The area code 956 is located in Laredo, Texas.
Area code 956 serves Laredo and a wide stretch of South Texas along the U.S.–Mexico border. Centered on the Rio Grande, it reaches from the Laredo metro east through the Rio Grande Valley to the Gulf Coast. The code was created in 1997 after a split from 210 to meet regional growth in phone numbers. If you see a 956 phone number, it typically connects to people, businesses, and agencies in this vital border trade corridor.
Cities and communities covered by 956 include:
“Laredo is the nation’s busiest land port for U.S.–Mexico trade.” — Bureau of Transportation Statistics (U.S. DOT)
This South Texas area code ties together major landmarks and routes, from the international bridges in Laredo to the beaches of South Padre Island on the Gulf of Mexico. It also covers important sites like Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park in Brownsville and wildlife hubs such as Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park near Mission. The region’s cross-border economy, higher education centers, and year-round tourism make 956 a key hub for calls, texts, and business communications. The mix of metro areas and rural towns gives 956 broad reach across daily life in South Texas.
For quick reference, 956 is part of the North American Numbering Plan and operates in the Central Time Zone. It serves large parts of Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, and Cameron counties along the Rio Grande. Whether you’re contacting a logistics firm in Laredo, a university in Edinburg, or a hotel on South Padre Island, 956 phone numbers connect much of the border and the Rio Grande Valley. This makes the 956 area code one of the most recognizable in Texas.