Area Code 42 – San Carlos

The +598 42 dialing prefix is the geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the city of San Carlos and its surrounding areas within the Maldonado Department of Uruguay. San Carlos, located approximately 18 kilometers north of the coastal city of Punta del Este, is a historic and commercial hub in the region. This code is part of Uruguay's national numbering plan, which follows the ITU-T E.164 standard, and is used for fixed-line (PSTN) services provided by both incumbent operators and alternative carriers.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

The 42 area code covers San Carlos and nearby localities such as El Chorro, La Capuera, and the rural zones that fall under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Maldonado. Calls to this code are routed to physical telephone lines associated with the local exchange, making it a truly geographic prefix. The administrative oversight for numbering resources in Uruguay is managed by the Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC), which ensures that the 42 code remains assigned to the San Carlos exchange area.

Dialing Formats and Procedures

For callers within Uruguay, dialing a San Carlos number requires the national trunk prefix 0, followed by the area code 42 and the subscriber's 6-digit local number. For example, if the local number is 123456, a caller in Montevideo would dial 0 42 123 456. However, when calling from abroad, the international access code (00 or +) is used, followed by Uruguay's country code +598, the area code 42 (without the leading zero), and the 6-digit subscriber number. Thus, an international caller would dial +598 42 123 456.

Number Structure and Overlay Considerations

Uruguay's fixed-line numbers are consistently 8 digits long when including the area code (2-digit NDC + 6-digit subscriber number). There are no overlay codes in this region; the 42 prefix is exclusively used for San Carlos. It is important to note that while mobile numbers in Uruguay also begin with a 9 and are 8 digits long, they are non-geographic and must not be confused with the 42 fixed-line code.

Caller Guidance

For local callers within the same exchange area, it is sometimes possible to dial only the 6-digit subscriber number, but for clarity and to avoid misrouting, it is recommended to always use the full national format. For international callers, ensure that the leading zero of the area code is omitted after the +598 country code. This prefix is not used for toll-free or premium services; all calls to 42 numbers are charged according to standard national or international fixed-line tariffs.