255 Area Code: Is It Real? Huntsville AL (256) & Tanzania (+255) Guide
Area code 255 is unassigned in the US. This guide covers the nearby 256/938 area codes serving Huntsville, Alabama (Rocket City) and the +255 country code for Tanzania.
If you're searching for the 255 area code, you've likely encountered one of two things: the 256 area code for North Alabama (Huntsville, Decatur, Florence) or the international country code +255 for Tanzania. Area code 255 itself is not assigned in the North American Numbering Plan and serves no US state or territory.
This guide explains why 255 is unassigned, covers the nearby 256/938 area codes serving North Alabama's "Rocket City" — home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V, and America's highest concentration of engineers — and clarifies the +255 Tanzania country code for international callers.
Area Code 255 Is Not in Service
Area code 255 is unassigned. The NANPA has never allocated 255 to any US state, Canadian province, or Caribbean territory. If you received a call displaying 255, it was likely 256 (North Alabama), an international call from Tanzania (+255), or a spoofed number.
256/938 Area Code Quick Facts (North Alabama)
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| 256 Created | March 23, 1998 |
| Split from | 205 (Birmingham) |
| Overlay | 938 (since July 10, 2010) |
| Largest City | Huntsville (pop. 249,102) |
| Metro GDP | $42.8 billion (2023) |
| Counties | 23 in northern Alabama |
| Time Zone | Central (UTC-6 / UTC-5 DST) |
Huntsville: Where America Reached the Moon
Huntsville's story as "Rocket City" begins in 1950, when Wernher von Braun arrived at Redstone Arsenal via Operation Paperclip. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (founded July 1, 1960) has 6,000+ employees and a ~$5 billion annual budget. The Saturn V — assembled by 400,000 workers with 5+ million parts — remains the most powerful rocket ever successfully launched. The US Space & Rocket Center is the world's largest space museum. Space Camp has 750,000+ graduates, 5 of whom became NASA astronauts.
Redstone Arsenal: A City Within a City
Redstone Arsenal covers 38,162 acres (~60 sq mi) and employs approximately 45,500 people. Annual economic impact: $36.2 billion. The FBI is building a $1 billion campus here with 3,400+ jobs.
America's Engineering Capital
Huntsville has the highest per capita concentration of engineers in the US (Forbes), with 23% STEM workforce. Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the US (~4,000 acres, 300+ companies, 26,000 employees). Metro GDP: $42.8 billion (14.7% of Alabama's total). 48% of residents hold a bachelor's degree.
Notable People
Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia co-founder, born 1966 in Huntsville), Tallulah Bankhead (legendary actress, born 1902, inspired Cruella De Vil). Huntsville was Alabama's first incorporated town (1811), first state capital (1819), and site of the constitutional convention.
+255: Tanzania Country Code
+255 is Tanzania (pop. ~71.8 million) — home to Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft), the Serengeti, and Zanzibar. To call: 011-255 + area code + number. Languages: Swahili and English. Time zone: EAT (UTC+3).
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