--- title: "Calling Colombia from the US: Codes and Steps | Chargezen" description: "Dial 011 + 57, then the 10-digit Colombian number. Landline 60X codes, mobile numbers, the time difference with no DST, and a worked example." url: "https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-call-colombia-from-the-us" lang: "en" updated: "2026-10-18" --- Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-call-colombia-from-the-us # How to Call Colombia from the US: Codes, Formats and Time Difference DTC Strategy · 6 min read ![Jerry Abrahamson](https://chargezen.com/assets/blogpost1.6581a30d.png) Jerry Abrahamson Founder & CEO • Oct 18, 2026 ![How to Call Colombia from the US: Codes, Formats and Time Difference](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) To call Colombia from the US, dial **011**, then **57** (Colombia's country code), then the **full 10-digit Colombian number**. There is no leading 0 to drop. A Bogotá landline written 601 xxx xxxx becomes 011 57 601 xxx xxxx, or +57 601 xxx xxxx from a cell phone. Colombia changed how its phone numbers work in 2021, and a lot of advice online still shows the old format. Today every Colombian number, landline or mobile, has 10 digits, and there's no leading 0 to drop. From the US you dial the exit code, 57 and those 10 digits. This guide covers the new landline codes, how to fix an old-style number, the time difference (Colombia doesn't use daylight saving time), a worked example, costs and WhatsApp. ## The short version | What you dial | For Colombia | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | US exit code | 011 | Or + on a cell phone | | Country code | 57 | All of Colombia | | Trunk prefix | None | Colombian numbers have no leading 0 | | Number | 10 digits | Landlines start with 60, mobiles with 3 | | Full pattern | 011 57 + all 10 digits | +57 on a cell phone | Sources at the end of this post. Checked October 18, 2026. The area and mobile codes you'll see: | Code | Value | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | | US exit code | 011 | Starts an international call from the US | | Colombia country code | 57 | Routes the call to Colombia | | Trunk 0 | None | Colombian numbers have no leading 0 to drop | | Bogotá and Cundinamarca | 601 | Landline code | | Cauca, Nariño and Valle (Cali) | 602 | Landline code | | Antioquia (Medellín), Córdoba and Chocó | 604 | Landline code | | Caribbean coast (Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta) | 605 | Landline code | | Caldas, Quindío and Risaralda (Pereira, Manizales) | 606 | Landline code | | Santander, Norte de Santander and Arauca (Bucaramanga, Cúcuta) | 607 | Landline code | | All other departments | 608 | Includes Boyacá, Huila, Meta, Tolima, San Andrés and the Amazon region | | Mobile prefix | 3 | Mobile numbers are 10 digits starting with 3 | Sources at the end of this post. ## Step by step from a US phone * **Check the number has 10 digits.** Landlines start with 60, mobiles with 3. * **Dial 011**, or + on a cell phone. * **Dial 57**. * **Dial all 10 digits.** Don't remove anything. **Fixing an old-style number:** before the change, a Bogotá landline was written as (1) xxx xxxx and dialed from abroad as +57 1 xxx xxxx. Under CRC Resolution 5826 of 2019, the one-digit codes became three-digit codes by adding 60 in front: 1 became 601, 4 became 604, and so on. So an old (4) xxx xxxx Medellín number is now 604 xxx xxxx, dialed as +57 604 xxx xxxx. The ITU notice planned the change for 2020–21; it took full effect in 2021. You may also see a mobile number written with 03 in front from the old days, when landline callers had to add 03 to reach a mobile. That prefix is gone. Use the 10 digits starting with 3. ## Colombian number formats | Type | Written in Colombia | Dialed from the US | | --- | --- | --- | | Bogotá landline | 601 xxx xxxx | 011 57 601 xxx xxxx | | Medellín landline | 604 xxx xxxx | 011 57 604 xxx xxxx | | Cali landline | 602 xxx xxxx | 011 57 602 xxx xxxx | | Barranquilla or Cartagena landline | 605 xxx xxxx | 011 57 605 xxx xxxx | | Mobile | 3xx xxx xxxx | 011 57 3xx xxx xxxx | | Freephone | 01 8000 xxx xxx | Domestic only; ask for a regular number | ## Worked example We couldn't find numbers that Colombia's CRC reserves for examples, so we use x's in place of real digits. | Written in Colombia as | Dial from a US landline | Dial from a US cell phone | | --- | --- | --- | | 601 xxx xxxx (Bogotá landline) | 011 57 601 xxx xxxx | +57 601 xxx xxxx | | Old style (4) xxx xxxx (Medellín) | 011 57 604 xxx xxxx | +57 604 xxx xxxx | | 3xx xxx xxxx (mobile) | 011 57 3xx xxx xxxx | +57 3xx xxx xxxx | x marks a digit; no real number is shown. Say you're in Miami in July and a customer in Medellín sent you an old business card with (4) xxx xxxx and a mobile, 3xx xxx xxxx. You want to call at 10 a.m. Medellín time. * **Find the time:** in July Miami is on daylight time (UTC-4), one hour ahead of Colombia. 