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 North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) has never allocated 255 to any US state, Canadian province, or Caribbean territory. If you received a call displaying a 255 area code:
- •It was likely 256 (North Alabama) — a common misread
- •It may be an international call from Tanzania (+255)
- •The number may have been spoofed — use our Spam Checker
256/938 Area Code Quick Facts (North Alabama)
Major Cities in Area Code 256/938
| City | Population | County | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | 249,102 | Madison (+ 3 others) | Alabama's largest city, NASA Marshall |
| Madison | ~65,000 | Madison / Limestone | One of AL's fastest-growing cities |
| Decatur | ~57,000 | Morgan | Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic |
| Florence | ~41,000 | Lauderdale | University of North Alabama, W.C. Handy birthplace |
| Athens | ~28,000 | Limestone | Athens State University (oldest in AL, 1822) |
| Gadsden | ~33,000 | Etowah | Noccalula Falls, former steel center |
| Anniston | ~22,000 | Calhoun | Fort McClellan, Freedom Riders history |
| Scottsboro | ~15,000 | Jackson | Unclaimed Baggage Center (the only one) |
Huntsville: Where America Reached the Moon
Huntsville's story as "Rocket City" begins in 1950, when Wernher von Braun and his team of German rocket scientists arrived at Redstone Arsenal via Operation Paperclip. Within a decade, they had launched Explorer I (America's first satellite, 1958), sent Alan Shepard into space on the Mercury-Redstone (1961), and begun work on the Saturn V — the 363-foot rocket that would carry astronauts to the Moon.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, founded July 1, 1960, remains the agency's largest field center with 6,000+ employees and an annual budget of approximately $5 billion. The Saturn V — assembled by 400,000 workers with over 5 million parts — remains the most powerful rocket ever successfully launched, over 50 years later. Today, Marshall leads the Space Launch System (SLS) for NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the Moon.
The US Space & Rocket Center, the world's largest space museum and a Smithsonian affiliate, houses a real Saturn V and is home to Space Camp (founded 1982). Of the 750,000+ Space Camp graduates, five have gone on to become NASA astronauts.
Redstone Arsenal: A City Within a City
Redstone Arsenal covers 38,162 acres (nearly 60 square miles) and employs approximately 45,500 people daily — effectively a small city. Its annual economic impact on Alabama is $36.2 billion, accounting for 58% of the gross regional product for the Tennessee Valley and supporting 143,156 total jobs. The Arsenal hosts 75+ tenant agencies including Army Materiel Command, the Missile Defense Agency, and the FBI.
The FBI is building a $1 billion campus at Redstone Arsenal, with 2,200+ personnel already on-site and a target of 3,400+ jobs by 2026. The facility includes a 250,000 sq ft Innovation Center with a 22,000 sq ft Kinetic Cyber Range and the nation's first National Counter-Unmanned Training Center.
America's Engineering Capital
Huntsville has the highest per capita concentration of engineers in the United States (Forbes), with 23% of its workforce employed in STEM fields — the highest in the nation. 48% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Cummings Research Park, the second-largest research park in the US (after Research Triangle, NC) and fourth-largest in the world, spans nearly 4,000 acres with 300+ companies and 26,000 employees.
The metro area GDP reached $42.8 billion in 2023 (up 6.0% year-over-year), representing 14.7% of all Alabama GDP from a single metro area. Major employers include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and the Mazda-Toyota manufacturing plant — a $2.3 billion facility producing 300,000 vehicles per year.
Notable People from the 256 Area
Jimmy Wales
Co-founder of Wikipedia. Born August 8, 1966, in Huntsville. Grew up hearing Saturn rocket engine tests from his home. The world's largest encyclopedia was conceived by someone raised in Rocket City.
Tallulah Bankhead
Legendary actress, born 1902 in Huntsville. Her flamboyant personality reportedly inspired Disney's Cruella De Vil. One of the great stage and screen performers of the 20th century.
Alabama Firsts
Huntsville was Alabama's first incorporated town (November 25, 1811), first state capital (1819-1820), and the site of the state constitutional convention (July 5 - August 2, 1819) that made Alabama the 22nd state.
+255: Tanzania Country Code
If you're looking for +255 as an international dialing code, that's Tanzania in East Africa. Tanzania (pop. ~71.8 million) is home to Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft — Africa's highest peak), the Serengeti National Park (1.7 million wildebeest migration), and the Zanzibar archipelago.
To call Tanzania from the US: dial 011-255 (landline) or +255 (mobile), then the area code and local number. Check our rates page for Tanzania calling costs.
Useful Calling Tools
Call North Alabama or Tanzania
Whether you're reaching Huntsville (256/938) or Dar es Salaam (+255), BubblyPhone offers crystal-clear VoIP calls at a fraction of carrier rates.