The area code 985 is located in Hammond, Louisiana.
Area code 985 serves Hammond, Louisiana, and a wide stretch of southeastern Louisiana along the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and down into Bayou Country. Centered between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Hammond sits at the crossroads of I-12 and I-55, making it a key hub for travel and commerce in the region. This area code helps identify phone numbers from communities known for pine forests, river crossings, and coastal wetlands, tying together the Northshore and the bayou parishes. It’s part of the Central Time Zone (CT) and covers both suburban and rural areas with strong local identities.
Major cities and communities in the 985 area code include:
Introduced after a split from 504, area code 985 was established in 2001, serving regions outside the core New Orleans metro. The Northshore end of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is in Mandeville, connecting this 985 community to 504 across the lake. In Hammond, the university and rail connections give the 985 area code a strong student and logistics presence. Farther south, Houma and Thibodaux reflect Cajun culture, seafood industries, and access to the coastal marshes.
"Area code 985 was created in 2001 from a split of 504." — North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA)
Today, the 985 area code spans parts of St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, Terrebonne, Lafourche, and St. John the Baptist parishes, linking the Northshore to the bayous. It covers phone numbers for neighborhoods near lakes, rivers, and the Gulf’s edge, all within easy reach of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. For anyone seeing a 985 phone number, think Northshore charm, Hammond’s college town energy, and the heart of Louisiana’s Bayou Country.