Arkansas · Central time
501 area code Central Arkansas, the Little Rock corridor.
Area code 501 covers central Arkansas, including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Benton, Hot Springs, Jacksonville, and Sherwood, along with the counties surrounding them. It has no overlay partner; the rest of Arkansas is served by area codes 870 and 479, which were split off in 1995 and 2002. Here is where it reaches, what that means for you, and how a small team gets a 501 number without an Arkansas address.
Start with $15. No contract, no seat minimum.
- Area code
- 501
- Paired with
- None no overlay yet
- In service
- Since 1947 original code; 870 split off in 1995, 479 in 2002
- Time zone
- Central
- Local calls
- 10 digits since October 2021, when 988 became a national crisis line
Where it is
Where the 501 area code is
Area code 501 sits in the center of Arkansas, anchored by Little Rock and its nearby suburbs. It extends north to Conway in Faulkner County and southwest through Benton and into the Hot Springs area.
Capital metro
Little Rock and its suburbs
- Little Rock
- North Little Rock
- Jacksonville
- Sherwood
Conway and the southwest
Faulkner, Garland, and Saline counties
- Conway
- Hot Springs
- Benton
Got a call from a 501 number? A 501 area code means the number was issued in central Arkansas, not that the caller is there right now. Numbers are portable, so a person or business that moved from Little Rock years ago may still carry a 501 number. Area code 501 has been in service since 1947, making it one of the oldest codes in the country.
The history
501: one code for all of Arkansas, then three.
Area code 501 is one of the original codes assigned in 1947 when AT&T built the North American Numbering Plan, and at that time it covered all of Arkansas. In 1995, area code 870 was split off to serve north-central, northeast, eastern, and southern Arkansas. Then in 2002, the northwestern part of the state, including Fort Smith and Fayetteville, was assigned area code 479. The 501 footprint has been stable since 2002.
Before October 2021, callers within 501 could dial just seven digits for local calls. When 988 was designated nationwide as the dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it created a conflict with existing 988 exchanges inside the 501 area, so the area switched to ten-digit dialing on October 24, 2021. Any call within 501 now requires all ten digits, including the area code.
Local
In practice
What a 501 number does for a small team
A local number is the easy part. What matters is what happens when it rings. Here is one ordinary day for a three-person HVAC outfit working out of Conway, with one 501 number on the truck and the website.
- 7:30 am
A customer calls the 501 number. The ring group sends it to all three phones at once, whether the team is in the truck, at the shop, or at a browser tab.
- 10:15 am
All three are on jobs. The caller is placed in a short queue with hold music, and the first person to free up answers.
- 10:20 am
A second caller leaves a voicemail. It arrives by email with a recording and a transcript: "Unit out in North Little Rock."
- 5:00 pm
The schedule flips to after-hours. An emergency option forwards to the owner's cell, and holidays already on the calendar are handled automatically.
- Any time
Every call shows up in one shared list, and nobody's personal cell number ever reaches a customer.
No Arkansas address needed
Get a 501 number from anywhere
A Tonet number is not tied to a street address or a landline. A shop in Conway can have one, and so can a team that serves central Arkansas from another state.
Create your account
It takes a couple of minutes. Sign up with your email or with Google.
Add $15
Your first deposit becomes your balance. For one person it lasts about a month.
Pick your number
Search 501 in the dashboard and choose one. It rings right away in the app, in a browser tab or on a desk phone.
Pick a new number
The five-minute route. Take a 501 number, whichever you like the look of.
Bring the number you already use
Porting your number in costs nothing. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days. Some carriers take longer, up to a few weeks, and the releasing carrier controls the timing, so no date is guaranteed. Your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch, with no downtime.
US dollars · billed by the day
What a 501 business number costs
Two plans with the same features. The only difference is how you pay for calls and texts.
$10 per user, per month
- Calls 1¢ a minute
- Texts 3¢ each
- Best for A quiet line
$15 per user, per month
- US calls Included
- US texts Included
- Best for A busy line
Each phone number is $2.50 a month. You pay only for the days a user is active. No contract, no setup fee, no seat minimum. Unlimited is subject to a fair-use policy.
Start with $15Included on both plans
What comes with the number
One number, the whole team
Point your 501 line at a ring group and every phone rings. Turn on the queue and callers wait with hold music until someone picks up.
An auto attendant
Record your own greeting. Press 1 for a quote, 2 for service. Or skip it and let the phones ring.
Schedules and holidays
Business hours, after hours and days off, each with its own route. Set them once and the line follows them.
Recording and transcripts
Turn on recording for a number and each recorded call is written out, with a short AI summary, so you can search it later.
Texting from your number
Customers can text the business line. Receiving works right away. Sending needs a one-time carrier registration, which you file from the dashboard. How business texting works.
App, browser or desk phone
Answer on your iPhone or Android, in a browser tab, or on a SIP desk phone. Your personal number stays private.
Questions
501 area code, answered
Where is the 501 area code?
Area code 501 covers central Arkansas, including Little Rock and most of its suburbs. The footprint takes in Conway to the north and Benton and Hot Springs to the southwest, along with communities in Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski, Saline, White, and Van Buren counties. It does not cover northwestern or eastern Arkansas, which have their own codes.
Why does 501 only cover part of Arkansas today?
Area code 501 originally covered all of Arkansas when it was created in 1947. As demand grew, area code 870 was split off in 1995 to serve north-central, northeast, eastern, and southern Arkansas, and area code 479 was split off in 2002 for the northwestern corner of the state. The 501 footprint has not changed since 2002.
Does the 501 area code include Little Rock?
Yes. Little Rock is the main city in the 501 area, along with suburbs such as North Little Rock, Jacksonville, and Sherwood. Conway, Benton, and Hot Springs are also within the 501 footprint.
Can I get a 501 number if I am not in Arkansas?
Yes. A Tonet number is an internet-based number and is not tied to a street address or a phone line, so a business anywhere in the US, or a team working for Arkansas customers from abroad, can take a 501 number and answer it in the app, in a browser or on a desk phone.
How much does a 501 business number cost?
The number itself is $2.50 a month. Users are $10 a month each on Pay As You Go, plus 1 cent a minute for calls and 3 cents a text, or $15 a month each on Unlimited, with US calls and texts included under a fair-use policy. Billing is by the day, there is no contract, no setup fee and no seat minimum, and $15 gets you started.
Can I keep my existing 501 number?
Yes. Porting a number to Tonet costs nothing. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days, some carriers take a few weeks, and the releasing carrier controls the timing. Your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch, so there is no downtime.
How fast can I get a 501 number set up?
About five minutes. Sign up, add $15, search 501 in the dashboard and pick a number. It rings right away in the app or in a browser tab. A desk phone takes a few more minutes to register.
Why do I have to dial ten digits for a local 501 call?
Before October 2021, local calls within 501 only needed seven digits. When 988 was designated nationwide as the dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it conflicted with existing 988 exchanges inside the 501 area. To resolve that conflict, 501 switched to mandatory ten-digit dialing on October 24, 2021.
Area code dates and towns: Area code 501, Wikipedia.
Nearby
More Arkansas numbers
Sound local in Little Rock from anywhere.
Pick a 501 number and start taking calls today.
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