Area Code 2531 – Alaverdi/Odzun/Tsaghkashat/Tumanyan, Lori

Overview

Area code 2531 is a geographic destination code within the Armenian national numbering plan, assigned to the northern Lori Province. It serves the town of Alaverdi and the surrounding communities of Odzun, Tsaghkashat, and Tumanyan. These localities are situated in the Debed River canyon, a region known for its copper mining heritage and medieval monasteries, including the UNESCO-listed Haghpat and Sanahin complexes. The code is used exclusively for fixed-line PSTN services, with no mobile or nomadic VoIP assignments under this prefix.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

The 2531 area code is administered by the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia and is allocated to the Alaverdi telephone exchange. It covers a compact but historically significant territory along the Georgian border, approximately 150 km north of Yerevan. Subscriber numbers under this code are 6 digits long, resulting in a complete national significant number (NSN) of 8 digits when combined with the area code (e.g., 2531 XX XX).

Dialing Formats

• National dialing (within Armenia): 0 2531 XX XX — the leading '0' is the trunk prefix used to access the national PSTN.
• International dialing (from abroad): +374 2531 XX XX — replace the trunk prefix '0' with Armenia's country code +374.

For example, a local number such as 45 67 89 would be dialed as 0 2531 45 67 89 from Yerevan or other Armenian cities, and as +374 2531 45 67 89 from the United States, Russia, or any other country.

Caller Instructions

When calling from outside Armenia, international callers must drop the trunk prefix '0' and use the +374 country code. For instance, to reach a business in Alaverdi, a caller from France would dial +374 2531 XX XX. Within Armenia, all calls to 2531 numbers, even from within the same area, require the trunk prefix '0' and the area code, as per the national dialing plan. There are no overlay codes in this region, so the 2531 code is the sole fixed-line prefix for the covered communities.

Practical Considerations

Fixed-line numbers in Armenia are not portable between geographic areas, so a 2531 number remains associated with the Lori region. For VoIP users, the same international format applies, but service quality depends on the provider's interconnection with the Armenian PSTN. Businesses in Alaverdi often use these numbers for local customer service, while hotels and tour operators catering to international visitors should display the +374 format prominently to avoid confusion.