ranking | Memphis was ranked #2 nationally for robocalls per capita by AARP — trailing only Atlanta — making the 901 area code one of the most heavily targeted metro regions in the entire United States |
| State Ranking | Tennessee ranks #2 per capita for robocall complaints nationally at 1,017 per 100,000 residents, with an estimated 2+ billion robocalls per year — 274 per person annually |
| Most Common Complaint Type | Prerecorded voice complaints make up 44.19% of total reports, followed by Medicare/Medicaid (17.56%), health insurance (12.75%), auto warranty (7.37%), mortgage loans (3.96%), and political calls (2.83%) |
| Top Reported Cities for Complaints | Memphis, TN leads with 13.19% of complaints, followed by Cordova, TN (5.29%), Millington, TN (3.66%), Bartlett, TN (2.7%), and Oakland, TN (2.54%) |
| Peak Complaint Period | December 2024 saw the highest volume of complaints for this area code |
| Statewide Fraud Impact | Tennesseans lost $157 million to scams in 2024 and over $12 million to government impersonation scams alone in 2025 — with medical and prescription scams leading the state at 21,992 complaints |
| Common Labels | Robocaller, fake process server, SSA arrest threat, Medicare impersonator, auto warranty harasser, one-ring scammer |
| Spoofing Risk | Scammers fake their caller ID to display local or familiar 901 numbers — if you live in or near Tennessee (Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville), scammers know you are more likely to answer what appears to be a local Memphis-area call |
| Typical Strategy | Neighbor spoofing — appearing as a familiar Memphis, Germantown, or Collierville number to build trust before making fraudulent demands |
| Signature Scam — Fake Shelby County Court Process Server | Callers pretending to be compliance officers from the "Shelby County Civil Court" or process servers threaten legal action — using fake names like "John Green" who claims to be a "TN state compliance officer," threatening to serve papers at the victim's job and contact relatives to create panic, becoming verbally abusive and calling victims names when challenged — using this fear to extract payment for fake debts or surrender personal information |
| Signature Scam — Auto Warranty "Final Heads Up" | Callers using names like "Stacy" flood Memphis residents with robocalls about extending their vehicle's factory warranty without knowing the make or model of the car, becoming aggressive or calling victims names when declined, with dozens of repeat calls even after blocking, attempting to sell expensive and unnecessary service contracts |
| Signature Scam — "Local Investor" Property Harassment | Callers using names like "James," "Brittany," "Alex," or "Jackson" claim to be local investors who were "driving by your property" and want to make a cash offer — leaving vague voicemails with multiple callback numbers and sometimes contacting people about properties they don't even own |
| Signature Scam — One-Ring West African Fraud | The FCC identified the 901 area code as one of the most commonly targeted regions for the "one ring" or "Wangiri" scam — robocallers dial Memphis-area numbers and hang up after one ring, attempting to prompt callbacks that connect to premium international numbers and result in large per-minute charges on the victim's phone bill |
| TVA Utility Impersonation | Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) utility impersonation campaigns specifically target Memphis residents with fake outage notifications and disconnection threats — callers claim immediate payment is required to prevent service interruption, a tactic confirmed by TVA as fraudulent |
| Tennessee AG Enforcement | Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti co-leads Operation Robocall Roundup — the nation's most aggressive multistate robocall enforcement campaign, which in Phase 2 launched investigations into four of the largest US voice providers that collectively facilitated 3.4 billion scam calls since 2020 |
| Key Risk Indicator | Calls threatening Shelby County civil court proceedings, "final notice" auto warranty recordings, suspicious cash home offers from unnamed local investors, one-ring calls from unfamiliar numbers, or TVA utility disconnection threats |
| Safety Tip | Real process servers and law enforcement officers do not call first to warn you they are coming — they show up. TVA will never demand immediate payment over the phone to prevent disconnection. Report suspicious calls to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Tennessee AG at tn.gov/attorneygeneral |
What Are the Business Benefits of the 901 Area Code?
| Local Presence | Helps businesses appear local across Memphis and the greater southwestern Tennessee metro — a region defined by world-class logistics infrastructure, a rich musical and cultural heritage, and a growing healthcare and technology sector |
|---|---|
| Customer Trust Factor | A local 901 number dramatically increases answer rates vs. unknown out-of-state numbers in a close-knit Memphis market where community identity and local pride are strong drivers of consumer decisions |
| Global Logistics Hub | Memphis is home to FedEx's global headquarters and Memphis International Airport — the world's busiest cargo airport by tonnage — making a 901 number essential for any business operating in the logistics, shipping, freight, and supply chain ecosystem |
| Coverage Advantage | One number covers 20 cities across 4 counties in the Memphis metro — Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Hardeman — reaching the entire Memphis–Bartlett–Collierville–Germantown suburban ring |
| VoIP Compatibility | Easily available for SaaS platforms, call centers, and remote teams serving the Memphis market |
| Scalability | Currently uses 612 prefixes with 639 active NXX codes, providing solid number availability with no overlay pressure — one of the most stable number environments among major US metro area codes |
| Marketing Use | Ideal for local SEO, digital ads, and customer outreach across Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Millington, Arlington, Covington, and surrounding communities |
| Startup Friendly | Increasingly attractive for logistics tech, healthcare IT, and music/entertainment startups, given Memphis's unique combination of world-class freight infrastructure and a globally recognized cultural brand |
| Call Routing Flexibility | Can route calls globally while appearing local to Memphis customers — particularly valuable for logistics and supply chain companies managing national and international operations from the Mid-South |
| Top Industries | Logistics and freight (FedEx, UPS, AutoZone, International Paper), healthcare (Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Baptist Memorial Health Care, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), music and entertainment (Beale Street, Sun Studio, Graceland), manufacturing, agriculture, and education (University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Christian Brothers University) benefit most from a local 901 presence |
| Use Case Examples | AI receptionist, logistics and freight dispatch lines, healthcare practices and hospital networks, music industry support lines, manufacturing supplier support, agricultural services, tourism and hospitality (Graceland, Peabody Hotel), university-affiliated businesses, and local retail and restaurant businesses |
