Introduction
The 562 area code serves Long Beach and a cluster of neighboring Los Angeles County cities, among them Downey, Norwalk, Lakewood and Whittier, along with a slice of Orange County that includes Seal Beach and Los Alamitos. It was split from 310 in 1997, keeps Pacific Time and has never been given an overlay code.
That last point sets 562 apart from its neighbors 310, 213/323 and 714, which all gained overlays years ago, and it explains why local dialing here changed in 2021 for a reason unrelated to running out of numbers. Read on for where the code reaches, its history, dialing rules and what to do about an unexpected call.
- 562 covers Long Beach and cities such as Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Lakewood, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera and Whittier, plus La Habra, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach in Orange County.
- It was split from 310 in 1997; 310 had been split from 213 in 1991.
- No overlay shares 562. Local calls have needed the area code since October 24, 2021, because 988 was a working prefix in the code.
- The area keeps Pacific Time, and +1 562 is not the same as +56 2, which is Santiago, Chile.
Where Is the 562 Area Code?
Area code 562 is in Southern California. A 2001 report by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) describes it as covering portions of Los Angeles County, Long Beach included, and portions of Orange County. Most of it sits in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area, with a small share in the Orange County metro area.
If you're searching "area code 562 is where" after a missed call, think of Long Beach and the cities around it rather than Los Angeles proper: the report places only portions of the City of Los Angeles in 562. Downtown and central Los Angeles use 213, 323 and 738, which the 213 area code guide explains.
Rate centers, the local serving areas that phone prefixes belong to, carry familiar names in this code. Long Beach, Lakewood, Downey, Norwalk, Whittier, Pico Rivera, La Habra and Alamitos all appear in the CPUC's 562 tables.
Cities and Counties in the 562 Area Code
The CPUC's list is split by county. Where the report says "portions," only part of that city uses 562 and the rest is served by a neighboring code.
| County | Communities named in 562 | Named as partly in 562 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Artesia, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra Heights, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, Signal Hill, Whittier | Commerce, Industry, Los Angeles, Montebello, South Gate |
| Orange | La Habra, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Seal Beach | Cypress, La Palma |
The report dates from 2001, but CPUC records show no split or overlay in 562 since, so the boundary it describes is still the one in use. Notice the overlap with central Los Angeles too: the CPUC names Commerce, Montebello and South Gate among the 213/323 region's cities as well.
For every other code in the state, see the California area codes page.
562 Area Code Time Zone (Pacific Time)
Long Beach, Whittier and Seal Beach keep the same clock as the rest of California: Pacific Time. Standard time there is UTC-8, because 15 U.S.C. 261 sets the fifth time zone, the one federal regulations call the Pacific zone, at eight hours behind Coordinated Universal Time.
Daylight saving time applies from 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March until 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, moving the area to UTC-7. A practical tip for East Coast callers: a 5 p.m. deadline in Long Beach is 8 p.m. in Boston.
Why 562 Split From 310 and Never Got an Overlay
The 562 territory has changed codes twice. It belonged to 213, which covered all of Southern California as one of the state's three original 1947 codes, until 310 was split off in 1991. In 1997, 562 was split from 310.
Pressure returned quickly. In 1999 the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) found 562 running short of numbers and, that June, sent the CPUC a relief plan offering either a split or an overlay. Events next door intervened: an overlay in 310 that began in April 1999, with mandatory 1 + 10-digit dialing, drew strong customer objections and was halted that September. In December 1999, Decision 99-12-051 suspended every overlay the CPUC had approved.
The same decision ordered commission staff to measure how 562's numbers were really being used. Their May 2001 report found that of about 7.8 million usable numbers, roughly 5.6 million were not in use, and concluded that a split or overlay wasn't yet warranted. Thousand-block number pooling and other conservation measures followed, and 562 has kept a single code ever since.
Is 562 a Country Code? What That Search Really Means
No, 562 is a California area code. US numbers belong to country code 1, so a Long Beach number written for international callers is +1 562 555 0188.
There is a real look-alike, though. Chile's country code is 56 and Santiago's area code is 2, according to notices Chile's telecom regulator filed with the ITU, and Santiago landlines gained an extra leading 2 in 2012. A Santiago landline therefore looks like +56 2 2XXX XXXX. Check for the 1: +1 562 rings near Long Beach, while +56 2 rings in Chile.
562 Area Code vs ZIP Codes
Area codes and ZIP codes answer different questions: one routes phone calls, the other routes U.S. Postal Service mail. The 562 region spreads across two counties and a long list of cities, each with its own ZIP codes, and telephone rate centers were drawn without reference to postal routes.
