Area code
Area code 781 — Massachusetts
Massachusetts · in service since September 1, 1997
Area code 781 covers parts of Massachusetts. It is an overlay: 339 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 339
Local time in Massachusetts
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Average #248 of 461 codes
364 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneEastern Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes795 assigned
- Runs out100+ years
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 781 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 21 |
| Sep 14 | 103 |
| Sep 21 | 125 |
| Sep 28 | 99 |
| Oct 5 | 80 |
| Oct 12 | 66 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 41 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 65%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 27%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #248of 461 · middle half
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 15010 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 137 26% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 53 10% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 44 8% | |
| Home improvement & cleaning | 39 7% | |
| Warranties & protection plans | 7 1% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 4 1% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 203 38% | |
| Florida | 30 6% | |
| California | 29 5% | |
| Texas | 28 5% | |
| Illinois | 23 4% |
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 781 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WALTHAM | Waltham | Middlesex County | 73 |
| LEXINGTON | Lexington | Middlesex County | 56 |
| BURLINGTON | Burlington | Middlesex County | 41 |
| LYNN | Lynn | Essex County | 38 |
| WOBURN | Woburn | Middlesex County | 38 |
| DEDHAM | Dedham | Norfolk County | 35 |
| NEEDHAM | Needham | Norfolk County | 33 |
| BRAINTREE | — | — | 31 |
| CANTON | — | — | 24 |
| MEDFORD | Medford | Middlesex County | 24 |
Plus 31 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
- June 16, 1997
- Created from
- 617
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-234, PL-122, PL-104, PL-095, PL-069
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 781 running out of numbers?
Last dated forecast (October 2025, not current): 2156.
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 781 prefixes
The five largest of 29 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon New England Inc. | 232 29% | |
| Mcimetro Access Transmission Services LLC | 92 12% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 69 9% | |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC | 59 7% | |
| TC Systems, Inc. | 57 7% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 781
What area code is 781?
A Massachusetts area code, in service since September 1, 1997.
Where is 781 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Massachusetts; Eastern Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 781?
364 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).