What is the country code for the United States?

The US country code is +1. It is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and is shared with Canada and several Caribbean nations. When calling from the UK, dial 00 1 or +1 before the US number.

How much does Sayfone charge to call the US from the UK?

Sayfone charges $0.08 per minute to call the United States from the United Kingdom, with transparent per-minute pricing and no app download required.

Do I need to dial differently for US mobile vs. landline numbers?

No. Both US mobile and landline numbers follow the same format: +1 [3-digit area code] [7-digit number]. There is no separate mobile prefix in the US numbering system.

What is the time difference between the UK and the US?

The UK is 5 hours ahead of the US East Coast (New York, Washington, D.C.) and 8 hours ahead of the West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco) for most of the year. The offset shifts by 1 hour for brief periods in March and November when the UK and US switch to/from daylight saving time on different dates.

Can I call US toll-free numbers from the UK?

Generally no. US toll-free numbers (800, 888, 877, etc.) are usually restricted to domestic callers. If you need to reach a US business, look for a direct local number on their website or contact page.

What is the UK exit code for international calls?

The UK international exit code is 00. On a UK mobile phone, you can use the + symbol instead, which your phone translates to the correct exit code. So dialing 00 1 212 XXX XXXX and +1 212 XXX XXXX are equivalent.

How do I find the correct US area code for a city?

US area codes are 3-digit prefixes assigned to geographic regions. Common examples include 212 for New York City, 213 for Los Angeles, 312 for Chicago, and 202 for Washington, D.C. Many cities have multiple area codes, so always use the full number provided by your contact.

Quick Answer

How to Call the United States from the United Kingdom

From the UK, dial 00 1 [area code] [local number] on a landline, or +1 [area code] [local number] on a mobile. The full dialed sequence is 00 + 1 + 10-digit US number. With Sayfone, call from your browser at $0.08/min.

Start calling

Cost tools

🇬🇧From United Kingdom

To United States🇺🇸

$0.08

Per minute

Country code

Call quality

Landline rate

$0.08/min

Mobile rate

$0.08/min

Same per-minute Sayfone rate for landline and mobile.

Average call quality

The United States uses country code +1 under the North American Numbering Plan. From a UK phone, the international exit code is 00 on landlines or + on mobiles. A complete US number has 10 digits after the country code.

Steps at a glance

Dial 00 (UK exit code) or use + on a mobile phone
Enter 1 (United States country code)
Dial the 3-digit US area code (e.g. 212 for New York)
Dial the 7-digit local number

Sources

1
ITU E.164 – International Telephone Numbering Plan
Country code +1 assignment for NANP
2
FCC – International Long Distance Calling Tip Sheet
US dialing conventions and country code reference

STEP-BY-STEP

How to Dial a US Number from the UK

Follow these steps to connect to any landline or mobile number in the United States from a UK phone or via Sayfone in your browser.

1
Dial the UK international exit code
On a UK landline, dial 00. On a UK mobile phone, press and hold 0 to get the + symbol, which replaces the exit code.
```
00 or +
```
2
Enter the US country code
The country code for the United States is 1. This routes your call into the North American Numbering Plan network.
```
00 1 or +1
```
3
Dial the 3-digit US area code
Every US phone number begins with a 3-digit area code identifying a city or region. For example, 212 covers Manhattan in New York City, 312 covers downtown Chicago, and 202 covers Washington, D.C.
```
00 1 212 or +1 212
```
4
Enter the 7-digit local number
Complete the call by dialing the remaining 7 digits of the US phone number. The full sequence from a UK phone is: 00 + 1 + area code + local number (13 digits total on a landline).
```
00 1 212 XXX XXXX
```
5
Or call via Sayfone from your browser
Enter the full US number including +1 and the area code in Sayfone's browser-based dialer. No app download is needed, and calls to the US are $0.08/min with transparent per-minute pricing.
```
+1 212 XXX XXXX
```

Dialing format reference

Use these patterns when entering a full international number to +1.

Mobile

+1 [area code] [7-digit number]

Landline

+1 [area code] [7-digit number]

+1 212 XXX XXXX (New York)
+1 310 XXX XXXX (Los Angeles)
+1 312 XXX XXXX (Chicago)
+1 202 XXX XXXX (Washington, D.C.)
+1 415 XXX XXXX (San Francisco)

Major city area codes

New York City212

Los Angeles213

Chicago312

Washington, D.C.202

San Francisco415

Houston713

Miami305

Dallas214

Sources

1
FCC – International Long Distance Calling Tip Sheet
Authoritative dialing format reference
2
ITU-T E.123 – Notation for National and International Telephone Numbers
International number formatting standard

DIALING RULES

Important Rules When Calling the US from the UK

Keep these dialing conventions in mind to avoid failed connections when calling US numbers from the United Kingdom.

