01642 Area Code — Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees & Billingham

01642 is the UK dialling code for Middlesbrough, also serving Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham and Thornaby-on-Tees, allocated by Ofcom under the National Telephone Numbering Plan. Our database has tracked 390 distinct 01642 numbers across 528 public lookups.

Quick facts

About the 01642 dialling code

01642 is the UK geographic dialling code for Middlesbrough, allocated by Ofcom under the National Telephone Numbering Plan. It is used by landlines — and increasingly VoIP lines — registered to the Middlesbrough area.

A full Middlesbrough number is normally written as 01642 XXXXXX. You can dial the local part on its own from within the same area, or the full number from anywhere in the UK.

Because of UK number portability and internet calling, a 01642 number no longer guarantees the caller is physically in Middlesbrough. Fraudsters also "spoof" local codes like 01642 so an unknown call looks like a nearby business or neighbour — so treat an unexpected call on what is actually said, not on the area code alone.

Map of the 01642 dialling area

The marker shows Middlesbrough; the shaded circle is an approximate indication of the area the 01642 code serves — exact Ofcom charging-area boundaries are irregular and don't follow a neat radius.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. View larger map

Areas typically served by 01642

Settlements in and around the Middlesbrough dialling area that typically use 01642 numbers. Approximate — Ofcom charging-area boundaries don't follow town or county lines exactly, and properties near a boundary may take a neighbouring code.

Calling 01642 from abroad

From outside the UK, dial your international access prefix, then the UK country code 44, then 1642 (the area code without its leading zero) and the local number.

History of the 01642 code

The code was 0642 until PhONEday, 16 April 1995, when a "1" was inserted after the leading zero to create 01642.

In the letter-dialling era the code had the mnemonic MI2 — on an old rotary dial, the letters MI (from Middlesbrough) sat on the same holes as the digits 642, so subscribers literally dialled the start of the town's name.

Top searched 01642 numbers

These are the 01642 numbers most-looked-up by visitors to our number checker. Click any number to see its full lookup page with risk-level, range holder, and community reports.

Is a call from 01642 safe?

Most 01642 calls are ordinary local calls from Middlesbrough homes and businesses. The main risk to be aware of is "neighbour spoofing", where a scammer fakes a local 01642 prefix so you are more likely to answer. Never share bank details, passwords or one-time security codes with an unexpected caller, even when the number looks local — hang up and call the organisation back on a number you have verified yourself.

To call a 01642 (Middlesbrough) number from outside the UK, drop the leading zero and dial +44 1642 followed by the local number.

Operators serving Middlesbrough

These UK communications providers have been allocated 01642 number blocks by Ofcom. The number of blocks per operator gives a rough sense of how widely each provider serves this area.

Ofcom number ranges on 01642

Ofcom's National Numbering Plan lists 559 number blocks under 01642, of which 426 are allocated to 83 communications providers. The first allocated blocks are shown below — look up any full number with the number checker to see its exact range holder.

Showing 12 of 426 allocated blocks. Source: Ofcom telephone numbering data, updated weekly.

Common scam patterns reported in Middlesbrough

Categories most-commonly tagged on user-submitted reports for 01642 numbers in our community comments.

• silent — 1 report

How to block and report 01642 spam calls

Block or report 01642

• You can block 01642 directly from your recent-calls list on iPhone or Android, and forward scam texts free to 7726.
• Scam or fraud calls should be reported to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040) or Police Scotland (101); persistent marketing calls to the ICO / TPS.

Full step-by-step instructions for every phone, network-level blocking and all UK reporting routes are in our guide: How to block and report unwanted calls in the UK.

Frequently asked questions about the 01642 code

Neighbouring dialling codes

Codes covering areas around Middlesbrough — useful when a caller is nearby but outside the 01642 boundary.

Living in or moving to Middlesbrough?

Our free postcode reports cover house prices, crime, broadband and schools for the districts around Middlesbrough.

Check another UK number

Have the full 10- or 11-digit number? The UK Phone Number Checker shows the Ofcom range holder, risk level, and any community reports for that specific number.