Introduction
The 940 area code covers a wide band of North Texas, from Denton on the northern edge of the Metroplex to Wichita Falls and the smaller towns near the Red River. It was split from 817 in 1997, and unlike many Texas codes it still has no overlay, so 940 is the only area code for most of that region.
You may be here because a 940 number called and you want to know where it came from, or because you need a local number for customers in Denton County or the Wichita Falls area. Below you will find the code's location, its counties and cities, its time zone, the ZIP code mix-up, advice on spam calls and the ten-digit dialing rule.
- Area code 940 serves 22 North Texas counties, including Denton, Wichita, Cooke, Wise and Wilbarger.
- It was created in 1997 when 817 was split three ways, with 254 taking the southern part.
- Local calls have needed ten digits since October 24, 2021, because 940 had numbers starting with 988.
- All 940 numbers are on Central Time.
Where Is the 940 Area Code?
The 940 area code location is the northern part of Texas between the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the Panhandle. Its two anchor cities sit at opposite ends: Denton in the southeast corner and Wichita Falls to the northwest. From Wichita Falls the code continues west through Vernon and Quanah to Childress.
The Red River, which forms the Oklahoma-Texas state line, marks the northern edge, and southern Oklahoma beyond it uses area code 580. The Panhandle to the west uses 806. East of the region are the Dallas codes 214, 469, 972 and 945 and the East Texas codes 430 and the 903 area code. To the south are 325, 254, and Fort Worth's 817 and 682 area code.
Until 1997, all of this territory used 817, a code created in 1953 whose territory stretched north as far as the Red River. Growth around Fort Worth forced a three-way split that year. The northern section around Wichita Falls and Denton became 940, the southern section around Waco, Temple and Killeen became the 254 area code, and Fort Worth kept 817.
Cities and Counties in the 940 Area Code
The 940 area code in Texas reaches all or part of 22 counties: Archer, Baylor, Childress, Clay, Cooke, Cottle, Denton, Foard, Grayson, Hardeman, Haskell, Jack, Knox, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Stonewall, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young. Many of the larger towns are county seats, as the table shows.
| City or town | County |
|---|---|
| Denton (county seat), Little Elm | Denton |
| Wichita Falls (county seat), Burkburnett, Sheppard Air Force Base | Wichita |
| Gainesville (county seat) | Cooke |
| Decatur (county seat) | Wise |
| Vernon (county seat) | Wilbarger |
| Graham (county seat) | Young |
| Henrietta (county seat) | Clay |
| Bowie | Montague |
| Jacksboro | Jack |
| Mineral Wells | Palo Pinto and Parker |
| Quanah (county seat) | Hardeman |
| Childress (county seat) | Childress |
Other places with 940 numbers include Argyle, Aubrey, Corinth, Krum, Lake Dallas, Pilot Point, Sanger, Bridgeport, Iowa Park, Electra, Nocona, Muenster, Olney, Seymour, Haskell, Crowell and Throckmorton. The Wichita Falls metropolitan area, made up of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties, sits entirely inside 940.
Searching for the area code in Denton, TX? The answer is 940, but the city also appears among places served by 817 and 682, because parts of Denton County belong to Fort Worth's codes. Parker and Wise counties are divided between 940 and Fort Worth's codes in the same way, so check the town, not just the county.
940 Area Code Time Zone (Central Time)
Every part of the 940 area code keeps Central Time. Texas uses the Central Time Zone everywhere except its far western tip, where El Paso, Hudspeth and part of Culberson County follow Mountain Time. Childress, Quanah and the other towns on the code's western side are on Central Time too.
In winter the region runs on Central Standard Time, which is UTC−6. Texas changes its clocks, so from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November, Denton and Wichita Falls are on Central Daylight Time, UTC−5.
For callers in New York or Atlanta, a 940 number is one hour behind. Someone in Seattle or San Francisco is two hours behind Wichita Falls, so a 3 p.m. meeting in Denton starts at 1 p.m. on the West Coast.
940 Area Code vs ZIP Codes
A search for a "940 zip code" mixes up two unrelated systems. Area codes are part of the telephone numbering plan and decide how calls are routed. ZIP Codes belong to the US Postal Service and decide how mail is sorted and delivered. Neither one is based on the other.
A single area code as large as 940 contains a long list of ZIP Codes, from the Denton suburbs to small towns near the Oklahoma border. When you need the ZIP Code for a particular address, the lookup tool on usps.com will find it from the street address or from the city and state.
Some people searching "where do I mail 940" are not thinking of phones at all. IRS Form 940 is the Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, and the IRS lists its mailing addresses on its "Where to file your taxes for Form 940" page. The form number has no link to the area code.
