The area code 251 is located in Mobile, Alabama.
Area code 251 serves the southwest corner of Alabama, centered on Mobile along the beautiful Gulf Coast and Mobile Bay. It covers coastal, bay, and pine-forest communities near the Mississippi line and the Florida Panhandle. The region runs on Central Time and includes a mix of port industry, shipbuilding, tourism, and small-town life.
Area code 251 includes much of Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Clarke, Monroe, and Washington counties, reaching busy cities, beach towns, and historic sites. Major communities and landmarks in the 251 area include:
Established: Area code 251 was created on June 18, 2001, after splitting from area code 334. It remains a single-code region without an overlay, so numbers in 251 are tied closely to southwest Alabama communities. This helps identify Mobile, AL phone numbers and nearby Gulf Coast calls at a glance. “Area code 251 was created in 2001 from a split of 334” — North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA).
The area is rich in culture and history. Mobile is Alabama’s oldest city and is widely known as the birthplace of America’s Mardi Gras. Beach lovers know 251 for white-sand shores in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, while history fans visit Monroeville, the “Literary Capital of Alabama.” If you see a 251 phone number, it most often connects to life along Mobile Bay and the Alabama Gulf Coast.