Area Code 601

Mississippi

Area code 601 serves Mississippi, primarily Jackson, in the Central Time (CT) time zone. It has served the region since 01-Jan-1947.

Published:

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 769 (Jackson).

In service since: 01-Jan-1947

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

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 228 (Gulfport), area code 662 (Southaven).

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population
2,867,106
Population Density
41 people/sq mi
below U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income
$50,435
below U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate
19.7%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate
6.0%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment
Bachelor's Degree+
22.4%
below U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
35.8%

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

  • Central Time (CT)

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

Central Time (CT)
 
 

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

MS

Major Cities

  • Jackson
  • Hattiesburg
  • Meridian
  • Madison
  • Pearl
  • Clinton
  • Brandon
  • Ridgeland
  • Vicksburg
  • Laurel
  • Natchez
  • Byram
  • McComb
  • Picayune
  • Brookhaven
  • Petal
  • Canton
  • Flowood
  • Richland
  • Philadelphia
  • West Hattiesburg
  • Columbia
  • Leakesville
  • Forest

and 133 more cities

Area Code 601 geographic coverage map (light mode)

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 601 is approximately 2,867,106. The population density is 41 people per square mile, which is lower than the national average of 93. The median household income is $50,435, which is lower than the national median of $75,144. Approximately 22.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 33.7%. This rate is lower than the national average. The poverty rate stands at 19.7%, which is higher than the national rate of 11.5%.

History

Area code 601 is one of the original area codes established in 1947 when the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) was created. Over time, area code area code 228 was split from 601. It shares its territory with area code area code 769.

County Coverage

Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 601).

CountyPopulationShare
Hinds, MS242,2828.5%
Rankin, MS183,5256.4%
Madison, MS172,4236.0%
Jones, MS152,6085.3%
Forrest, MS147,2575.1%
Lamar, MS137,8364.8%
Covington, MS130,2354.5%
Smith, MS113,7294.0%
Lauderdale, MS78,0012.7%
Pearl River, MS77,5192.7%
Lincoln, MS76,9212.7%
Hancock, MS68,4892.4%
Pike, MS60,0432.1%
Marion, MS58,8512.1%
Neshoba, MS56,5122.0%
Wayne, MS56,3182.0%
Clarke, MS56,2602.0%
Simpson, MS56,1452.0%
Jasper, MS54,6981.9%
Leake, MS54,5031.9%
Scott, MS50,8791.8%
Perry, MS50,3351.8%
Jefferson Davis, MS50,1271.7%
Greene, MS49,7151.7%
Kemper, MS49,5971.7%
Copiah, MS46,3971.6%
Stone, MS44,3841.5%
Jefferson, MS43,9321.5%
Warren, MS43,6231.5%
Amite, MS39,8791.4%
Franklin, MS39,6261.4%
George, MS39,3811.4%
Newton, MS38,6651.3%
Jackson, MS38,6611.3%
Adams, MS31,8531.1%
Yazoo, MS29,1601.0%
Lawrence, MS27,0300.9%
Walthall, MS26,9860.9%
Winston, MS25,6680.9%
Attala, MS15,2420.5%
Claiborne, MS13,9150.5%
Issaquena, MS13,4980.5%
Wilkinson, MS12,9090.5%
Harrison, MS9,7700.3%
Noxubee, MS1,7190.1%

Area Code 601 Family Tree

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601228662769471
5
Total Codes
2
Splits
2
Overlays
2
Max Depth

All Descendants

Code ▲StateType In Service Parent
228MSsplit15-Sep-1997601
471MSoverlay30-Jan-2026662
662MSsplit19-Apr-1999601
769MSoverlay14-Mar-2005601

Area code 601 was originally assigned in 01-Jan-1947 to serve MS. Over the years, it has generated 4 descendant area codes through a combination of geographic splits and overlays as demand for telephone numbers grew.

Call Context

Mixed urban-rural area

This area code spans a mix of urban centers and rural communities across MS, with Jackson as a primary city.

Nearby Area Codes

Area codes geographically closest to 601.

Area code 228 map card showing Gulfport (light mode)
228MSGulfportCentral Time (CT)Split
Area code 251 map card showing Mobile (light mode)
251ALMobileCentral Time (CT)Split
Area code 225 map card showing Baton Rouge (light mode)
225LABaton RougeCentral Time (CT)Split
Area code 985 map card showing Houma (light mode)
985LAHoumaCentral Time (CT)Split

Other Area Codes in Mississippi

Area codes that also serve Mississippi, linked for easy comparison.