Always include the area code

All calls to US numbers require the full 10-digit number (area code + local number) after the country code. Unlike some countries, there is no way to omit the area code when calling from abroad.

Mobile and landline formats are identical

The US does not use separate prefixes for mobile and landline numbers. Both follow the same +1 [area code] [7-digit number] format, so you do not need to know whether you are calling a mobile or a landline.

Use 00 on a UK landline, + on a UK mobile

The UK international access code is 00. If you are calling from a UK mobile, you can use the + symbol instead, which your phone converts to the correct exit code automatically.

The US spans multiple time zones

The continental US covers four time zones: Eastern (ET), Central (CT), Mountain (MT), and Pacific (PT). The East Coast (New York, Washington, D.C.) is 5 hours behind GMT in winter. The West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco) is 8 hours behind GMT. Always verify the recipient's time zone before calling.

Some special numbers may not work internationally

US toll-free numbers (800, 888, 877, etc.) and emergency numbers (911) generally cannot be reached from outside the United States. If you need to contact a US business, use their direct local number instead.

TIMING TIPS

Best Times to Call the US from the UK

The UK is 5 to 8 hours ahead of the continental US depending on the US time zone. Plan your calls to hit business hours or catch contacts at home.

🇺🇸

The time difference between the UK and US varies slightly in March and October–November when the two countries switch to and from daylight saving time on different dates. During most of the year, London is 5 hours ahead of the US East Coast and 8 hours ahead of the West Coast.

Time & windows

US East Coast

UK time minus 5 hours

New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston

US Central

UK time minus 6 hours

Chicago, Houston, Dallas

US Mountain

UK time minus 7 hours

Denver, Phoenix (AZ does not observe DST)

US Pacific

UK time minus 8 hours

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle

🇬🇧UK morning → US East Coast business hours

2:00 PM – 6:00 PM UK → 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM ETThe strongest overlap window for UK-to-East-Coast business calls.

🇬🇧UK afternoon → US West Coast business hours

5:00 PM – 9:00 PM UK → 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM PTReach Los Angeles or San Francisco offices before end of UK evening.

🇬🇧Personal calls (evenings)

11:00 PM – 1:00 AM UK → 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ETGood for catching US East Coast contacts at home after work.

Calling tips

Confirm which US time zone your contact is in before calling; the difference between East and West Coast is 3 hours.
In March and late October/early November, the UK and US switch daylight saving time on different weekends, briefly changing the offset by 1 hour.
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) does not observe daylight saving time, so the Mountain Time offset changes seasonally.
US business voicemail messages should be concise—state your name, number in international format, and reason for calling.

Business etiquette

Americans typically use first names in business settings after initial introductions, even with senior contacts.
US business hours are generally 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM local time, Monday–Friday, but vary by industry.
When leaving a voicemail, speak your callback number slowly and include the +44 UK country code so US contacts can return your call.
Email a brief heads-up before calling if the matter is time-sensitive; US professionals commonly screen unfamiliar international numbers.

Sources

1
timeanddate.com – London vs New York Time Converter
Live UK-to-US East Coast time comparison

TROUBLESHOOTING

Common Issues When Calling the US from the UK

If your call is not connecting, check these common causes before redialing.

Call not connecting at all

Verify you dialed the UK exit code (00 or +) before the US country code 1. A common mistake is to omit the exit code or dial just the 10-digit US number without +1.

Wrong number or 'number not in service' message

Double-check the 3-digit area code. Many US cities have multiple area codes (e.g. New York has 212, 646, 917, and others). An incorrect area code will result in a failed or misdirected call.

Cannot reach a US toll-free number

US toll-free numbers (beginning with 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, or 833) are generally not reachable from outside the US. Contact the business for a direct local number instead.

Unexpected charges on your UK phone bill

International calls from a UK landline or mobile may incur per-minute charges set by your UK provider. Check your plan's international rates, or use Sayfone's browser-based dialer at $0.08/min for transparent per-minute pricing.

Savings

See what you could save

Adjust the tools below to compare Sayfone with typical retail pricing for calls to United States. Start with one call, then layer on monthly volume to see the bigger picture.

How to use these tools

Sayfone uses your live rate for calls to United States — the same basis as the rest of this page.
First, estimate savings on a single call length. Then, model a full month of minutes versus typical retail benchmarks.
Retail competitor rows are illustrative — not a quote from any carrier.