Update - January 3, 2012

Just published a new article about a growing problem with children using their smart phones for text messaging.

A Phone Number Trace Service - Why Should You Join One?

I guess that's why you're reading this - right? You looked at the name of the website, Phone-Number-Trace.com, and figured that it might be about tracing phone numbers.

And you probably know that this is only one of thousands of websites on the internet that are about exactly the same thing !

You're absolutely right on both points.

Then what's so special about this website?

Essentially, it's special because I'm going to give you the truth as I see it. I have no patience with other people ...

• ... who just tell you what you want to hear.
• ... who will stretch the truth to fit their needs.
• ... who are just trying to sell you something at any cost.

So I'll tell you up front that - YES - I have stuff that I want to sell you. And if you click on one of the links on this website, and buy any of this stuff, I will make a commission.

But the difference between me and those other people is that I am not going to tarnish my reputation by using any of their cheap tricks. I will tell it like it is, and let you make up your own mind.

And if you decide you don't want to buy anything at all -- that's fine with me too.

So take a look around the site - find out more about your state, and its area code system - read some original, interesting articles about telephones, and continue perusing the rest of this page!

A Phone Number Trace Service - Why Should You Join One?

by the Professor

I know -- it's the same title -- but now the commercial is over -- I'll give you some real reasons.

It's almost impossible to do a phone number trace for free. If you're not already convinced of that, there's an excellent article on this very subject at Ezine Articles. ( I know it's good, because I wrote it myself ! )

This is really the best reason to join a reverse telephone lookup service. It's not free, but let's face it - they have to pay to get the information - so why shouldn't you? And the fee is reasonable, when you stop to consider the alternative -- not finding out who that number belongs to at all !

So why would you want to do a reverse phone lookup anyway?

1. The most common reason: someone called you when you weren't available, and you don't recognize the number. If you look up the number using a tracing service, you can decide whether or not to return their call.
   
   
2. If you're getting harassing phone calls from a prankster or a stalker, you can discover where they're calling from, so you can take action to stop them.
   
   
3. If there's a number you don't recognize on your phone bill, you can refresh your memory as to who you were talking to. Or if another family member made the call, you can find out who they were talking with.
   
   
4. You arranged to meet someone, but forgot to write down the address. Doing a reverse telephone lookup can save you the embarassment of having to call them back and admit your mistake.
   
   
5. If a call comes from a strange area code, you can easily check to see if returning the call will cost you heavy long distance charges.
   
   
6. Tracing a number is so easy. All you have to do is enter the phone number into the form provided. That's all - nothing else to fill out.

So with all these reasons to do it, why not sign up with a reverse number lookup service, so you can do a trace the simple way? If you haven't decided, why not trace your first number right now, using the convenient form at the top of the page?

Video

To see what a phone number trace service can do for you, watch the short video below. I know it's old - the company that made it now has a new name - but it's the best one I've found that clearly shows why you need a reverse phone lookup service, and what it does.

Why not trace a phone number right now?

( It's a free demonstration - no obligation! )

Compare Phone Number Trace Services

OK. So you're not ready to sign up for a phone number trace service quite yet. You want to know which one to pick. Well, I promised you that I would play straight with you. So I investigated all the services I could find ( except some obvious scams ).

What information is provided for free?

None of the services, of course, will give you what you really want until you pay the fee. But they will all give you something - most of them provide the location of the telephone and tell you whether it is a landline or cell phone. ( You can find out both of these things yourself, using the form at the top of this page. )

What do you get when you pay the fee?

Most of the services provide you with what you are looking for: the name and address of the owner of the telephone number. And they are all using the same database of phone numbers, since they get them from the same place: the telephone service providers (carriers), both landline and cellular. ( database stats: 1,430,310,190 landline numbers; 253,450,210 cellphone numbers available )

So what's the difference?

The only major differences are in 1) price, and 2) services included, in addition to name/address and phone type/carrier.

Note: In this latest revision of the home page, I have removed the Comparison Chart that was previously here. The reason for its removal is that other websites on this same topic are constantly being added, removed, or revised - so it is nearly impossible to keep up from day to day.

For example, I did a little research today, and found a new site that claimed to offer a telephone number lookup service that was absolutely free. So I entered my own phone number, and it gave me a phoney owner's name consisting of a bad abbreviation of my address. And my number is in the local phone book!

So from now on, I will only give you the result of my thorough search for the best phone number trace service, which - as of today - is PhoneDetective.com.

And to be absolutely clear and above-board, I will remind you that if you pay for the service, I will receive a commission. But this will not add anything to the cost. If you go to the website of the service directly, without using my link, the price will be exactly the same.

Find Out More About Telephone Area Codes

Maybe you got a call from a certain number you don't recognize, and you just want to find out where it came from. There are 271 area codes in the United States. Use the area code finder below to learn more about any one of them. Here's what you'll find:

• Cities having that area code.
• Carriers serving that area code.
• Other area codes in the same state.

Maybe an area code map would be useful. After you use the area code finder above, visit our states pages. There is a state area code map on every state page.

Another interesting webpage, at Wikipedia, has a descriptive list of North American Numbering Plan telephone area codes, all on one webpage. It gives a short description of the state and region covered by each area code, and some information on its history. The page also has tables showing all the telephone area codes for each state, province, and Caribbean island.