10 a.m. in Medellín is 11 a.m. in Miami. * **Update the landline:** the old code (4) is now 604, so the number is 604 xxx xxxx. Dial 011 57 604 xxx xxxx (or +57 604 xxx xxxx). * **Mobile:** dial 011 57 3xx xxx xxxx (or +57 3xx xxx xxxx). Nothing to drop. * **If it fails:** count the digits after 57. It should be exactly 10. ## Time difference from the US Colombia is on UTC-5 all year and doesn't use daylight saving time, so it matches US Eastern Standard Time in winter and US Central Daylight Time in summer ([IANA time zone database](https://www.iana.org/time-zones), checked October 18, 2026). | US time zone | US standard time (Nov to Mar) | US daylight time (Mar to Nov) | | --- | --- | --- | | Eastern (New York) | Same time as Colombia | Colombia is 1 hour behind | | Central (Chicago) | Colombia is 1 hour ahead | Same time as Colombia | | Mountain (Denver) | Colombia is 2 hours ahead | Colombia is 1 hour ahead | | Arizona (most of the state) | Colombia is 2 hours ahead | Colombia is 2 hours ahead | | Pacific (Los Angeles) | Colombia is 3 hours ahead | Colombia is 2 hours ahead | | Hawaii | Colombia is 5 hours ahead | Colombia is 5 hours ahead | US clocks spring forward on the second Sunday of March and fall back on the first Sunday of November ([15 U.S.C. § 260a](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/260a)). Most of Arizona and all of Hawaii stay on standard time all year, so for those states use the standard-time column year round. This is one of the easiest countries to schedule with from the US: business hours overlap almost completely. Just remember the one-hour shift for East Coast callers from March to November. ## What it costs * **Carrier rates**: Check your US carrier's international page for Colombia. Some US plans include calls to certain Latin American countries; look for Colombia by name. * **Calling apps**: Compare the Colombia landline and mobile rows on the rate page of the app you use. * **WhatsApp calls**: App-to-app WhatsApp calls cost only data, and most Colombians have WhatsApp. * **01 8000 numbers**: These are free inside Colombia and usually not reachable from abroad. Use a regular landline or WhatsApp. ## Texting and WhatsApp You can send an SMS to a Colombian mobile at +57 3xx xxx xxxx; check whether your plan charges for it. WhatsApp is the everyday way to message people and businesses in Colombia, from family chats to ordering from a local shop, so if you'll be in touch regularly, ask for their WhatsApp. It's usually the same mobile number. ## Common mistakes * **Dropping a digit that isn't a 0**: Colombian numbers have no trunk 0. If you remove the 6 from 601 or the 3 from a mobile, the call fails. * **Using the old one-digit area code**: +57 1 xxx xxxx is the pre-2021 Bogotá format. Add 60 in front of the old code: +57 601 xxx xxxx. * **Adding 03 before a mobile**: The old 03 mobile prefix was retired. Dial +57 and the 10 digits starting with 3. * **Assuming Colombia changes its clocks**: It doesn't. East Coast callers are one hour ahead of Colombia from March to November and level with it the rest of the year. * **Calling an 01 8000 number**: These freephone lines are for callers in Colombia. Use a regular landline or the company's WhatsApp. ## Sources Landline codes and the 2021 change: the ITU entry for Colombia (+57) in the [ITU national numbering plans](https://www.itu.int/oth/T0202.aspx?lang=en&parent=T0202), which records CRC Resolution 5826 of 2019, and the [Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones (CRC)](https://www.crcom.gov.co/). We couldn't find numbers the CRC reserves for fiction, so examples use x placeholders. Exit code: [FCC international calling tip sheet](https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/international_calling_tip_sheet.pdf) (011 is the US exit code). Clocks: [IANA time zone database](https://www.iana.org/time-zones) and [15 U.S.C. § 260a](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/260a) (US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November). Checked October 18, 2026. ## Where Chargezen fits To be clear up front: Chargezen isn't an international calling service. It doesn't sell calling plans or numbers in Colombia; its numbers are US (+1) numbers only. For calls to