Drive down I-75 through Toledo, Ohio, and you’ll see glass factories, auto-parts plants, and the Port of Toledo’s cranes on the Maumee River. Call any business along that corridor and the number might start with 419 — or with 567.
The 567 area code is northwest Ohio’s overlay code, sharing the exact same territory as the original 419 area code. If a 567 number called you, or you’re deciding between a 419 and 567 number for a Toledo-area business, this guide explains what 567 covers, how the overlay works, its time zone, dialing rules, and how to handle scam calls spoofing the code.
567 Area Code at a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| State | Ohio |
| Region | Northwest Ohio — identical footprint to 419 |
| Anchor city | Toledo |
| Created | January 1, 2002 |
| Type | Overlay of the 419 area code (no geographic split) |
| Time zone | Eastern Time (UTC−5 standard / UTC−4 daylight) |
| Dialing | 10-digit mandatory for all local calls |
| Counties covered | 20+ across northwest Ohio |
Where Is the 567 Area Code Located?
Because 567 is an overlay, it doesn’t have its own separate map — it covers exactly the same geography as 419: northwest Ohio, from the Lake Erie shoreline south through agricultural flatlands to the Indiana and Michigan borders.
Cities in the 567 Area Code
Every city in the region can hold both 419 and 567 numbers. Major communities include:
- Toledo — Ohio’s fourth-largest city, the region’s anchor, and a major Great Lakes port and glass-manufacturing center (the “Glass City”).
- Lima — the largest city in the western part of the region, home to a major oil refinery and the seat of Allen County.
- Findlay — headquarters of Marathon Petroleum and Cooper Tire, and the seat of Hancock County.
- Bowling Green — home to Bowling Green State University, just south of Toledo.
- Sandusky — Lake Erie shoreline city and gateway to Cedar Point amusement park.
- Fremont — historic city in Sandusky County with deep railroad roots.
- Defiance — farm and manufacturing hub at the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers.
- Tiffin — home to Heidelberg University and Tiffin University in Seneca County.
- Mansfield — sits in the overlapping territory toward north-central Ohio.
- Perrysburg, Maumee, Napoleon, and Van Wert — additional key communities.
Counties in the 567 Area Code
The overlay spans more than 20 counties, including Lucas, Wood, Sandusky, Erie, Ottawa, Allen, Hancock, Seneca, Wyandot, Hardin, Putnam, Henry, Fulton, Williams, Defiance, Paulding, Van Wert, Huron, and Crawford, with the code brushing into parts of neighboring counties where telephone exchanges cross county lines.
History of the 567 Area Code
The 419 area code was one of the original 86 codes assigned when the North American Numbering Plan launched in 1947 — in fact, it was Ohio’s very first area code. For more than 50 years, 419 needed no changes at all, a rare feat: most original codes had been split multiple times by the 1990s.
But the same pressures reshaping numbering everywhere eventually caught up with northwest Ohio. Fax machines, pagers, dial-up modems, and then the mobile phone explosion of the 1990s steadily used up the available 419 prefixes.
Rather than carving the region in two — which would have forced half the population to change numbers — regulators chose an overlay. On January 1, 2002, the 567 area code was laid directly on top of the existing 419 map. Existing 419 numbers never changed, and every new line issued afterward could be either 419 or 567, depending on availability.
The trade-off: with two codes sharing one map, ten-digit dialing became mandatory for all local calls in the region — a rule northwest Ohio has lived with ever since.
567 vs. 419: What’s the Difference?
Geographically, nothing. The only practical difference is timing: 419 numbers were assigned before 2002, while 567 numbers were issued after the overlay took effect. A Toledo business with a 567 number is exactly as “local” as one with 419 — the prefix only tells you when the number was created.
What Time Zone Is the 567 Area Code?