How to Tell If a Call From 940 Is Legitimate (Spam Calls)
Area code 940 spam calls work the same way as unwanted calls from anywhere else. Caller ID can be spoofed, according to the FTC, so a scammer in another country can display a Wichita Falls or Denton number. A local area code is not proof that the caller is nearby or honest.
Instead of trusting the number, listen for the tactics scammers rely on:
- A deadline measured in minutes, or a warning that your account, benefits or freedom are at risk.
- Instructions to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app.
- Requests to read back a code texted to you, or to share a password or Social Security number.
- A prize, grant or refund that needs a fee before it can be released.
- A robocall that says to press 1 for a live person or to stop future calls.
If a call from a 940 number seems off, hang up. Contact the company or agency yourself through a phone number you find on its website or on a bill, not one the caller gave you. To learn more about a number before calling back, see how to track down a phone number.
If you lost money or shared personal details, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Unwanted telemarketing can be reported at DoNotCall.gov, where you can also add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. The registry only stops legitimate sellers, so block persistent spam numbers on your phone and check which blocking services your carrier provides.
How to Dial a 940 Phone Number
For years, people in the 940 area could reach a neighbor with seven digits. That changed because of the 988 crisis line. In July 2020 the FCC adopted rules making 988 the nationwide three-digit number for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and area codes that allowed seven-digit dialing and also used 988 as a local prefix had to switch.
Area code 940 was one of seven Texas codes on the FCC's list of area codes required to move to 10-digit dialing, along with 254, 361, 409, 806, 830 and 915. Callers could start using ten digits on April 24, 2021, and from October 24, 2021, seven-digit local calls no longer went through.
| Call type | Digits to dial |
|---|---|
| Local call within 940 | 940 + seven-digit number |
| Long-distance call from another area code | 1 + 940 + seven-digit number |
| Call from outside the US | International access code + 1 + 940 + seven-digit number |
| Crisis line | 988 |
| Emergency | 911 |
Since that deadline, a call placed with only seven digits may not connect, and a recording asks you to hang up and redial with the area code. Starting July 16, 2022, dialing 988 by itself has connected callers to the crisis line. As of September 2026, 940 has no overlay, so a new line in Denton or Wichita Falls still gets a 940 number. If a second code arrives later, the dialing habits people already use will stay the same.
How to Get a 940 Phone Number for Your Business
A phone number with a 940 area code helps a contractor in Decatur, a clinic in Gainesville or a shop in Wichita Falls look local to North Texas customers. With a cloud phone system, the number is not tied to one building, so staff can answer it from home or on the road.
- 1Pick a 940 number. Browse the available 940 numbers and choose one that is easy for North Texas customers to remember.
- 2Route incoming calls. Have calls ring the mobile and desktop apps, and set up an auto attendant menu if you have more than one team.
- 3Enable business texting. Send and receive text messages on the same 940 number.
- 4Port a current number. Transfer a number you already use instead of printing a new one.
Ringflow has local numbers across Texas area codes, 940 included, and in the other states in its area code directory. You can set everything up during a free trial before choosing a plan.
Conclusion
The 940 area code is North Texas between the Metroplex and the Panhandle: 22 counties anchored by Denton and Wichita Falls, split from 817 in 1997 and still without an overlay. It keeps Central Time, and since October 2021 local calls there have taken ten digits because of the 988 crisis line.
A call from an unknown 940 number is worth a moment of caution, not panic. For businesses serving Denton County, Wichita Falls or the Red River towns, Ringflow offers 940 numbers with calling and texting in its apps, an auto attendant, porting for existing lines and a free trial to try it.
Ready when you are
Need a 940 Number for Customers in Denton or Wichita Falls?
Ringflow can give your business a local 940 number that rings in its mobile and desktop apps. Try it free, and port your existing number whenever you like.
FAQ
You'll find area code 940 in the northern part of Texas, spanning 22 counties, with Denton in the southeast and Wichita Falls in the northwest, plus towns such as Gainesville, Decatur, Vernon, Graham and Childress.
940 is itself the area code for the Denton and Wichita Falls region of North Texas. It was split from Fort Worth's 817 in 1997 and has no overlay code, so numbers in most of the region start with 940.
Denton, Wichita Falls and every other 940 community use Central Time. That is Central Standard Time (UTC−6) through the colder months and Central Daylight Time (UTC−5) from the second Sunday in March.
Not necessarily. Many 940 calls come from real people and businesses, but scammers can spoof any caller ID. Hang up if a caller demands gift cards, wire transfers or verification codes, then tell the FTC through ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Choose a cloud phone provider with Texas local numbers, select an open 940 number and set where calls ring. With Ringflow, the number works for calls and texts in its apps, can greet callers with an auto attendant and can replace a line you port in, and a free trial is available.
Form 940 is an IRS tax form, the Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, and it has nothing to do with the 940 area code. The IRS publishes the correct mailing addresses on its Where to File page for Form 940.