Colombia, use your carrier, a calling app or WhatsApp as described above. Where it helps is the other direction, when customers in Colombia reach your US business. From a Colombian mobile, customers dial +1 and your 10-digit US number. Colombia shares the East Coast's business hours, so their calls mostly land in your day, but evenings and weekends still need covering. [Concierge](https://chargezen.com/concierge) answers calls on your US number day and night, from the business details you give it. When a caller needs a person, Concierge alerts your team in the Finn app and the browser, and a teammate can join the live call. Calls, texts and notes for each customer stay in one thread in the [team inbox](https://chargezen.com/smartytap/team-inbox). See the [phone channel](https://chargezen.com/concierge/channels/phone) and the [AI receptionist](https://chargezen.com/concierge/use-cases/ai-receptionist), get a [local or toll-free US number](https://chargezen.com/phone-numbers), or [bring the number you already have](https://chargezen.com/concierge/features/bring-your-number). Concierge can also answer on [WhatsApp](https://chargezen.com/concierge/channels/whatsapp) when you connect a WhatsApp Business number. Related terms: [VoIP](https://chargezen.com/glossary/voip-voice-over-internet-protocol), [toll-free number](https://chargezen.com/glossary/toll-free-number) and [number porting](https://chargezen.com/glossary/number-porting). Related guides: [how to call Israel from the US](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-call-israel-from-the-us) and [how to call Japan from the US](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-call-japan-from-the-us). See also [how to call Mexico from the US](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-call-mexico-from-the-us) and [how to call Spain from the US](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-call-spain-from-the-us). ## Frequently asked questions ## What is the country code for Colombia? 57\. From the US, dial 011 57, or +57 from a cell, then all 10 digits. ## Do I drop a 0 when calling Colombia? No. Colombian numbers have no leading 0. Landlines start with 60 and mobiles with 3. ## What is the area code for Bogotá? 601\. It was 1 before 2021. A Bogotá landline is now 601 xxx xxxx. ## Does Colombia have daylight saving time? No. Colombia stays on UTC-5 all year. ## Can Chargezen call or text Colombia? Chargezen isn't an international calling service and offers US (+1) numbers only, and its texting is set up for US numbers. Use your carrier, a calling app or WhatsApp for Colombia. Chargezen answers the calls Colombian customers make to your US number. ![Jerry Abrahamson](https://chargezen.com/assets/blogpost2.32f70dbd.png) Written by ### Jerry Abrahamson Jerry is the Founder and CEO of Chargezen, helping brands build sustainable omni-channel businesses. With over 10 years of experience in omni-channel commerce and SaaS, he's passionate about helping brands create recurring revenue streams. [](https://twitter.com/chargezenjerry)[](https://linkedin.com/in/jerry-a) ## Related Articles [ ![What Is VoIP? A Plain-English Guide for Small Businesses](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) DTC Strategy · 8 min read ### What Is VoIP? A Plain-English Guide for Small Businesses What VoIP is, how it differs from a landline or cell plan, the kinds of VoIP service, the 911 limits to know, and how to tell if your business should switch. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/what-is-voip)[ ![How Does VoIP Work? A Step-by-Step Look at an Internet Phone Call](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) DTC Strategy · 7 min read ### How Does VoIP Work? A Step-by-Step Look at an Internet Phone Call Follow one VoIP call from dial to hang-up: SIP signaling, codecs, packets, jitter buffers and the gateway to regular phones, plus bandwidth math and fixes. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-does-voip-work)[ ![How Much Does VoIP Cost? Every Fee, and How to Compare Quotes](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) DTC Strategy · 7 min read ### How Much Does VoIP Cost? Every Fee, and How to Compare Quotes What VoIP really costs: per-user plans, extra numbers, texting registration, devices, taxes and add-ons, with published prices and a quote worksheet. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/voip-cost) ## Ready to Grow Your Subscription Revenue? Join leading brands using Chargezen to reduce churn, increase revenue, and automate operations. [Get Started](https://admin.chargezen.com/signup)