Area code
Area code 617 — Boston, MA
Massachusetts · in service since 1947
Area code 617 covers Boston, MA. It is an overlay: 857 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 857
Local time in Boston
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Average #241 of 461 codes
371 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneEastern Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes800 assigned
- Runs out~3Q 2066
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 617 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 30 |
| Sep 14 | 81 |
| Sep 21 | 96 |
| Sep 28 | 74 |
| Oct 5 | 80 |
| Oct 12 | 96 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 55 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 58%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 38%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #241of 461 · middle half
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 13225 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 96 19% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 84 16% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 58 11% | |
| Home improvement & cleaning | 13 3% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 13 3% | |
| Energy, solar, & utilities | 12 2% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 244 48% | |
| Florida | 27 5% | |
| Texas | 24 5% | |
| California | 19 4% | |
| New York | 17 3% |
October 2026 (partial) report · most reported
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC · source
Source: FTC Do Not Call complaints created Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026. They are reported by consumers and are not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed (how we count).
Source: FCC Consumer Complaints data, unwanted calls filed Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026, by caller ID; not verified by the FCC.
Area code 617 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTON | Boston | Suffolk County | 276 |
| CAMBRIDGE | Cambridge | Middlesex County | 112 |
| NEWTON | Newton | Middlesex County | 48 |
| QUINCY | Quincy | Norfolk County | 44 |
| BROOKLINE | Brookline | Norfolk County | 38 |
| BRIGHTON | — | — | 22 |
| DORCHESTER | — | — | 22 |
| SOMERVILLE | Somerville | Middlesex County | 21 |
| JAMAICA PL | — | — | 18 |
| MILTON | Milton | Norfolk County | 17 |
Plus 17 smaller exchange areas.
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
NANPA record
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Assigned by NANPA
- 1947
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-234, PL-122
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 617 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2059, moved later by 7 years.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 617 prefixes
The five largest of 26 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon New England Inc. | 334 42% | |
| Mcimetro Access Transmission Services LLC | 71 9% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 68 8% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 44 6% | |
| TC Systems, Inc. | 41 5% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 617
What area code is 617?
A Massachusetts area code, in service since 1947.
Where is 617 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Boston, MA; Eastern Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 617?
371 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 617 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 3Q 2066; no relief planning listed.