# What is the number to call to get the time?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 6, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195 "2006-02-06T05:59:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PaperDoll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/848f3c/32.png) [@PaperDoll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperDoll)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/1 "2006-02-06T05:59:37Z")

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What is the number to call to hear “At the tone the time will be 11:58?” I live in the Los Angeles area if there are different numbers for different cities.

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**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/2 "2006-02-06T06:08:28Z")

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“popcorn”

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**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/3 "2006-02-06T06:25:18Z")

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How about 213 853 1212?

[Cite](http://www.dmine.com/phworld/sounds/modern/timetemp/)

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/4 "2006-02-06T06:40:03Z")

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853-1212 appears to be the number for any LA-area area code.

Just for giggles, the number up in the San Francisco area is POPCORN (or at least it used to be 767-anything - I’ve not dialed it in quite a while)

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/5 "2006-02-06T06:40:12Z")

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[Who needs a phone?](http://www.time.gov)

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**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/6 "2006-02-06T06:43:35Z")

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I was looking for this the other day. Thanks Dalej42.

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**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/7 "2006-02-06T16:17:57Z")

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If you really want to know what time it is, 202-762-1401 is the number for the Naval Observatory Master Clock.

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-to-call-to-get-the-time/343195/8 "2006-02-06T16:20:11Z")

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I was wondering the other day if there were still phone-in time checks, I guess there are.