What is the 985 Area Code? Time Zone and Location
- Area code 985 is located in Louisiana and covers Houma, Laplace, and Slidell, and is the only area code that serves the area.
- There are currently no overlays, meaning 985 is the only area code for the geographic regions it serves, covering a population of 1,660,768 individuals across 12 parishes.
- Major cities and communities covered include Houma, Laplace, Slidell, Hammond, Bayou Cane, Thibodaux, Morgan City, Bayou Blue, Bogalusa, Luling, Mandeville, Destrehan, Raceland, Reserve, and Covington.
- The 985 area code is located in the Central Time Zone, following UTC−6 during Central Standard Time and UTC−5 during Central Daylight Time.
- Area code 985 was put into service on February 12, 2001, and was the 287th area code in service, the 5th area code in the state of Louisiana, created to relieve pressure on the 504 area code as numbers in 504 were being exhausted.
- In 2007, a boundary adjustment occurred following Hurricane Katrina, when some areas in Plaquemines Parish that had briefly been part of 985 reverted back to the 504 area code due to damage to local switching facilities.
- 7-digit local dialing is supported within 985; 10-digit dialing is required for calls outside the local area.
985 Area Code Quick Facts
| Area Code | 985 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State / Region | Louisiana (southeastern Louisiana — Northshore and Bayou regions) |
| Area Code Type | Geographic area code (no overlay) |
| Overlay Codes | None |
| Major Cities Covered | Houma, Laplace, Slidell, Hammond, Thibodaux, Morgan City, Mandeville, Covington, Bogalusa, Luling, Destrehan, Raceland, Reserve, Bayou Cane, Bayou Blue |
| Primary City Association | Houma, Louisiana |
| Geographic Coverage | 78 cities across 12 parishes in southeastern Louisiana, including St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Charles, Washington, St. John the Baptist, Assumption, St. Mary, and Plaquemines parishes |
| 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 12, 2001 |
| Reason for Creation | Created to relieve pressure on the 504 area code as numbers in 504 were being exhausted by growing population and telecom demand in the greater New Orleans metropolitan region |
| Dialing Requirement | 7-digit local dialing supported; 10-digit dialing required for calls to other area codes |
| Coverage Nature | Sole geographic area code — no overlay currently planned |
| Population Coverage | Serves a population of approximately 1,660,768 individuals across 12 parishes in southeastern Louisiana |
| Nearby / Related Area Codes | 225 (Baton Rouge, LA), 228 (Gulfport, MS), 318 (Shreveport, LA), 337 (Lafayette, LA), 504 (New Orleans, LA), 601/769 (Jackson, MS) |
| Telecom System | North American Numbering Plan (NANP) |
| Major Carriers | BellSouth (AT&T), Level 3, Deltacom, Sprint, Cingular, and Verizon are the primary carriers operating within the 985 region |
| Example Phone Format | (985) XXX-XXXX |
| Usage Type | Mobile, landline, VoIP numbers |
| Business Use | Essential for local presence across southeastern Louisiana's oil and gas, maritime, shipbuilding, and healthcare sectors |
| Number Availability | Currently uses 446 prefixes, assigned from 985-200-XXXX through 985-999-XXXX |
| Area Code Status | Active and widely used |
| Notable Geography | The 985 region is economically connected to the broader New Orleans–Metairie–Slidell regional economy, which has reported a combined GDP exceeding $90 billion in recent years, with the Bayou and Northshore regions playing a critical role in offshore energy, maritime services, and petrochemicals |
Is the 985 Area Code a Scam?
