What the US call areas are
In the United States, the digit in an amateur call sign originally told you which part of the country the license was issued in. The country is divided into ten call areas (sometimes called call districts or regions), numbered 1 through 9 and 0. A map of these areas is a handy reference for new operators, club presentations, and anyone trying to place a station they have just heard.
The digit sits between the prefix and the suffix. In W1AW, the “1” points to the New England call area. For the prefix side of a call sign, see the call sign prefixes list.
Call area table
This is the standard grouping of states by digit. Boundaries follow state lines.
| Call area | States |
|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont |
| 2 | New Jersey, New York |
| 3 | Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania |
| 4 | Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia |
| 5 | Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas |
| 6 | California |
| 7 | Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming |
| 8 | Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia |
| 9 | Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin |
| 0 | Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota |
A quick way to remember the pattern is that numbers run roughly from the northeast (1) down the coast and across to the west (6, 7), with 0 covering the central plains.
Alaska, Hawaii and territories
Alaska belongs to call area 7 and Hawaii to call area 6, but they are commonly identified by their own prefixes: KL7 or AL7 for Alaska, and KH6 or AH6 for Hawaii. Several US territories have their own prefix and number, for example KP4 for Puerto Rico and KH2 for Guam. These are often treated as separate “entities” in awards. See ham radio call signs by country for how prefixes and entities relate.
Does the number match where someone lives
Not necessarily. Operators who move to another state can generally keep their existing call sign, and the vanity call sign program lets people request a specific one. So a “W5” station may be living in California. Treat the digit as a hint, and use a license lookup if you need the official address on file.
Using a call area map
A call area map is useful for several things:
- Teaching: presenters often hand out a simple black and white US map with the areas outlined so students can label states by hand.
- Operating: during contests and nets, you may be asked which call area you are in, or want to track which areas you have contacted.
- Awards and tracking: some operators try to contact every call area as a personal goal.
If you want a printable copy, check that the map is licensed for your use. Some free versions allow non-commercial use only, so read the terms on the page you download from.
Finding frequencies in your area
A call area map tells you about call signs, not frequencies. To find what is active near you:
- Use a repeater directory from a national society or a local repeater coordination group.
- Check your local club’s website for net schedules and repeater lists.
- Listen on popular calling frequencies and use the band plan that applies in your area.
Band plans and allocations vary by ITU region and by country, so confirm that a frequency is open to your license class before transmitting.
What 59 means
“59” is a standard signal report. The first digit describes readability on a scale of 1 to 5, and the second describes signal strength on a scale of 1 to 9. A “59” report means perfectly readable and very strong. It is common on voice contacts, and often given generously, so it is best treated as a polite default rather than a precise measurement.
Related reading
- Ham radio call sign prefixes list
- Ham radio regions and ITU zones
- Azimuth map for ham radio, for pointing an antenna toward a station in another call area.