How to call Mexico from the US: the number to dial, step by step
Calling family or a business in Mexico takes three parts: the exit code, the country code and a 10-digit number. Here’s exactly what to dial, from a home phone or a cell.
The short answer
From a phone in the US, dial 011, then 52, then the 10-digit Mexican number.
- 011 is the code for calling out of the US and Canada.
- 52 is Mexico’s country code.
- The 10-digit number is the area code and the local number together.
So a number in Mexico City, area code 55, looks like this: 011 52 55 XXXX XXXX.
From a cell phone you can type + in place of 011: +52 55 XXXX XXXX. The + works from anywhere in the world.
Calling a cell phone in Mexico
You dial a Mexican cell phone exactly like a landline: 011 52 and the 10 digits.
Until August 2019, calls to a Mexican cell needed an extra 1 after 52, and calls inside Mexico used prefixes like 044 and 045. Mexico dropped all of these when every number moved to 10 digits. If an old contact in your phone has +52 1 in it, take the 1 out.
Common area codes
Every Mexican number already includes its area code in the 10 digits. A few you’ll see often:
| City | Area code | Dial from the US |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | 55 | 011 52 55 XXXX XXXX |
| Guadalajara | 33 | 011 52 33 XXXX XXXX |
| Monterrey | 81 | 011 52 81 XXXX XXXX |
Most other cities have three-digit area codes, followed by a seven-digit local number.
Step by step
- Find the full 10-digit number. If you were given 8 digits, ask for the area code.
- Dial 011 from a home or office phone, or + from a cell.
- Dial 52.
- Dial the 10 digits, with no 1, 044 or 045 in front.
- Wait a moment. International calls can take a few seconds longer to start ringing.
What it costs
With Kafono you call Mexico from the phones in the house or the app, with your home number showing, in one of two ways: by the minute with nothing to add, or with a monthly bundle of 500 minutes if you talk a lot. Every price, and which way costs less for how much you talk, is on the international calling page.
Time in Mexico
Most of Mexico, including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, is on Central time, the same as Chicago in winter.
Mexico stopped changing its clocks in 2022, apart from towns along the US border. So from March to November, while US clocks are an hour ahead, Mexico City is an hour behind Chicago; in winter they match.
If the call won’t go through
- Check for an extra 1 after 52, from an old saved number.
- Check you have 10 digits after the 52.
- International calling may be blocked on the line. Ask your phone provider whether calls to Mexico are allowed on your plan.