🇺🇸United States • Louisiana

Louisiana Area Codes
Calling Guide

Need to call New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or Shreveport? Use our comprehensive guide to Louisiana area codes (504, 225, 318). Make instant HD calls to any Louisiana number directly from your browser.

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How to Call Louisiana from Abroad

Follow these simple steps to reach any number in the Pelican State.

1

Exit Code

Dial your country's international exit code.
00 for Europe/UK.
011 for Australia.

2

US Country Code (+1)

Dial 1. This is the country code for the United States, including Louisiana.

3

Area Code & Number

Dial the 3-digit Louisiana area code (e.g., 504) followed by the 7-digit phone number.

Louisiana Time Zone

The entire state of Louisiana operates on Central Time (CT).

Central Time (CT)
New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette
UTC -6:00 (Standard) / -5:00 (DST)

Louisiana Area Codes List

Find the correct area code for major cities and regions in Louisiana.

Area CodeMajor Cities / RegionTime ZoneAction
504New Orleans, Metairie, KennerCentral
225Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, New RoadsCentral
318Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria (North LA)Central
337Lafayette, Lake Charles (Southwest LA)Central
985Houma, Slidell, North ShoreCentral

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Louisiana

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the area code for Baton Rouge, LA?

Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, uses the area code 225. This code was split from 504 in 1998.

How do I call a Louisiana mobile phone?

Calling a mobile phone in Louisiana is the same as calling a landline. Dial +1 followed by the 3-digit area code and the 7-digit number. In the US, mobile numbers and landlines use the same format.

What is area code 337?

Area code 337 serves Southwest Louisiana, including cities like Lafayette and Lake Charles. It is known for being the heart of Cajun country.

Is it expensive to call Louisiana from overseas?

It can be if you use a traditional carrier. However, with StartACall, you can call Louisiana for as low as $0.05 per minute using our web-based VoIP service.

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Louisiana calling guide: New Orleans, the parishes and their five codes

In short

Louisiana's five area codes trace its cultural regions: New Orleans on 504, the north shore and bayou parishes on 985, Baton Rouge on 225, Cajun country on 337 and the north on 318. Here is how to read them, when Louisiana actually answers, and how to dial from outside the United States.

Codes that follow the culture

Area code 504 is compact, covering New Orleans and its immediate suburbs like Metairie and Kenner. In 2001 the surrounding region split off as 985, which now serves the north shore towns of Slidell and Hammond plus the bayou communities of Houma and Thibodaux.

Baton Rouge and its petrochemical corridor along the Mississippi use 225. The southwest, French-speaking Acadiana around Lafayette and Lake Charles, answers on 337. Everything north, including Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria, belongs to 318, the state's largest code by territory. Each code region keeps its own distinct accent and pace on the phone.

The 504 code is a badge of identity in New Orleans, appearing in music, team branding and business names, and locals held onto it through the 2001 split. When the region rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, keeping 504 numbers working was treated as part of the recovery, and the code returned district by district as neighborhoods repopulated.

When to call, and when the city simply is not working

Louisiana observes Central Time, six hours behind UTC in winter. From Europe, 3pm to 10pm local European time lands in the working day. Tourism and hospitality numbers in New Orleans answer late into the evening, while oil and gas offices in Lafayette and industrial plants near Baton Rouge start their day early, often by 7am.

Two calendar warnings. During Mardi Gras season, especially the week before Ash Wednesday, New Orleans businesses run reduced hours or close entirely. And in hurricane season, late August through October, storm disruptions can knock out lines and reroute mobiles for days, so an unanswered 504 number may reflect weather, not avoidance.

Festival season extends beyond Mardi Gras. Jazz Fest in late April and early May fills hotels and slows responses across 504 territory, and smaller parish festivals do the same locally throughout the year. For business matters, plain mid-winter and mid-summer weeks get the fastest answers, and email backlogs clear faster then too. Check festival calendars before planning a week of business calls.

Dialing mechanics and cost

Dial +1, then the area code, then the seven-digit number, for example +1 504 555 0186 for New Orleans. Louisiana has no overlays, so each code is exclusive to its region and the number reliably places your contact on the map.

Mobiles carry the same regional codes as landlines and, with StartACall, cost the same per minute, billed pay-as-you-go from your browser over WebRTC with no connection fee, no subscription and a free first call. For return calls from Louisiana family, a US virtual number costs between $2.14 and $5 per month.

Port and shipping business along the lower Mississippi generates steady international traffic into 504 and 225 numbers, and harbor operations answer at all hours. Customs brokers and freight forwarders, by contrast, keep conventional office schedules, so time those calls inside the Central business day, roughly 8am to 5pm local time.

Frequently asked questions

What area code is New Orleans?+

New Orleans uses 504, which also covers Metairie, Kenner and the immediate suburbs. Dial +1 504 plus seven digits from any country. The code is compact, so suburbs beyond the metro use 985.

What is the 985 area code?+

985 covers southeastern Louisiana outside New Orleans proper, including Slidell, Hammond, Houma and Thibodaux. It was split from 504 in 2001. Dial +1 985 plus seven digits to reach it from abroad.

What area code is Baton Rouge?+

Baton Rouge uses 225, which serves the capital region and the industrial corridor along the Mississippi River. Lafayette to the west uses 337 instead. The 225 region also includes the state government switchboards.

What time zone is Louisiana in?+

All of Louisiana observes Central Time, six hours behind London in winter and matching Chicago year round. Noon in New Orleans is usually 6pm in the UK. The state never splits across zones, unlike several of its neighbors.

Can I call Louisiana from my browser without an app?+

Yes. StartACall runs over WebRTC in Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge with no app or SIM, charging one per-minute rate for Louisiana mobiles and landlines alike. The first call is free and credits never expire.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the StartACall calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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