Area code 501

Area code 501 is a telephone area code serving central Arkansas, including Little Rock and most of its suburbs. The coverage area includes most communities in Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski, Saline, White and Van Buren counties.

It is one of the original 86 North American Numbering Plan areas assigned in 1947, and originally covered all of Arkansas. Due to Arkansas' relatively low population density, 501 remained the sole area code for the state until 1995, when area code 870 was created to serve north-central, northeast, eastern and southern Arkansas. In 2002, the northwestern part of the state was split off as area code 479. Major cities in area code 501 include: