Area Code 503 - Oregon

You may not think of Oregon as a state that has a huge population. It may be one of the states that you don't think about, but it has enough of a population to warrant a few different area codes. One of those is the 503 area code. When you are getting phone calls from this area code, you can be sure the calls are coming from the northwest area of the state where two area codes overlay each other to make sure there are enough phone numbers to go around.

The area serviced by the area code 503 is rather small in area but dense in population. If you look at an area code map, you will see that 503 once serviced the coastal areas exclusively, but as you move inland, the code 971 overlaid this code. An overlay can be tricky, as it might mean that you have a different area code for your cellular and your landline phones. When such overlays are implemented anywhere, confusion is common for a while until people get used to it.

The area covered by the area code 503 contains some of the largest cities in Oregon. These include Salem, Portland, Tillamook, and Astoria. The 503 code was once the only code in Tillamook and Clatsop counties, but was supposed to change in April of 2008. The overlay of area code 971 is meant to cover the entire area covered by area code 503.

Unknown calls coming from within the 503 area are probably coming from one of the large metropolitan areas, but they could be from anywhere within the northwestern part of the state. Whatever the case, you now know where the calls are coming from, and that may give you some hints as to who might be calling. If you know someone who lives there, your mystery may be solved. If not, you may need to investigate more.

Landline numbers beginning with the area code 503 may be much easier to trace. You may only need a white or yellow page reverse lookup. When a mobile number is calling, finding the source can be a bit tougher. When that happens, you can use a good reverse cell look up within the area code 503.