what area code is 251

Area code 251 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for southwestern Alabama, serving Mobile, Baldwin, and Washington counties and parts of six other counties. It is the only area code that serves the southeastern Alabama region, including Mobile, Prichard, and Daphne. The area code was scheduled to transition to ten-digit dialing by October 24, 2021, due to the designation of 988 as a dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which created a conflict for exchanges that permit seven-digit dialing. Area code 251 contains the population of Mobile as well as the towns of Gulf Shores, Grove Hill, Prichard, Summerdale, and more.