346 Area Code: Houston Location, Time Zone & Scam Check (2026)

Where Is the 346 Area Code?

The 346 area code serves the greater Houston metropolitan area — the fourth-largest city in the United States and the most populous city in Texas. As an overlay code, 346 covers the exact same geography as area codes 713, 281, 832, and the newer 621. That means any new phone number activated in the Houston metro can be assigned a 346 prefix regardless of which city or county you're in.

The coverage area spans 8 counties in southeastern Texas: Harris (the most populous county in the state), Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Chambers, Liberty, and Waller. Together, these counties are home to roughly 7.5 million people — making the Houston numbering plan area one of the largest in the entire North American Numbering Plan.

History of the 346 Area Code

Houston's area code history is a story of explosive growth. The original 713 code — assigned in 1947 as part of the very first batch of 86 area codes — once covered all of southeastern Texas from the Louisiana border to central Texas. By the 1990s, Houston's population boom forced three successive area code changes in less than 20 years.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) announced 346 on May 9, 2013, and activated it on July 1, 2014. It was the 376th area code to enter service in the North American Numbering Plan. Unlike the 1996 split that forced Houston suburbanites to change from 713 to 281, overlay codes like 346 don't require anyone to change their existing number — new numbers simply draw from the 346 pool.

346 Area Code Time Zone & Best Time to Call

The entire 346 coverage area falls within the Central Time Zone (CT). That's UTC-6 during standard time (November through early March) and UTC-5 during daylight saving time (mid-March through early November). Texas observes DST statewide.

Need to find the perfect time to call? Use our Best Time to Call tool to convert between Houston and any other time zone instantly.

Is 346 a Spam Area Code?

The 346 area code itself is entirely legitimate — it serves over 7 million people in the Houston metro. However, Houston consistently ranks among the top 5 most robocall-targeted cities in the United States, alongside Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, and New York. The 832 and 346 codes are particularly popular with scammers who use "neighbor spoofing" — displaying a local Houston number on caller ID to increase the chances you'll pick up.

Dallas and Houston together drive an outsized share of Texas's robocall problem. In recent tracking, Houston-area numbers saw a 4% increase in robocall volume, with AI voice-cloning fraud emerging as a new and growing concern.

How to Call a 346 Number from Outside the US

To call any Houston-area number (including 346) from abroad, you need your country's international exit code, then the US country code +1, followed by the 10-digit number.

Major Cities & Communities in the 346 Area Code

The Houston metro area covered by 346 is vast — the city of Houston alone spans 670.6 square miles, large enough to fit Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Detroit inside its city limits simultaneously. Beyond the city proper, dozens of suburbs and unincorporated communities make up the greater metro area.

Note: The Woodlands, Atascocita, Cypress, and Spring are Census-Designated Places (unincorporated communities), not incorporated cities. Their surrounding areas have significantly larger populations. The greater Katy area, for example, has well over 300,000 residents.

What Makes the 346 Area Code Region Unique

Notable Landmarks in the 346 Area Code

Fortune 500 Companies in the 346 Area Code

Houston's energy dominance is well known, but the metro is increasingly diversified. Here are some of the biggest companies headquartered in the 346 coverage area:

Related Area Codes

Houston's 5 area codes share the same geographic footprint — they're all interchangeable overlays (except for the original 713/281 split, which was geographic). Here are the related codes and nearby regions:

Frequently Asked Questions About the 346 Area Code