020 at a glance
- Type
- Geographic (landline area code)
- Region
- Greater London
- Country
- United Kingdom (+44)
- Number format
- 020 XXXX XXXX (area code + 8-digit local number)
- From abroad
- +44 20
- Cost to call
- Charged as a standard UK landline call; usually included in landline and mobile call bundles.
020 is the single area code for Greater London. It replaced 0171 and 0181 in the Big Number Change of 2000, so there is no such code as 0207 or 0208: the 7 or 8 is simply the first digit of the eight-digit local number, and newer London numbers often begin with 3. Calls from 020 numbers come from every kind of caller, from government departments, hospitals and banks to couriers, recruiters and small shops. London numbers are easy to obtain from VoIP providers and are widely used by call centres based elsewhere, so an 020 caller ID does not prove the caller is in London, and it can be spoofed.
Who called me from 020?
The prefix tells you where the line was originally registered (London), but not who is behind it. Numbers can be ported between networks and caller ID can be spoofed, so a familiar code is no guarantee. Search the full number to see its current carrier, line type and whether other people have reported it. Read our UK phone number guide for mobile prefixes, networks and the scams currently doing the rounds.