How to call the US

Dialling codes, number formats for mobiles and landlines, the time zones and the ways to call the US.

Updated 16 October 2026

To call the US from another country, dial an international prefix, then the country code for the US (+1), then the number as it's written locally.

The quick version

  • From a mobile: type + (hold down 0 on most keypads), then 1, then the number as it's written locally: +1 2XX-XXX-XXXX. This works from any country.
  • From a landline: dial your country's international access code instead of the +. It's 00 in most countries, for example 00 1 2XX-XXX-XXXX.
  • From the US, Canada and much of the Caribbean: these share the +1 code, so dial 1 and then the 10-digit number, with no international prefix.
  • In DanaTel: type 1 (the + is already there), then the number as it's written locally, or paste a number that starts with +1. The dialler shows the US and the price as soon as it recognises the code.

Calling a number in the US

Mobile and landline numbers in the US look the same. A number written locally as (2XX) XXX-XXXX becomes +1 2XX-XXX-XXXX when you call from another country. If the number already starts with +1 or 001, don't add the code again.

What it costs

There are three common ways to call, and the costs work differently:

  • Your phone plan. Calls abroad usually aren't part of your monthly minutes and are charged per minute at your provider's international rate, unless you buy an international add-on. Check your provider's price list before a long call.
  • Internet calling apps. Free when both of you have the same app and a good data connection, but they don't help when the person you're calling isn't online.
  • Browser calling with DanaTel. You call from your browser and they answer their normal phone. You pay a per-minute rate shown before you dial, billed in 6-second steps, and unanswered calls are free.

When to call

The US has several time zones, from UTC-10 to UTC-5 outside summer. Most of the country moves its clocks forward an hour in summer. Check which part of the country you're calling before an early-morning or late-night call.

Good to know

If someone sends you a number that already starts with +1 or 001, copy it and paste it into DanaTel's dialler as it is: it tidies the number up for you.

Ready to call? See DanaTel's rate for the US, or create a free account and top up from £5.