How to Call the US from Mexico: Dialing Codes, Costs and Time Zones

To call a US number from Mexico, dial 00 (Mexico's exit code), then 1 (the US country code), then the 10-digit number: 00 1 212 555 0123. On any cell phone, Mexican or American, you can skip the exit code and dial +1 212 555 0123 instead (hold the 0 key to get the +).

The rest of this guide covers what is specific to this route: the 2019 dialing change that left a lot of wrong advice online, the Mexican plans that already treat the US like a local call, time zones that stopped matching US clocks in 2022, and what a 10-minute call home actually costs.

Which sequence to dial from which phone

You are calling from	Dial	Example
A Mexican cell phone (Telcel, AT&T Mexico, Movistar)	+1 and the 10 digits, or 00 1 and the 10 digits	+1 305 555 0123
A Mexican landline	00 1 and the 10 digits	00 1 305 555 0123
A US cell phone roaming in Mexico	+1 and the 10 digits	+1 305 555 0123
A hotel room phone	The outside-line digit first (often 9 or 0, ask the desk), then 00 1 and the 10 digits	9 00 1 305 555 0123
A browser or app over WiFi	+1 and the 10 digits	+1 305 555 0123

US numbers never start with 0 or 1 after the country code. If a number is written as (305) 555-0123, the digits you need after the 1 are 305 555 0123. Both landlines and cell phones in the US use the same format, so there is no separate mobile prefix to learn.

The 2019 dialing change, and why old guides still confuse people

On 3 August 2019, Mexico moved every phone number to a single 10-digit format. The regulator at the time, the IFT, removed three domestic prefixes: 01 for national long distance, and 044 and 045 for calling cell phones. It also dropped the extra 1 that people abroad used to put between +52 and a Mexican cell number. The old and new formats ran side by side for about a year, so by 2020 the old prefixes were gone for good.

What did not change is the exit code. Calling the US from Mexico was 00 + 1 before 2019 and it is 00 + 1 now. That is where the confusion comes from:

• "Dial 001 to call the US." Still works, but 001 is not a code of its own. It is 00 (leave Mexico) followed by 1 (the US). Writing it as one block makes people think it is the US country code, which is simply 1.
• "Dial 01 or 044 first." Those prefixes were for calls inside Mexico and no longer exist. Adding them to a US number breaks the call.
• "Mexican cell numbers need +52 1." True before 2019, wrong now. If you are giving your new Mexican number to someone in the US, tell them to dial +52 and the 10 digits, nothing more.
• "Dial 011 to reach the US." 011 is the US and Canada exit code, used to call out of North America. It does nothing useful in Mexico.

If you saved US contacts in your phone years ago with 001 in front, they will still connect from a Mexican SIM. If you travel with that phone, though, changing them to +1 format makes them work from any country and any carrier.

Mexican plans that already include calls to the US

Calls from Mexico to the US are often cheap or free for Mexican customers, because the big carriers sell plans that treat Mexico, the US and Canada as one calling area.

• Telcel postpaid (Telcel Libre). Telcel advertises its Libre plans, which start at MX$249 a month, with unlimited minutes, SMS and WhatsApp "in Mexico, the United States and Canada" (as of October 2026, Telcel). Check your own plan's terms for how that applies to calls placed from Mexico to US numbers.
• Telcel Sin Frontera. An add-on for Telcel postpaid customers that costs MX$50 a month (VAT included) and lets you use your plan's minutes, texts and data while you are in the US or Canada. Telcel says calls from Mexico to the US and Canada are treated "like a local call" under it (as of October 2026, Telcel Sin Frontera).
• Telcel prepaid (Amigo Sin Límite packages). Telcel says the included minutes apply while you are in Mexico, the US and Canada, and its fair-use policy mentions outgoing calls to the US and Canada. Very heavy US calling can get that feature suspended for up to 30 days.
• AT&T Mexico. AT&T Mexico has long sold its plans as usable across Mexico, the US and Canada, and press coverage in recent years says this still applies to its basic plans. Its website blocked our checks, so confirm what your plan includes in the AT&T Mexico app before you rely on it.

If you live in Mexico and call the US every week, one of these plans will usually beat any per-minute option. The cases where they do not help: you are on a plan without US calling, you are a visitor with a tourist SIM, or you are using someone else's phone.

Calling home with a US phone while you are in Mexico

Americans have the easiest version of this. Most current US postpaid plans include Mexico.

• Verizon includes unlimited talk, text and data in Mexico and Canada on "all Unlimited and other select plans". On plans without it, TravelPass costs US$6 a day in Mexico and Canada, against US$12 a day in other countries (as of October 2026, Verizon).
• T-Mobile includes calling and texting between the US, Mexico and Canada on many of its current plans. How much high-speed data you get depends on the plan, so check yours in the T-Life app.
• AT&T (US) also includes calls and texts between the US, Mexico and Canada on many plans. Log in to check before you leave.

Two cautions. These benefits are designed for trips, not for living in Mexico. Verizon, for example, says it may limit or remove the feature if more than half your use over 60 days is in Mexico or Canada. And prepaid or budget US plans often do not include Mexico at all, so a "free" call home can turn into roaming charges. If you are moving to Mexico rather than visiting, our guide on how to keep your US phone number when moving abroad covers the long-term options.

