The most populous cities in area code 252 are: Greenville, Rocky Mount, Wilson, New Bern, and Kinston.
Other cities in the 252 area code include: Morehead City, Henderson, Elizabeth City, Roanoke Rapids, Washington, Williamston, Ahoskie, Coinjock, Kill Devil Hills, Havelock, Aulander, Engelhard, Plymouth, Windsor, Warrenton, Columbia, Manteo, Belhaven, Elm City, Tarboro, Beaufort, Weldon, Pinetops, Murfreesboro, Swansboro, Norlina, Moyock, Gatesville, Snow Hill, Enfield, Robersonville, Whitakers, Littleton, Aurora, Hamilton, Fountain, Newport, Scotland Neck, Edenton, Conway, Jackson, Swanquarter, Shiloh, Nashville, La Grange, Grifton, Bailey, Ayden, Farmville, Trenton, Halifax, Pink Hill, Atlantic, Creswell, Bayboro, Spring Hope, Kitty Hawk, Hertford, Lucama, Rich Square, Woodland, Deep Run, Sealevel, Winton, Stantonsburg, Lewiston Woodville, Marshallberg, Pollocksville, Knotts Island, Colerain, Cherry Point, Vanceboro, Seaboard, Roxobel, South Mills, Oriental, Powells Point, Tyner, Bath, Emerald Isle, Wanchese, Pantego, Sunbury, Pinetown, Belvidere, Macclesfield, and Bethel.
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County, principal city of the Greenville metropolitan area, and the 10th largest city in the state of North Carolina. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain. The city's official population as of the 2013 United States census estimate is 89,130 residents while the Greenville Metropolitan Area includes 174,263 people. In January 2008 and January 2010, Greenville was named one of the nation's "100 Best Communities for Young People" by the America's Promise Alliance. In June 2012, Greenville was ranked in the top ten of the nation's "Best Small Places For Business And Careers" by Forbes Magazine. In 2010 Greenville was ranked twenty-fourth in mid-city business growth and development by Forbes Magazine.The city is also known as "BMX Pro Town USA", as it is home for many top professional BMX riders. Greenville is the home of East Carolina University, the third-largest university and fastest-growing campus in the University of North Carolina system, and Vidant Medical Center, the flagship hospital for Vidant Health and the teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine. The city has the fifth-highest percentage of residents in North Carolina – almost 30 percent – who have obtained bachelor's degrees.
Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the Atlantic coastal plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1907, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The first post office in the area opened in 1816. The city's population was 57,685 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 56,325 in 2014. Rocky Mount has received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League two times, in 1969 and 1999. Rocky Mount is the principal city of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area, which includes Edgecombe and Nash counties. Rocky Mount is also a part of a Combined Statistical Area which encompasses the Rocky Mount and Wilson metropolitan areas. The Rocky Mount–Wilson CSA population is currently over 200,000 residents. It is also a part of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA with a total population of 2,132,523.
Wilson is a city in and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States. Situated in the heart of eastern North Carolina, around 40 miles east of the capital city of Raleigh, it lies at the interchange of Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 264 in the state's Coastal Plain region. Wilson had a population of 49,610 in 2012, according to the Census Bureau. Wilson is now ranked 18th in size among North Carolina’s 500-plus municipalities. The city has added more than 40 percent in population since 1990, primarily due to a construction of new subdivisions and an influx of new residents. This has attracted new retail and shopping construction, primarily in the northwestern parts of the city. Wilson is a diverse community with African-Americans making up 48% of the population and White 43%; the remaining 9% includes many nationalities, including Latinos, Vietnamese, Chinese and other groups. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that nearly 5,000 county residents (7.5 percent) were foreign-born. Of those, nearly 3,000 people, or 62 percent, had entered the U.S. since 2000. Once widely known as "The World’s Greatest Tobacco Market", Wilson enjoys a diverse economy today, with a healthy mix of agriculture, manufacturing, commercial, and service businesses.
The 252 area code lies within the Eastern Daylight Time Zone (or EDT). The current time in Eastern Daylight Time is 5:00 AM on Dec 20, 2022.