The United States country code is +1. It is also the country code for Canada, and several Caribbean and North American territories. This is because +1 is the country code for the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), a unified telephone numbering system covering 20 countries and territories — not the United States alone.
Quick Reference Table
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| US Country Code (phone) | +1 |
| Also Covers | Canada, and 18+ Caribbean/North American territories |
| System Name | North American Numbering Plan (NANP) |
| US ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 Code | US |
| US ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 Code | USA |
| US ISO Numeric Code | 840 |
| US Internet Country Code (ccTLD) | .us |
| US Currency Code (ISO 4217) | USD |
| How to Dial the US From Abroad | Exit code + 1 + area code + 7-digit number |
| Example | From UK: 00 1 212 555 1234 |
The Phone Country Code: +1 and the NANP
When someone says “the US country code,” they almost always mean the telephone country code — the prefix you dial before a US number when calling from another country. That code is +1.
The “+” symbol represents your country’s international dialing exit code. In most of Europe it is 00. In the US itself it is 011. So dialing a US number from the UK looks like: 00-1-area code-7 digit number. From Germany: 00-1-area code-7 digit number. From within the US or Canada, you just dial 1 before the area code for long-distance calls, though many mobile plans make this automatic.
The +1 code was assigned first — before most of the world’s phone numbering was organized — because the United States was the dominant force in early international telecommunications. The Bell System and AT&T played a central role in building the international dialing infrastructure, and the simplest, shortest code went to North America.
Who Else Uses +1
This is the part most people do not know. +1 is not exclusively the United States. The North American Numbering Plan covers all of the following:
- United States (all 50 states and territories)
- Canada
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- Sint Maarten
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- US Virgin Islands
Within the NANP, individual territories and countries are distinguished not by different country codes but by their three-digit area codes. Canada’s area codes (such as 416 for Toronto, 604 for Vancouver) distinguish Canadian numbers from US numbers within the same +1 system.
The ISO Country Codes: US and USA
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) maintains its own country code system, entirely separate from telephone codes, used in international trade, passports, shipping, databases, and government systems.
The United States has three ISO 3166-1 codes. The two-letter code is US — seen on domain suffixes, vehicle plates in some international contexts, and data systems. The three-letter code is USA — used in international sports (the Olympics, FIFA), passports, and shipping documentation. The numeric code is 840 — used in trade systems, banking, and data processing where letter codes could be confused with other identifiers.
The Internet Country Code: .us
Every country has a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for its internet addresses. The United States ccTLD is .us. However, unlike most countries where the national ccTLD dominates (such as .uk for Britain or .de for Germany), the United States uses .com, .org, .net, and other generic top-level domains far more heavily than .us. The .us domain exists and is used, particularly by state and local governments, but it is not the dominant identifier for US websites the way national ccTLDs are elsewhere.
The Currency Code: USD
The ISO 4217 currency code for the US dollar is USD. This appears on currency exchange displays, bank transfers, international invoices, financial markets, and anywhere dollars need to be distinguished from other dollar-denominated currencies such as the Canadian dollar (CAD), Australian dollar (AUD), or New Zealand dollar (NZD).
How to Dial the United States From Any Country
The formula is always: your country’s exit code + 1 + US area code + 7-digit local number.
| Calling From | Exit Code | Full Example |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 00 | 00 1 212 555 1234 |
| Germany | 00 | 00 1 212 555 1234 |
| France | 00 | 00 1 212 555 1234 |
| Australia | 0011 | 0011 1 212 555 1234 |
| Japan | 010 | 010 1 212 555 1234 |
| Mexico | 00 | 00 1 212 555 1234 |
| India | 00 | 00 1 212 555 1234 |
On modern smartphones, using the + symbol (hold the 0 key on most phones) automatically handles the exit code regardless of which country you are calling from. So +1 212 555 1234 will work from any country without knowing the local exit code.
Common US Area Codes
| Area Code | Region |
|---|---|
| 212 | Manhattan, New York City |
| 213 | Los Angeles |
| 312 | Chicago |
| 202 | Washington, D.C. |
| 305 | Miami |
| 415 | San Francisco |
| 617 | Boston |
| 713 | Houston |
| 404 | Atlanta |
| 206 | Seattle |
| 602 | Phoenix |
| 702 | Las Vegas |
| 808 | Hawaii |
| 907 | Alaska |
Why the US Country Code Is Just One Digit
Most country codes are two or three digits long. Mexico is +52. Brazil is +55. Japan is +81. China is +86. The UK is +44. The US is +1 — a single digit.
This is purely historical. The international direct dialing system was developed in the 1960s under the International Telecommunication Union. The United States and the Bell System had significant influence over how the system was structured. Single-digit codes were assigned to the regions considered most significant at the time of the system’s design. North America received +1, the Soviet Union received +7, and the remaining codes were organized regionally from there. There is no technical advantage to a shorter code today — it simply reflects who had the most influence when the system was first built.
You may also like Weight of a Gallon of Water
FAQ
1. What is the United States country code?
+1 for telephone calls. US for the ISO two-letter country identifier. USA for the ISO three-letter code. 840 for the ISO numeric code.
2. Is +1 only for the United States?
No. +1 is the country code for the entire North American Numbering Plan, which includes the United States, Canada, and 18 Caribbean and North American territories. Individual countries and territories within the NANP are distinguished by their area codes.
3. How do I call the United States from another country?
Dial your country’s international exit code (usually 00 or 011), then 1, then the US area code, then the 7-digit local number. Using + on a smartphone (hold the 0 key) replaces the exit code and works from any country.
4. Does Canada have the same country code as the US?
Yes. Canada also uses +1. A Canadian phone number looks identical in format to a US number — both have a three-digit area code followed by a seven-digit number. The area code distinguishes the country.
5. What is the US internet country code?
.us is the US country code top-level domain. However, the US uses generic domains like .com, .org, and .net far more commonly than its national ccTLD.
6. What is the US currency code?
USD — the ISO 4217 code for the United States dollar.
7. Why does the US have just a one-digit country code?
Historical precedent. The North American Numbering Plan was established early in the development of international direct dialing, and the US had significant influence over how codes were assigned. The simplest, shortest code went to North America.
8. What is the difference between US, USA, and +1?
+1 is the telephone country code. US is the ISO two-letter country code used in data systems, domains, and abbreviations. USA is the ISO three-letter code used in sports, passports, and shipping.
9. What is the US country code for shipping or trade documents?
US (two-letter) or USA (three-letter) depending on the system. The numeric code 840 is used in some automated trade and banking systems.
10. Do US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam use +1?
Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are part of the NANP and use +1. Guam uses +1 671. American Samoa uses +1 684. These territories are part of the NANP system despite being Pacific territories.
11. How many digits does a standard US phone number have?
10 digits: a three-digit area code plus a seven-digit local number. With the country code, it becomes 11 digits: 1 + three-digit area code + seven-digit number.
12. What should I dial to call from the US to another country?
011 (the US international exit code) + the destination country code + the local number. On smartphones, using + replaces the 011 automatically.