What time is it in the US? Mexico stopped changing its clocks

Mexico abolished daylight saving time in October 2022. Most of the country now stays on the same time all year, while the US still moves its clocks forward in March and back in November. So the gap to the US changes twice a year even though Mexican clocks do not.

When	Mexico City (all year)	Cancún (all year)	Tijuana
US summer time (mid-March to early November)	New York 2 hours ahead, Los Angeles 1 hour behind	New York 1 hour ahead, Los Angeles 2 hours behind	Same as Los Angeles
US winter time (early November to mid-March)	New York 1 hour ahead, Los Angeles 2 hours behind	Same as New York, Los Angeles 3 hours behind	Same as Los Angeles

Mexico City's zone (Zona Centro) also covers Guadalajara, Monterrey and most of the country. Quintana Roo, where Cancún, Tulum and Playa del Carmen are, sits one hour ahead of it. Baja California and several other towns along the US border still change their clocks on the US schedule so they stay in step with the city across the line.

The practical upshot: if you set a weekly call for "noon Mexico City time", your family in New York will see it move from 2pm in summer to 1pm in winter.

Hotel phones, WiFi and getting a Mexican SIM

Hotel phones. Room phones can call the US, but hotels set their own rates and often add a connection charge. Ask the front desk for the per-minute price before you dial, and do not assume a toll-free number is free from the room.

WiFi. Hotels, Airbnbs, cafés and most airports offer WiFi, though speed varies a lot outside the big cities. For calls, a steady connection matters more than raw speed.

A Mexican SIM or eSIM. Since 9 January 2026, a new mobile line in Mexico has to be registered to a named person, and Telcel says an unregistered line cannot be used. Foreigners can register only with a valid passport (or a temporary CURP for foreigners, if they have one). Telcel's tourist eSIM works like this:

1. Install the eSIM after you land, on WiFi. The package's validity starts when you install it.
2. Register the line at registro.telcel.com/vinculatulinea: you photograph your passport with the phone's camera and do a short face check.
3. If registration fails three times, call *500 from the Telcel line or visit a Telcel store.

Telcel says its 20 and 30 tourist packages work in Mexico, the US and Canada, but its English page does not say whether they include minutes to US numbers (Telcel eSIM for travelers). Ask before you buy, because a data-only bundle will not cover a phone call.

What a 10-minute call home costs

How you call a US number from Mexico	Cost of 10 minutes (as of October 2026)
Telcel Libre plan	Included in the plan's minutes
US phone on a Verizon Unlimited plan	Included
US phone on a Verizon plan without Mexico	US$6 TravelPass for that day
US phone on a prepaid plan with no Mexico coverage	Roaming rates, check with your carrier first
Hotel room phone	Ask first, set by the hotel
BoraPhone in a browser over WiFi	From about US$0.40 (from US$0.04 a minute)

If your plan already covers the US, use it. A browser call makes sense when it does not: you are on a tourist SIM, a prepaid US plan with no Mexico coverage, or a laptop with no SIM at all. BoraPhone runs in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox with nothing to install, rates are shown before you dial (the dialer gives the exact rate for the number you enter), and billing is per minute with no subscription. Your first call is free, and the full rates list shows every other country.

Mistakes that stop calls from Mexico to the US

1. Dialing 011. That is the exit code for leaving the US, not Mexico. From Mexico it is 00, or + on a cell phone.
2. Adding 01 or 044. Those prefixes were retired in 2019. They break a call to the US.
3. Forgetting the 1. 00 followed straight by the area code goes nowhere. You need 00 1 or +1.
4. Calling a US 1-800 number and expecting it to be free. Many US toll-free numbers do not accept calls from Mexican networks, and some only answer US callers. Our guide to calling US toll-free numbers from abroad lists the workarounds, and if it is your bank you need, see calling your bank from abroad when your card is blocked.
5. Roaming without checking. Prepaid and budget US plans often charge for Mexico. Turn off cellular data and use WiFi until you know what your plan covers.

Frequently asked questions

Is the US country code 001 or 1?

The US country code is 1. In Mexico you dial 00 to leave the country, so a call to the US starts with 00 1, which is why you see "001" in guides. On a cell phone, +1 does the same job and works from any country.

Is +1 the same as 011?

No. +1 means "the US or Canada", and your phone replaces the + with the right exit code for wherever you are. 011 is the exit code people in the US and Canada dial to call other countries, so it is no use when you are in Mexico calling the US.

How do I call the US from Mexico for free?

If your Mexican plan includes the US (as Telcel Libre plans advertise) or your US plan includes Mexico, calls to US numbers cost nothing extra. App-to-app calls on WhatsApp or FaceTime over WiFi are also free when the other person has the same app. For calls to a landline or a business, you need a plan, a calling service or a paid app.

How do I call a US 1-800 number from Mexico?

Dial it like any US number: 00 1 800 and the seven digits, or +1 800 on a cell phone. Many toll-free lines block or do not accept calls from Mexican networks, and when they do connect you may pay normal international rates. A browser or app call over WiFi often gets through when a Mexican SIM does not.

Do I need to dial 1 before the area code when calling the US from Mexico?

Yes. The 1 is the US country code and it always goes between the exit code and the area code: 00 1 then the area code and number. On a cell phone, use +1 followed by the 10 digits.