346 area code — Houston, TX geographic
If a call shows area code 346, the number was issued in the Houston area — a code active since 2014, on Central time. Together with 281, 621, 713, 832 it forms the 281/346/621/713/832 overlay. Because of number portability and VoIP, the area code tells you where the number was issued, not where the caller is right now.
NANPA lists 726 active NXX prefixes in 346, assigned to 54 carriers. 723 of those prefixes are pooled — shared between carriers in thousands-number blocks. The code spans 45 rate centers (billing localities).
Official projections put exhaust for the 281/346/621/713/832 complex at 2Q 2039.
Its parent code is 832, which it left in 2014. Later relief produced 621 (2025) from its territory.
The dialing plan is 10D for home-NPA local calls and 10D across codes.
Use this page to decode where 346 numbers come from — and remember that spoofing means the screen can lie about everything except your own caution.
Largest localities in 346
| Locality (rate center) | Active prefixes | Also served by |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | 169 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Houston Suburban | 69 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Bammel | 55 | 281, 832 |
| Langham Creek | 45 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Spring | 35 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Cypress | 31 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Richmond-rosenberg | 26 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Sugar Land | 22 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Baytown | 20 | 281, 713, 832 |
| Satsuma | 18 | 281, 832 |
FAQ
Where is a 346 number from?
346 is assigned to Houston and surrounding areas of Texas in the Central time zone. The three digits after the area code (the prefix) narrow it down to a rate center.
Is 346 a toll-free number?
No. 346 is a geographic code; calls are billed like any other domestic call. Toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888.
Why do 281 and 346 cover the same place?
They are overlays: when a code runs low on numbers, a new code is added over the same territory instead of splitting it. The 281/346/621/713/832 complex shares one service area, and local calls are dialed with 10 digits.
Will 346 run out of numbers?
NANPA's current forecast projects exhaust in 2Q 2039 — decades of capacity remain.