The entire 567/419 region runs on Eastern Time (ET):
- Winter (early November – mid-March): Eastern Standard Time (EST), UTC−5
- Summer (mid-March – early November): Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), UTC−4
Practical offsets:
| Your time zone | 567 (Eastern) is… |
|---|---|
| Central (CT) | 1 hour ahead |
| Mountain (MT) | 2 hours ahead |
| Pacific (PT) | 3 hours ahead |
Toledo and Lima share a clock with Cleveland, Columbus, New York, and Washington, D.C. For businesses, one time zone across roughly 20 counties means a single answering window covers the entire region — a 9-to-5 day in Toledo lines up exactly with East Coast customers.
How to Dial a 567 Number
Because of the overlay, ten-digit dialing is mandatory:
- Local calls within 567/419: Always dial 10 digits — 567 or 419 + the 7-digit number. A bare seven-digit number will not complete.
- Long-distance calls from elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada: Dial 1 + 567 + the 7-digit number.
- International calls: Dial your country’s exit code, then 1 + 567 + the 7-digit number. From most countries:
+1 567 XXX XXXX. - Toll-free: 567 is not a toll-free code. It’s a standard geographic overlay; normal long-distance or plan rates apply.
A virtual 567 number can be activated anywhere — cloud providers let businesses sound local in Toledo with no Ohio office required.
Is the 567 Area Code a Scam?
No — 567 is a legitimate area code, not a scam prefix. The vast majority of 567 calls come from genuine northwest Ohio residents, businesses, universities, and government agencies. However, scammers occasionally spoof 567 numbers to appear local.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: the infamous “419 scam” — advance-fee fraud emails — is named after Section 419 of Nigeria’s criminal code, not the Ohio area code. It has absolutely nothing to do with northwest Ohio.
Common scams from spoofed 567 numbers include:
- Auto warranty scams — robocalls claiming your car warranty is expiring.
- Utility shutoff threats demanding immediate payment.
- Social Security scams claiming your number has been suspended.
- Package delivery scams asking for personal details.
- Medicare and health insurance scams targeting seniors.
Protect yourself:
- Don’t trust caller ID alone — any number, including 567, can be spoofed.
- Never share personal or financial information with unexpected callers.
- Hang up and call back on the organization’s official published number.
- Don’t answer robocalls — let unknown numbers go to voicemail.
- Report scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and file complaints with the Ohio Attorney General.
567 Area Code FAQs
What does the 567 area code cover?
Northwest Ohio — the exact same territory as the 419 area code, since 567 is a full overlay. Major cities include Toledo, Findlay, Lima, Bowling Green, Sandusky, Defiance, Fremont, and Tiffin, across 20+ counties.
What time zone is the 567 area code in?
Eastern Time. The region observes Eastern Standard Time (UTC−5) in winter and Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4) during daylight saving — the same clock as New York, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C.
When was the 567 area code created?
The 567 area code was introduced on January 1, 2002, as an overlay for the 419 area code, which had served northwest Ohio since 1947 and was running out of available numbers due to mobile and business line growth.
What’s the difference between 567 and 419?
Only when the number was assigned. Both codes share every county and city in northwest Ohio simultaneously. A 567 number and a 419 number in Toledo are equally local.
Do I need to dial 10 digits for a local 567 call?
Yes. Ten-digit dialing has been mandatory for all local calls throughout the 567/419 overlay zone since 2002. Seven-digit dialing will not complete a call.
Is Toledo in the 567 area code?
Yes. Toledo is the largest city in the 567 territory and the commercial, industrial, and port hub of northwest Ohio. Toledo businesses and residents use both 567 and 419 numbers under the overlay.
Conclusion
The 567 area code has shared northwest Ohio’s map with 419 since January 1, 2002 — an overlay born from the mobile boom that let every existing 419 number stay put. From Toledo’s glass factories to Lima’s refineries and Sandusky’s Lake Erie shoreline, it runs on Eastern Time and requires ten-digit dialing on every local call.
Whether a 567 number just called you or you’re choosing a local prefix for a northwest Ohio business, you now know the code is fully legitimate, where it reaches, and how the 419/567 overlay works. Keep this guide handy the next time one of those calls comes in.