Area code
Area code 831 — Salinas, CA
California · in service since July 11, 1998
Area code 831 covers parts of California; the place with the most of its prefixes is Salinas. It was created from area code 408 on July 11, 1998 and no other code overlays it.
Local time in Salinas
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Average #228 of 461 codes
401 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zonePacific Time
- Local calls7 digits
- Prefixes442 assigned
- Runs out~2Q 2078
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 831 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 11 |
| Sep 14 | 128 |
| Sep 21 | 100 |
| Sep 28 | 101 |
| Oct 5 | 80 |
| Oct 12 | 86 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 73 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 77%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 18%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #228of 461 · middle half
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 506 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 253 44% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 46 8% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 32 6% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 6 1% | |
| Energy, solar, & utilities | 3 1% | |
| Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes | 2 <1% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 176 30% | |
| Florida | 48 8% | |
| Ohio | 32 6% | |
| Texas | 25 4% | |
| Georgia | 22 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 831 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SALINAS | Salinas | Monterey County | 85 |
| SANTA CRUZ | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz County | 78 |
| MONTEREY | Monterey | Monterey County | 64 |
| WATSONVL | Watsonville | Santa Cruz County | 30 |
| HOLLISTER | Hollister | San Benito County | 22 |
| APTOS | Aptos | Santa Cruz County | 19 |
| CARMEL | — | — | 12 |
| BEN LOMOND | Ben Lomond | Santa Cruz County | 11 |
| BOULDERCRK | Boulder Creek | Santa Cruz County | 9 |
| FELTON | Felton | Santa Cruz County | 9 |
Plus 14 smaller exchange areas.
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
NANPA record
- Location
- California
- Assigned by NANPA
- May 22, 1997
- Created from
- 408
- Local dialing
- 7 digits (NANPA: 7D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-063, PL-080
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 831 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2072, moved later by 6 years.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 831 prefixes
The five largest of 46 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Bell | 126 29% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 35 8% | |
| Onvoy, LLC | 31 7% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 30 7% | |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC | 26 6% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 831
What area code is 831?
A California area code, in service since July 11, 1998.
Where is 831 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Salinas, CA; Pacific Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 831?
401 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 831 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 2Q 2078; no relief planning listed.