Area Code 551

New Jersey

Area code 551 serves New Jersey, primarily Jersey City, in the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. It is an overlay area code sharing territory with area code 201.

Overlay Area Code

This area code is part of an overlay region, meaning the same geographic area is served by multiple area codes. Overlay codes were introduced to meet growing demand for phone numbers without requiring existing customers to change their numbers.

This area code shares its geographic region with: area code 201 (Jersey City).

In service since: 29-Dec-2001

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population: 1,585,470
Population Density: 5,984 people/sq mi
above U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income: $123,715
above U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate: 10.3%
below U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment: Bachelor's Degree+
50.4%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
26.7%

Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.

See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the income ranking and density ranking.

Time Zone

Eastern Time (ET)

NANPA Relief Status

According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), this area code is not currently listed as exhausting within the next 36 months. No relief planning is in progress for this NPA.

Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses

Current Time

Eastern Time (ET)

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

Major Cities

Jersey City
Bayonne
Union City
Hoboken
West New York
Hackensack
Kearny
Fort Lee
Fair Lawn
Englewood
Bergenfield
Paramus
Ridgewood
Lodi
Cliffside Park
Secaucus
Elmwood Park
Palisades Park
Rutherford
Dumont
New Milford
North Arlington
Tenafly
Fairview

and 49 more cities

Area Code 551 geographic coverage map (light mode)

History

Area code 551 serves as an overlay for the same territory as area code 201. It was introduced in 2001 to provide additional phone number capacity for the region. It shares its territory with area code area code 201.

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 551 is approximately 1,585,470. The population density is 5,984 people per square mile, which is higher than the national average of 93. The median household income is $123,715, which is higher than the national median of $75,144. Approximately 50.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 33.7%. This rate is higher than the national average. The poverty rate stands at 10.3%, which is lower than the national rate of 11.5%.