| Spam Ranking | Ranked #299 for spam complaints nationally, accounting for approximately 0.09% of all spam complaints |
|---|---|
| Most Common Scam Type | Prerecorded voice complaints make up 45.26% of total reports, with Medicare/Medicaid (16.84%), auto warranty (10.53%), health insurance (7.37%), Google Listings (5.26%), and credit card debt (4.21%) making up the top categories |
| Top Reported Cities for Complaints | Houma, LA leads with 21.39% of complaints, followed by Bush, LA (2.58%), Baton Rouge, LA (2.55%), Slidell, LA (2.53%), and Covington, LA (1.83%) |
| Peak Complaint Period | August 2025 saw the highest volume of complaints, with February 2026 showing a 100% increase compared to January 2026 |
| Common Labels | Robocaller, Medicare impersonator, fake process server, auto warranty harasser, Social Security fraudster |
| Spoofing Risk | Scammers fake their caller ID to display local or familiar 985 numbers — if you live in or near Louisiana (Houma, Laplace, Slidell), scammers know you are more likely to answer what appears to be a familiar local call |
| Typical Strategy | Neighbor spoofing — appearing as a familiar Houma, Slidell, or Hammond number to build trust before making fraudulent requests |
| Signature Scam — Medicare/Medicaid Identity Fraud | Scammers target elderly residents across the 985 area by posing as agents from "National Disability" or claiming the victim inquired about Medicaid insurance — asking to provide or verify a Medicare or Social Security number over the phone, claiming applications were submitted that were never made, and identifying themselves as being from the "Social Security office" in unsolicited calls to commit identity theft or insurance fraud |
| Signature Scam — Extended Auto Warranty Robocall | Persistent robocalls using phrases like "final notice" or "last chance to extend" target 985 residents about vehicle warranties, calling about very old vehicles or cars still under factory warranty, unable to provide specific details about the vehicle or current coverage, and starting with automated recordings to sell overpriced or worthless extended warranty plans |
| Signature Scam — Fake Process Server / Legal Complaint | Scammers calling from local 985 numbers claim a legal complaint has been filed against you and that they are attempting to deliver legal papers to your home or work — using the threat of legal service to frighten victims into paying a fake settlement or surrendering personal information |
| Signature Scam — IRS / SSA / DEA Impersonation | Callers pose as agents from the IRS, Social Security Administration, or DEA using 985 numbers to appear local — threatening criminal consequences for unpaid taxes, a suspended Social Security Number, or involvement in a drug trafficking investigation to extract payment or personal information |
| Key Risk Indicator | Unsolicited Medicare or Medicaid verification requests, "final notice" auto warranty robocalls, threats of legal paper service, or government agency impersonators demanding immediate payment |
| Safety Tip | Medicare and Social Security almost never call you unless you contact them first and request a callback — they send official information through U.S. Mail. Any call asking you to verify your Medicare or Social Security number over the phone is a scam |
What Are the Business Benefits of the 985 Area Code?
| Local Presence | Helps businesses appear local across southeastern Louisiana's Northshore and Bayou regions — a culturally distinct market where community ties and local identity are strong drivers of consumer trust |
|---|---|
| Customer Trust Factor | A local Houma, Slidell, or Hammond 985 number dramatically increases answer rates vs. unknown out-of-state numbers in close-knit Louisiana bayou and Northshore communities |
| Coverage Advantage | One number covers 56 cities across 12 parishes in southeastern Louisiana, spanning from the Lake Pontchartrain Northshore through the Bayou Lafourche corridor to the Gulf Coast marshlands |
| VoIP Compatibility | Easily available for SaaS platforms, call centers, and remote teams serving the southeastern Louisiana market |
| Scalability | Covers roughly 4.43 million unique phone numbers with solid prefix availability and no near-term overlay risk |
| Economic Profile | The broader New Orleans–Metairie–Slidell regional economy has reported a combined GDP exceeding $90 billion in recent years, with the 985 region contributing significantly through offshore energy, maritime fabrication, petrochemicals, and healthcare |
| Marketing Use | Ideal for local SEO, digital ads, and customer outreach across Houma, Slidell, Hammond, Thibodaux, Covington, Mandeville, Morgan City, and surrounding communities |
| Startup Friendly | Cost-effective entry point for businesses targeting southeastern Louisiana's energy services, maritime, and healthcare sectors without a physical local office |
| Call Routing Flexibility | Can route calls globally while appearing local to southeastern Louisiana customers — particularly valuable for offshore energy and maritime companies managing Gulf of Mexico operations |
| Top Industries | Oil and gas/petrochemicals (Performance Energy Services, Offshore Energy Services), maritime and shipbuilding (Bollinger Shipyards, Edison Chouest Offshore, Gulf Island Fabrication), healthcare (Terrebonne General Health System, Cardiovascular Institute of the South), and education (Southeastern Louisiana University, Nicholls State University) benefit most from a local 985 presence |
| Use Case Examples | AI receptionist, offshore energy dispatch and support lines, shipyard and maritime services, healthcare practices, university-affiliated services, tourism and fishing charter businesses, real estate agencies, and local retail and hospitality businesses |