That's why a search for "562 area code zip code" can't return one number. When you need a mailing code for Long Beach, Downey or Seal Beach, enter the street address, or the city and state, in the ZIP Code lookup at usps.com.
How to Tell If a Call From 562 Is Legitimate
A 562 caller ID most often means someone in Long Beach or a nearby city is calling. It isn't proof, since numbers can be spoofed, and the FTC warns that scammers sometimes make calls appear to come from your own area code. Work through these steps when a call seems off:
- 1Notice the pressure. A stranger demanding immediate action, threatening arrest or a shutoff, or promising a prize is a warning sign whatever number appears.
- 2Guard money and codes. Don't pay, share card or bank details, or read out a one-time passcode just because a caller asked.
- 3Verify on your own. Hang up and contact the company or agency using a number from its official website or your account statement.
- 4Leave robocall menus alone. Pressing keys can bring on more robocalls, according to the FTC.
- 5Block and report. Use your phone's blocking feature, an app or your carrier's service, then report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov.
How to Dial a 562 Phone Number
Until 2021, people in 562 could still place local calls with seven digits. That ended because 988 was in use as a local prefix in the code, and the FCC required all 82 area codes in that situation to adopt ten-digit dialing before 988 became the national number for the suicide prevention lifeline. The CPUC describes the California change as a move to 1 + 10-digit dialing.
| Date | What changed for 562 callers |
|---|---|
| April 24, 2021 | Callers could start adding the area code to local calls; seven-digit calls still connected |
| October 24, 2021 | The area code became required on local calls; seven-digit calls may not connect |
| July 16, 2022 | Dialing 988 began routing to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline |
Today, dial 1 + 562 + the seven-digit number for a local call, and the same from anywhere else in the US. Callers abroad dial their own exit code first, followed by 1, 562 and the number.
How to Get a 562 Phone Number for Your Business
A 562 number fits a business whose customers are in Long Beach, Downey, Whittier or Seal Beach. With no overlay in the area, a local number there starts with 562, so availability in that one code is the thing to check.
Starting Fresh
Find 562 in Ringflow's US area codes list and check which numbers are available. After you pick one, your team can answer on Ringflow's desktop and phone apps, anauto attendant can route callers to the right person, and customers can use business texting on the same number.
Keeping an Existing 562 Line
If your business already prints a 562 number, porting it to Ringflow keeps it on your cards, trucks and listings while calls move to the apps. A free trial lets you test the setup before you switch.
Conclusion
The 562 area code belongs to Long Beach and its neighbors in Los Angeles County, plus La Habra, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach in Orange County. Split from 310 in 1997, it rode out a 1999 shortage scare without a split or overlay, and its biggest dialing change came in 2021 because of 988.
Dial 1 plus ten digits for every call, don't confuse +1 562 with Chile's +56 2, and give unknown callers the usual caution. For a local Long Beach-area number of your own, see which 562 numbers are open and try Ringflow free.
Ready when you are
Serve Long Beach Callers With a Local 562 Number
Check 562 availability in Ringflow, then ring calls on the mobile and desktop apps with an auto attendant and texting. Start free, or port your existing line.
FAQ
The 562 area code is in Southern California. It covers Long Beach and nearby Los Angeles County cities such as Downey, Lakewood, Norwalk and Whittier, plus La Habra, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach in Orange County.
Long Beach and the rest of 562 are on Pacific Time, eight hours behind UTC in standard time and seven hours behind during daylight saving time. East Coast callers should subtract three hours.
No overlay code shares the 562 map. A relief plan offering a split or an overlay was filed in 1999, but the CPUC suspended overlays that December and a 2001 study found most of 562's numbers unused. Ten-digit local dialing arrived in 2021 because of 988 instead.
No. 562 is a California area code that sits behind the US country code, 1, so the full international form is +1 562 plus seven digits. The similar-looking +56 2 is somewhere else entirely: country code 56 for Chile and area code 2 for Santiago.
Usually not, since most 562 calls come from homes and businesses around Long Beach. Still, a displayed number can be forged. Don't pay, share account details or read out a passcode during an unexpected call; verify independently, block repeat offenders and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Because 562 has no overlay alternative, start by checking which 562 numbers are available. Ringflow lets that number reach staff on its apps, greet callers with an auto attendant and handle texts, or you can bring over a 562 line you already use and test everything on a free trial.
