UK area code
0161 — Manchester
0161 is the UK geographic dialling code for Manchester, and also covers Salford, Stockport, Sale, Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Bury. It is a landline code: UK mobile numbers begin 07 and have no area code.
How to dial 0161
- From the UK
- 0161 123456
- From abroad
- +44 161 123456
- Within the area
- 123456 — the local part alone usually works
Places on 0161
8 places share this code.
Postcode districts in the 0161 area
Approximate. Postcode boundaries and telephone-area boundaries are drawn by different bodies and don't line up exactly — this is reliable at town level and wrong at the margins where a district crosses a boundary.
Neighbouring codes
Codes that share a postcode area with 0161, so they cover adjoining ground.
Calling Manchester from a 0161 number
People answer a local number far more often than an unknown one. Local presence gives a floor a number in the area it's ringing, so a call to Manchester shows a 0161 number rather than one from wherever the business happens to sit. It's an add-on from £49 a month; whether a given code is available depends on what carriers hold at the time, so it's worth asking rather than assuming.
0161 questions
Where is the 0161 area code?
0161 is the UK geographic dialling code for Manchester, covering Salford, Stockport, Sale, Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Bury. It is a landline code — UK mobile numbers start 07 and have no area code.
How do I dial 0161 from within the UK?
Dial the full number including the leading zero: 0161 followed by the local number. From a landline inside the 0161 area you can usually dial the local part on its own, though including the code always works.
How do I dial a 0161 number from abroad?
Dial your exit code, then 44, then 161 without the leading zero, then the local number. So 0161 123456 becomes +44 161 123456.