Digital Select Ltd
Understand Leeds 0113, London 020, Cardiff 029 and other UK number formats. Learn where the area code ends and how to format international numbers.
A number prefix seen in an advert is not necessarily an area code. The complete number is divided into the geographical code and the local subscriber number. Getting that split right makes telephone details easier to read and avoids describing part of a number as a separate place. This guide covers the formats used in our directory; some UK areas have less common formats.
Leeds uses 0113, Sheffield 0114, Nottingham 0115, Leicester 0116, Bristol 0117 and Reading 0118. Each has seven local digits after the code. For example, 0113 2XX XXXX and 0113 8XX XXXX are both Leeds formats. The X characters here stand for unspecified digits; they are not available numbers. Neither prefix represents a different area code or establishes a different call price.
Birmingham uses 0121, Edinburgh 0131, Glasgow 0141, Liverpool 0151 and Manchester 0161, with seven local digits after the code. A prefix such as 01613 contains the Manchester area code 0161 and the first local digit, 3. Newcastle upon Tyne uses numbers within the shared 0191 area; the full number matters when describing its geographic association.
Read about shared numbering areasLondon uses 020, Cardiff 029, Southampton and Portsmouth share 023, and Coventry uses 024. These codes have eight local digits after them. Read a Southampton prefix such as 02381 as 023 followed by local digits beginning 81, and a Coventry prefix such as 02477 as 024 followed by local digits beginning 77. Use a consistent format such as 029 XXXX XXXX on published material.
028 is the area code for Northern Ireland, followed by eight local digits. The next digits distinguish geographic numbering areas: Ofcom lists 028 90, 028 95 and 028 96 for Belfast, while 028 20 is associated with Ballycastle. Do not assume every 028 number gives a Belfast association. Confirm the full number offered to you.
Many entries, including Norwich 01603, Ipswich 01473, Cambridge 01223 and Shrewsbury 01743, use a five-digit area code followed by six local digits. Display the full number, not just its prefix. Similar-looking codes can refer to completely different places: 01473 is Ipswich and 01743 is Shrewsbury.
Replace the leading zero with +44 and retain every remaining digit. Norwich 01603 becomes +44 1603 followed by the local number; London 020 becomes +44 20 followed by all eight local digits. A clickable telephone link should use the complete international number without display spaces, for example tel:+441603949494 for Digital Select.
Use Ofcom to check the area association and ask your provider to confirm the full number and availability. Formatting a number correctly does not confirm ownership, stock, portability or the location of the person answering.
Check Ofcom’s area-code directoryOur directory brings the listed areas together so you can compare codes before enquiring. If you already have an advertised number, retaining it may be preferable to changing customer contact details.
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