Area Code 501
Arkansas
Geographic Coverage
State
AR
Major Cities
- Little Rock
- Conway
- North Little Rock
- Hot Springs
- Benton
- Sherwood
- Jacksonville
- Cabot
- Searcy
- Bryant
- Maumelle
- Malvern
- Beebe
- Heber Springs
- Morrilton
- Ward
- East End
- Greenbrier
- Shannon Hills
- Piney
- Vilonia
- Lonoke
- Gibson
- Haskell
and 97 more cities
Time Zone
- Central Time (CT)
Current Time
Demographics & Economics
- Total Population
- 1,646,273
- Population Density
- 91 people/sq minear U.S. average (U.S.: 94 people/sq mi)
- Median Household Income
- $60,385below U.S. median (U.S.: $78,538)
- Poverty Rate
- 14.8%above U.S. average (U.S.: 12.4%)
- Unemployment Rate
- 4.6%below U.S. average (U.S.: 5.2%)
- Education Attainment
- Bachelor's Degree+28.1%below U.S. average (U.S.: 35.0%)High School or Lower35.7%
Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates.See Sources for details.
Area Code Splits
Parts of this area code’s original geographic region were later assigned new area codes through splits. When a split occurs, some customers in the original area code region are assigned the new area code.
Split into: area code 479.
Call Context
This area code covers multiple cities and communities across a broad region in Arkansas. It is one of the original area codes established when the North American Numbering Plan was created in 1947.
County Coverage
Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 501).
| County | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pulaski, AR | 488,587 | 29.7% |
| Faulkner, AR | 238,062 | 14.5% |
| Saline, AR | 205,473 | 12.5% |
| Garland, AR | 132,789 | 8.1% |
| Hot Spring, AR | 114,464 | 7.0% |
| Lonoke, AR | 113,374 | 6.9% |
| White, AR | 82,610 | 5.0% |
| Cleburne, AR | 69,585 | 4.2% |
| Grant, AR | 67,550 | 4.1% |
| Conway, AR | 30,941 | 1.9% |
| Van Buren, AR | 25,988 | 1.6% |
| Prairie, AR | 21,145 | 1.3% |
| Independence, AR | 14,139 | 0.9% |
| Stone, AR | 11,090 | 0.7% |
| Perry, AR | 10,511 | 0.6% |
| Jefferson, AR | 8,143 | 0.5% |
| Clark, AR | 4,673 | 0.3% |
| Jackson, AR | 3,126 | 0.2% |
| Pope, AR | 2,129 | 0.1% |
| Montgomery, AR | 1,162 | 0.1% |
| Yell, AR | 732 | 0.0% |
Nearby Area Codes
Area codes geographically closest to 501.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about area code 501 and how phone numbering works.
Phone numbers are assigned based on where the number was originally provisioned, not the caller's current location. Mobile phones retain their number when users move, and businesses may use numbers from regions where they don't have a physical presence. VoIP services can also provision numbers from virtually any area code.
Yes, mobile phones can have numbers from any area code in the region they were activated. Wireless carriers assign numbers from available pools regardless of phone type. When users change carriers or move to new areas, they typically keep their original number, which may have a different area code than their current location.
Start by looking up the area code on this site to understand its general geographic region. For the specific number, options include using your carrier's caller ID features or checking public directories. If you suspect fraud, you can report it to the FTC. To file a complaint about robocalls or spoofed numbers, visit the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. You can also register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unwanted calls. Keep in mind that caller ID can display any name the caller chooses to set.
While Houston is a prominent city in this area code's coverage, the code serves the broader surrounding region as well. Area codes are assigned geographically and typically cover multiple cities, towns, and communities beyond any single anchor city.
Yes, this is one of the original area codes established in 1947 when the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) was created. The initial set of area codes was designed to cover all of North America with a unified dialing system, and many of these original codes remain in use today, though some have been split or received overlays.