424 Area Code: Location, Cities, and Scam Alert

The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) officially put the 424 area code into service on August 26, 2006, making it one of 329 area codes active in North America at the time. It was created specifically to relieve the 310 area code, which had been running short of available phone numbers as Los Angeles County continued to grow.

This guide covers everything you need to know about 424: where it sits geographically, which cities and ZIP codes it covers, how it differs from 310, which carriers operate in the region, how to identify and block spam calls from 424 numbers, and how businesses can get a 424 number without a physical LA office.

Most area code articles stop at geography and move on. This one goes further — into the spam patterns specific to 424, the real difference between 424 and 310 from a practical standpoint, and what it actually costs to get a 424 business line in 2025. Whether you got a call from a 424 number and need to know if it’s legitimate, or you want a West LA presence for your business, you’ll find a specific answer here.

Where Is the 424 Area Code Located?

Area code 424 covers the western and southwestern portions of Los Angeles County in Southern California. Geographically, the region is bounded by Ventura County to the north, the Pacific Ocean and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the south, and Orange County on its eastern edge. It also includes Santa Catalina Island, the offshore island roughly 22 miles southwest of the LA coastline.

The 424 area code location sits squarely in what Angelenos call the Westside — one of the most densely connected and commercially active parts of Southern California. This is the stretch of LA that includes Silicon Beach, the stretch of coastal tech companies running from Santa Monica to Playa Vista, as well as the entertainment industry’s West Hollywood hub and the upscale residential enclaves of Bel Air and Pacific Palisades.

The area code operates in the Pacific Time Zone (PT), which is UTC−8 in winter and UTC−7 during daylight saving time. If you’re calling from the UK, that means LA is 8 hours behind GMT in winter and 8 hours behind BST in summer. For East Coast US callers, it’s a standard 3-hour difference.

Quick Note: Because 424 is an overlay area code — meaning it covers the exact same geographic footprint as 310 — all calls within the 424/310 region require 10-digit dialing. You must dial the full area code plus the 7-digit number even when calling someone in the same ZIP code. Dialing just 7 digits will not connect.

424 Area Code Cities and ZIP Codes

Area code 424 california covers Los Angeles County primarily, with a small section extending into Ventura County. The cities within its footprint include some of the most recognizable names in American culture and commerce.

Key cities in the 424 area code include:

• Santa Monica — coastal tech hub and tourist destination, home to numerous startups
• Beverly Hills — luxury residential and retail, including Rodeo Drive
• West Hollywood — entertainment industry offices and media companies
• Culver City — major film and streaming studio presence including Amazon and Apple TV operations
• Inglewood — home to SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome arena
• Malibu — high-value coastal residential community
• Torrance — South Bay manufacturing and residential hub
• Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach — affluent South Bay beach cities
• Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale — inland South Bay communities
• El Segundo — corporate campus area near LAX
• Rancho Palos Verdes — upscale Peninsula residential area

According to the zip-codes.com area code database, the 424 code covers 21 cities within Los Angeles County and encompasses over 43 ZIP codes. The ZIP code range within this footprint runs broadly across the 90001–90999 block, though not every number in that range falls inside 424 territory. The total estimated population across all 424-covered ZIP codes is over 1.2 million people.

424 vs 310 — What Is the Difference?

The practical difference between 424 and 310 is essentially zero in geographic terms. Both area codes cover the exact same cities, neighborhoods, and ZIP codes in West and South Los Angeles County. If someone gives you a Beverly Hills number, it could legitimately be either 310 or 424 — both are equally valid for the same address.

The reason both codes exist is historical. The 310 area code was the original code for this region, assigned in 1991 when California reorganized its area codes. By the mid-2000s, the explosive growth of mobile phones and internet fax lines had consumed most available 310 numbers. Rather than geographically split the area code — which would have required businesses and residents in affected neighborhoods to change their numbers — regulators introduced 424 as an overlay in 2006. New phone lines in the region were assigned 424 numbers, while existing 310 numbers stayed as they were.

One perception difference worth knowing: some Los Angeles residents and businesses associate 310 numbers with an older, more established presence simply because the code has been around longer. A Beverly Hills law firm or a studio executive’s personal line is more likely to have a 310 number just by statistical probability — it predates 424 by 15 years. That said, 424 numbers are equally legitimate and carry no disadvantage for business use. Our take: If you’re setting up a business line today and have the choice, a 424 number is a perfectly credible LA number. The prestige gap between 310 and 424 is vanishingly small and is largely unnoticed outside of the most status-conscious LA circles.

Spam Calls from 424 Numbers — How to Identify and Block Them

Receiving an unknown call from a 424 number does not mean it’s a scam — the area code belongs to a real, heavily populated region with millions of legitimate businesses and residents. That said, scammers do use 424 numbers because spoofing a recognizable LA code increases the chance that people will answer.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, financial losses from phone scams rose 16% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Caller ID spoofing — where a scammer makes their call appear to come from a local or recognizable number — is one of the most common tactics used. A call appearing to come from a 424 number could originate anywhere in the world.

The most commonly reported 424 scams, based on data from phone reporting platforms including CallerSmart and ThisNumber, include fake Apple Support calls claiming an iCloud security breach, student loan forgiveness robocalls using scripted personas, IRS impersonation calls threatening legal action, and fake delivery service notifications requesting personal information. The Apple Support scam targeting 424 numbers is particularly high-volume — some users have reported receiving 15 to 20 calls per day from different numbers cycling through the 424 prefix.

