918 Area Code: Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma Location and Time Zone

Introduction

Tulsa is the anchor of the 918 area code, which covers the eastern portion of Oklahoma. The same code reaches Broken Arrow, Bartlesville, Muskogee, Tahlequah and McAlester, and since April 1, 2011 new lines in the region can also receive numbers in a second code, 539.

An area code search usually starts with a call you didn't expect. This guide explains where 918 numbers are issued, which towns share them, the local time, how the 539 overlay changed dialing, why 918 is not a country code, and the steps for setting up an eastern Oklahoma business number.

Where Is the 918 Area Code?

Area code 918 is in Oklahoma. NANPA's planning letter for the 539 overlay says the 918 region generally covers the eastern portion of the state, and it names communities from Bartlesville, Fairfax and Miami to Cushing, Okemah, Sallisaw, Poteau and Clayton. Tulsa County is the most populous county in the region.

So the 918 area code location is eastern Oklahoma, centered on Tulsa. The rest of the state uses other area codes, listed on our Oklahoma area codes page.

Every 918 number, including the ones that turn up in searches paired with California, was issued for this part of Oklahoma. Keep in mind that a mobile number stays the same when its owner moves, so the code shows where a line started, not where the caller is today.

Cities and Towns in the 918 Area Code

The towns below appear in NANPA's planning letter, the overlay notice sent to carriers and carrier listings for 918. Because 539 serves exactly the same geographic area, any of them can have 918 and 539 numbers side by side.

• Tulsa, in the region's most populous county
• Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Jenks and Sapulpa
• Bartlesville, Claremore, Pryor and Miami
• Muskogee, Tahlequah, Okmulgee and Gore
• McAlester, Poteau, Sallisaw and Clayton
• Cushing, Fairfax and Okemah

That is a sample, not the full list. Many smaller towns across the eastern half of the state use 918 as well, so check the number rather than the town when you need to be sure.

918 Area Code Time Zone (Central Time)

Tulsa and the rest of the 918 region are on Central Time. The federal boundary with the Mountain zone follows Oklahoma's western edge, so the whole state, Tulsa included, falls in the Central zone.

• Central Daylight Time (CDT), UTC−5: from 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March
• Central Standard Time (CST), UTC−6: from 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November
• Compared with New York: one hour behind all year
• Compared with Denver: one hour ahead all year

If you schedule callbacks from another zone, set them to Tulsa time. A call placed at 9 a.m. on the East Coast arrives at 8 a.m. in Tulsa, before many offices open.

918 and 539: One Area, Two Area Codes

918 came into being in 1953, when it was split from 405 and eastern Oklahoma got a code of its own. For more than half a century that one code was enough.

By the late 2000s the supply was running out. On January 4, 2010, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, in Order No. 572602 in Cause No. PUD 200800135, chose an all-services overlay as the relief method. A second code, 539, would serve the same geographic area, and no one would have to change an existing number. The rollout ran in four steps:

1. 1August 7, 2010: permissive dialing began, so local calls went through with either seven or ten digits.
2. 2October 1, 2010: carriers could start ordering 539 prefixes from NANPA.
3. 3March 5, 2011: ten-digit local dialing became mandatory, and seven-digit calls stopped completing, with a recording explaining how to redial.
4. 4April 1, 2011: 539 took effect, and new lines could be assigned 539 numbers.

Just as important is what stayed put. The overlay notice promised that existing numbers, the price of a call and local calling areas would not change, and that a local call would stay local however many digits were dialed.

Is 918 a Country Code? What That Search Really Means

No. 918 is an Oklahoma area code. Every US phone number sits under country code +1, so a Tulsa number in international format looks like +1 918 555 0176, with 918 as the area code that follows the country code.

If you're outside the US and wondering about a 918 number, look at what comes before those digits. A number that starts with +1 918 was issued in eastern Oklahoma. If a different country code comes first, the 918 you noticed is part of that country's own numbering and has nothing to do with Oklahoma.

918 Area Code vs ZIP Codes

People sometimes search for "zip code 918" as if the two numbers were linked. They aren't. ZIP Codes are assigned by the US Postal Service to sort and deliver mail, while area codes come from the telephone numbering plan, and each system keeps its own map.

A Tulsa ZIP Code says nothing about whether a phone line uses 918 or 539, and a 918 number won't reveal a street address. When you need the ZIP Code for a specific address, use the USPS ZIP Code search.

How to Tell If a Call From 918 Is Legitimate

Seeing 918 on your screen doesn't confirm the call is from Tulsa or even from Oklahoma. As the FTC explains, scammers can make any name or number appear on caller ID. Decide based on the call itself by asking a few questions:

• Is the caller rushing me? Legitimate businesses, the FTC says, give you time to think.
• Am I being asked to pay in an odd way? Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency and payment apps are the methods scammers insist on.
• Is someone from a government agency asking for my Social Security number? Real agencies don't make that kind of cold call.
• Did a recording tell me to press a number? Pressing can bring more robocalls.
• Am I being asked for a code sent to my phone or email? Keep it to yourself.

If any answer is yes, hang up and contact the organization through a number you find on its website or a statement. The FTC collects scam reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; for sales calls you never agreed to, file at DoNotCall.gov. Scammers pay no attention to the registry, so turn on call blocking through your phone or carrier for numbers that keep calling.

How to Dial a 918 Phone Number

Since March 5, 2011, callers in the 918/539 region have dialed the area code on every local call. NANPA's dialing plan for the overlay sets out three patterns:

From outside the US, dial your country's exit code, then 1 918 and the seven digits. Three-digit services are unchanged: 911 always works, as do 211 to 811 codes where they are available locally.

How to Get a 918 Phone Number for Your Business

For a business serving Tulsa, Broken Arrow or Muskogee, a local area code shows callers that you're part of their region. Since 918 and 539 cover the same map, a number in either code does the job, and a cloud line lets the team answer from anywhere.

1. 1Browse the Oklahoma area codes Ringflow offers and check whether a 918 or 539 number is available.
2. 2Have incoming calls ring in the Ringflow mobile and desktop apps, wherever your staff happen to be.
3. 3Add an auto attendant to greet callers and route them by department or time of day.
4. 4Turn on business texting, and if you already have a number, port it instead of starting over.

Need coverage beyond Oklahoma? The US area code directory lists every region, and a free trial gives you time to set everything up before switching.

Conclusion

The 918 area code covers Tulsa and the eastern portion of Oklahoma, from Bartlesville and Miami to McAlester and Poteau. Split from 405 in 1953, it has shared its territory with 539 since April 1, 2011, keeps Central Time and requires ten digits for local calls.

When an unfamiliar 918 number rings, weigh what the caller asks for rather than the digits on the screen. Businesses serving eastern Oklahoma can get a local number with Ringflow, answer it in the apps, add texting or port an existing line, and start on a free trial.

FAQ