If a call or text has landed on your phone from a number starting with 352 and you’re trying to work out who it’s from, here’s the short answer: the 352 area code covers North Central Florida, centred on Gainesville, and it’s used by roughly a million people across 15 counties. Whether that call is genuine or a spoofed scam attempt depends on the specifics, and we’ll cover both below.

This guide pulls together the exact coverage area, the time zone, how to dial a 352 number affordably from the UK, and the scam patterns currently being reported in that area code, since a fair number of UK readers land on this search after an unexpected call rather than out of general curiosity.

What is the 352 area code?

Area code 352 is a US telephone area code covering North Central Florida. It was created in 1995 when it split off from the older 904 area code, which by that point covered too much of the state to keep issuing new numbers.

It’s what’s known as a single, non-overlaid code, meaning every landline and mobile number in the region uses 352 rather than sharing the area with a second code. That’s increasingly rare in busier parts of the US, where population growth has forced many regions to add a second overlapping code.

Where is area code 352 located?

Gainesville and Alachua County

The largest city in the 352 area code is Gainesville, home to the University of Florida, one of the biggest public universities in the US with more than 50,000 students. Gainesville sits in Alachua County, along with smaller towns including Newberry, Archer, Waldo and Micanopy.

Other major cities and counties

Beyond Gainesville, the 352 area code covers a wide stretch of Florida, including:

• Marion County: Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon and Citra
• Lake County: Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares, Clermont and Groveland
• Citrus County: Crystal River, Inverness and Homosassa Springs
• Hernando County: Brooksville and Spring Hill
• Sumter County: including part of The Villages, a large retirement community
• Smaller sections of Pasco, Bradford, Putnam, Clay and Taylor counties, including the coastal town of Steinhatchee

If you’re wondering whether 352 covers Tampa, Orlando or Jacksonville, it doesn’t. Those cities have their own area codes (813/656 for Tampa, 407/689/321 for Orlando, and 904/324 for Jacksonville), and you’ll see a few inaccurate sites online listing them under 352 by mistake.

352 area code time zone

The 352 area code sits entirely in the Eastern Time Zone, using Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC minus 5) for most of the year and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC minus 4) during American daylight saving.

For UK readers, that generally means Florida is 5 hours behind the UK. There are a couple of short windows each year, in mid-March and late October, when the UK and US switch their clocks on different dates, briefly making the gap 4 or 6 hours instead. If timing matters for a call, it’s worth double-checking the date against a reliable time zone converter rather than assuming a flat 5-hour difference all year round.

How to call a 352 number from the UK

To dial a 352 number from the UK, you’ll need your phone’s international dialling prefix (00), then the US country code (1), then the full 10-digit number including the 352 area code. So a number like 352 123 4567 becomes 00 1 352 123 4567.

Costs vary by provider and plan. Many UK mobile contracts charge a per-minute rate for calls to US numbers unless you have an add-on bundle or an inclusive international minutes package, so it’s worth checking your provider’s current rates before making a long call. Free or low-cost options like WhatsApp calling, Skype, or Google Voice can work out considerably cheaper if the other person can receive calls that way.

Why you might be getting a call from a 352 number

There are legitimate reasons a 352 number might contact you: family or friends who’ve moved to Florida, a business you’ve dealt with in the Gainesville or Ocala area, or a university enquiry if you’ve had contact with the University of Florida. It’s also increasingly common, and this is the part worth reading carefully, for scammers to spoof a 352 number even when they’re calling from nowhere near Florida.

Common scams reported in the 352 area

Local reporting and complaint databases point to a handful of patterns currently circulating on 352 numbers:

• Fake Medicare and health insurance calls, often using an AI-generated voice, targeting older residents with offers for medical supplies or asking for personal health details.
• Utility disconnection threats, where callers claim your electricity will be cut off within the hour unless you pay immediately, a tactic real utility companies don’t use since they send written notices first.
• Bank fraud alert scams, where a caller claims to be from your bank’s fraud team and asks you to move money to a “safe” account or confirm your card details.
• Fake purchase alerts, claiming an expensive item like a phone has just been bought on your account, designed to panic you into pressing a number to “dispute” the charge.
• Property and real estate cold calls, offering to buy a house you own with cash, sometimes without even confirming the correct address first.
• Jury duty scams, where the caller claims you missed a court date and must pay a fine immediately to avoid arrest.

None of these tactics are unique to the 352 area code specifically. Scammers spoof caller ID for whichever area code will make a call look local and trustworthy to the person receiving it, so the same patterns turn up across most heavily populated US area codes.

How to protect yourself

If you’re in the UK and receive a suspicious call showing a 352 number, treat it the same way you’d treat any unexpected call from an unfamiliar international number. Don’t share bank details, passwords, or one-time codes over the phone, no matter how official the caller sounds. Hang up and call back using a number you’ve found independently, such as the one on your bank’s official website, rather than any number the caller gives you.

You can register with the UK’s Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to reduce unwanted marketing calls generally, though this won’t stop calls from overseas scammers spoofing US numbers. Genuine nuisance or scam calls can be reported to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk, or to Ofcom if it’s a persistent pattern affecting your line.

352 area code versus other Florida area codes

Florida has 20 area codes in total, and 352 is one of the less densely populated ones compared with the big three metro codes (Miami’s 305, Tampa’s 813/656, and Orlando’s 407/689/321). Its neighbours are 386 to the north and east (Palm Coast), 904/324 further north (Jacksonville), 850/448 to the west (Tallahassee and Pensacola), and 727/813/656 and 863 to the south (St Petersburg, Tampa, Lakeland).

That relatively lower population density is part of why 352 has managed to stay a single, non-overlaid code since 1995, unlike busier parts of the state that have needed a second code layered on top.

FAQ

What area code is 352?

352 is a US telephone area code covering North Central Florida, with Gainesville as its largest city, serving roughly a million people across 15 counties.

Where is area code 352 located?

It covers Alachua, Marion, Lake, Citrus, Hernando, Sumter counties and parts of several others in North Central Florida, including Gainesville, Ocala, Leesburg, Crystal River and part of The Villages.

Is 352 a Gainesville area code?

Yes, Gainesville, home to the University of Florida, is the largest city within the 352 area code, though the code covers a much wider region beyond just that city.

What time zone is the 352 area code in?

It’s in the Eastern Time Zone, meaning it’s typically 5 hours behind the UK, with brief exceptions of 4 or 6 hours during the short mismatch periods around UK and US clock changes each spring and autumn.

How do I call a 352 number from the UK?

Dial 00, then 1 for the US country code, then the full 10-digit number starting with 352. Check your provider’s international call rates first, since costs vary widely between networks.

Is a call from a 352 number a scam?

Not automatically. It could be a legitimate contact from Florida, but 352 has also been reported as a common target for spoofed scam calls, so treat unexpected calls asking for money or personal details with caution regardless of the area code shown.

Does 352 cover Tampa or Orlando?

No. Tampa uses 813 and 656, and Orlando uses 407, 689 and 321. Some inaccurate sites list these cities under 352, but that’s incorrect.

When was the 352 area code created?

It was created in 1995, when it split off from the previously much larger 904 area code.