Here is how to identify a suspicious 424 call and block it:

1. Run a reverse lookup on the specific number before calling back. Free tools include Google (just type the full number), CallerSmart, and the FTC’s complaint database at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
2. Never return a call to an unknown number before looking it up. Returning a spoofed number can confirm your line is active, increasing future call volume.
3. On iPhone, go to Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers to send all unrecognized numbers to voicemail automatically. Legitimate callers will leave a message.
4. Install a call-screening app. YouMail, Hiya, and RoboKiller all provide real-time spam identification and are available for both iOS and Android. YouMail is particularly useful for blocking robocall patterns at the network level.
5. Register your number with the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry at DoNotCall.gov. This won’t stop illegal scam calls, but it reduces legitimate telemarketing volume.
6. Report confirmed scam numbers to the FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your reports contribute to enforcement patterns.

One important limitation to acknowledge: call-blocking apps and carrier filters catch a significant percentage of robocalls but not all of them. Scammers rotate numbers frequently, so a number that was clean yesterday may be spoofed today. The most reliable protection remains not engaging with unrecognized calls and verifying the callback number independently before returning any missed call.

How to Get a 424 Area Code Number for Business

You do not need to be physically located in Los Angeles — or anywhere in California — to get a 424 area code business phone number. Virtual phone number providers and VoIP services make it straightforward to acquire and operate a 424 line from anywhere in the US, UK, or internationally.

The most commonly used providers for 424 business numbers are Dialpad, OpenPhone, and Google Voice (for personal use). Dialpad offers a 14-day free trial and allows you to select a 424 number during setup, with paid plans starting around $15 per month for a full business line with calling, texting, and voicemail transcription. OpenPhone, which is popular with small US-based teams, provides a similar setup at $13 to $15 per month per user and includes a 7-day free trial. Both work from your existing smartphone or laptop — no physical phone hardware needed.

According to Dialpad’s feature documentation, a 424 business number signals a presence in the West Los Angeles market, which matters most for companies targeting entertainment, technology, or finance clients based in that corridor. For a London-based consultancy or a New York startup that wants an LA contact point without opening a West Coast office, a 424 VoIP line costs less per month than a single business card print run and takes under 10 minutes to activate.

Before committing to a provider, check whether number porting is included if you already have a 310 or 424 number elsewhere — most major VoIP providers offer free porting. Also confirm that the plan includes both inbound and outbound calling, since some entry-level tiers limit outbound minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 424 area code a scam?

No, the 424 area code itself is not a scam. It is a fully legitimate California area code serving West and South Los Angeles County, put into service in 2006 by NANPA. The confusion arises because scammers frequently spoof 424 numbers — meaning they make calls appear to originate from 424 when they may actually be coming from overseas or from unrelated locations. If you receive a suspicious call from a 424 number, look up the specific number before assuming the area code itself is fraudulent. Millions of legitimate businesses and residents use 424 numbers daily.

What cities are in the 424 area code?

The 424 area code covers West and South Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Culver City, Malibu, Inglewood, Torrance, Hawthorne, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, and Rancho Palos Verdes, among others. It also includes Santa Catalina Island. The full city list runs to over 20 communities within Los Angeles County, plus a small section of Ventura County. All 424 cities are identical to those served by the 310 area code, since the two codes are geographic overlays of the same region.

Why do I keep getting calls from 424 numbers?

Repeated calls from 424 numbers are most commonly robocalls using caller ID spoofing to mimic a local Los Angeles number. Scammers do this because calls from recognizable area codes have a higher answer rate. If the calls are recurring and from varying specific numbers, you are likely dealing with a robocall campaign rather than a single individual. The most effective responses are to install a call-screening app like Hiya or YouMail, enable Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone, and report the numbers to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What is the difference between 310 and 424 area codes?

There is no geographic difference — both cover the exact same territory in West and South Los Angeles County. The 310 area code was introduced in 1991 and the 424 was created in 2006 as an overlay when 310 numbers ran low. New phone lines in the region are assigned 424 numbers, while existing 310 lines kept their original code. Both require full 10-digit dialing when calling within the region. The only practical difference is that 310 numbers are statistically older and more likely to belong to long-established businesses or residents.

Can I get a 424 area code number without living in California?

Yes. VoIP and virtual phone number providers allow anyone — regardless of physical location — to purchase and operate a 424 area code number. Services like Dialpad and OpenPhone let you set up a 424 business line entirely online in under 10 minutes, with no California address or presence required. These numbers work for inbound and outbound calls and texts and are indistinguishable from a standard 424 landline or mobile number. Monthly costs typically run between $13 and $20 per user depending on the provider and plan.

Final Thoughts

The 424 area code is a legitimate, active California area code serving West and South Los Angeles County — the same geographic area as the 310 code it was created to support. If you received a call from a 424 number and weren’t sure whether to answer or call back, that uncertainty is reasonable, because spoofing is genuinely common from this prefix. But the area code itself is not a red flag. It’s home to millions of residents and some of the most recognizable businesses in entertainment, technology, and finance.

If you want to verify a specific 424 number, run it through Google or CallerSmart before returning the call. If you’re setting up a business line, Dialpad and OpenPhone are both solid starting points with trial periods that let you test the service before committing.

Clark

I am Clark, a passionate blogger based in California. I write about everything that inspires everyday life — from fashion and lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas, useful tips, or simply a good read, you’ve found the right place.