023 at a glance
- Type
- Geographic (landline area code)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Country
- United Kingdom (+44)
- Number format
- 023 XXXX XXXX (area code + 8-digit local number)
- From abroad
- +44 23
- Cost to call
- Charged as a standard UK landline call; usually included in landline and mobile call bundles.
023 is a shared area code for Southampton and Portsmouth on the Hampshire coast, introduced in 2000 to replace 01703 (Southampton) and 01705 (Portsmouth). Local numbers have eight digits; Southampton numbers have traditionally started with 8 and Portsmouth numbers with 9. Typical callers include the two city councils, hospitals, GP surgeries, port and ferry businesses, the universities and local tradespeople. Remember that an 023 number can be ported to a provider anywhere in the UK and can be used by an internet phone service far from Hampshire, and fraudsters can fake the caller ID, so judge the call by what is said rather than the number shown.
Who called me from 023?
The prefix tells you where the line was originally registered (Southampton and Portsmouth), 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.