Des Moines, IA Area Code

Area code serving Des Moines

Des Moines sits in Iowa, part of the Midwest region and the Central Time zone. Its area code is 515, which covers central Iowa including Des Moines metro, Ames and Fort Dodge. 515 has no overlay today, so every Des Moines landline and mobile number with a local code starts with 515.

515 has served the area since 1947, as one of the original 1947 North American area codes. If the region runs low on numbers, regulators will most likely add an overlay code on top rather than split the area, which would make 10-digit dialing mandatory.

Code	Area served	In service
515	Central Iowa including Des Moines metro, Ames and Fort Dodge	January 1, 1947

Nearby cities sharing this area code

• West Des Moines
• Ankeny
• Ames
• Urbandale
• Johnston
• Waukee
• Fort Dodge
• Altoona
• Clive
• Indianola
• Boone
• Webster City

Getting a Des Moines phone number

Any new landline, mobile or VoIP number from a local carrier in Des Moines gets the 515 area code. Numbers come from the blocks each carrier holds in the area; a number ported in from elsewhere keeps its original area code, so you may also see out-of-state codes locally.

Dialing in Des Moines

Des Moines is covered by the single area code 515 with no overlay, so some local calls may still connect with seven digits. Dialing all 10 digits (area code + seven-digit number) always works and is the safest habit. From outside the US, dial +1, then the area code and number. See 10-digit dialing and overlay area codes for the background. For every code in Iowa, visit the Iowa area codes page.