Area Code 261 – Mendoza, Mendoza

Overview of Area Code 261

Area code 261 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the city of Mendoza, the capital of the homonymous province in western Argentina. It serves the Greater Mendoza metropolitan area, including departments such as Capital, Godoy Cruz, Guaymallén, Las Heras, Maipú, and Luján de Cuyo. As part of the Argentine national numbering plan (ITU-T E.164), this code is used for fixed-line (PSTN) and some VoIP services.

Dialing Formats

When calling a Mendoza number from within Argentina, you must dial the national trunk prefix 0, followed by the area code 261 and the subscriber number (7 digits). For example, to reach a local landline, dial: 0 261 XXX XXXX.

From outside Argentina, the international access prefix (e.g., 00 or +) is used, followed by the country code 54, the area code 261 (without the leading 0), and the subscriber number. Thus, an international caller would dial: +54 261 XXX XXXX.

For local calls within the same area code, it is common to dial only the 7-digit subscriber number (e.g., XXX XXXX), though some operators may require the full national format.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

The 261 code is administered by the Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM), Argentina's national telecommunications regulator. It is classified as a geographic code, meaning that the tariff and routing are based on the physical location of the line. The region is part of the Cuyo economic zone, with Mendoza being a major hub for wine production and tourism. The city is served by multiple fixed-line operators, including Telefónica de Argentina (Movistar) and Telecom Argentina, as well as alternative carriers offering local loop unbundling.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay code for 261; the area code remains exclusive to the Mendoza region. However, as demand for numbers grows, ENACOM may introduce an overlay in the future. In such a case, local calls would require 10-digit dialing (area code + subscriber number) even for on-net calls. For now, callers should be aware that mobile numbers in Argentina are non-geographic and begin with 15 after the area code when dialed from a fixed line (e.g., 0 261 15 XXX XXXX), but this practice is being phased out in favor of direct mobile dialing.

Caller Instructions

Local callers: For calls within Mendoza, dial the 7-digit number directly. For calls from other Argentine cities, dial 0 261 followed by the number.

International callers: Dial your country's exit code (e.g., 00 from most countries, 011 from the US/Canada), then 54 261 and the 7-digit subscriber number. Do not include the leading 0 of the area code.

Always verify the subscriber number length, as some older lines may have fewer digits, but the standard is 7 digits.