Area code
Area code 857 — Boston, MA
Massachusetts · in service since May 2, 2001
Area code 857 covers parts of Massachusetts; the place with the most of its prefixes is Boston. It is an overlay: 617 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 617
Local time in Boston
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
High #84 of 461 codes
756 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneEastern Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes382 assigned
- Runs out~3Q 2066
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 857 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 22 |
| Sep 14 | 92 |
| Sep 21 | 168 |
| Sep 28 | 123 |
| Oct 5 | 232 |
| Oct 12 | 190 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 115 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 86%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 6%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #84of 461 · top quarter
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 1518 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 274 29% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 165 18% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 35 4% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 13 1% | |
| Energy, solar, & utilities | 4 <1% | |
| Warranties & protection plans | 4 <1% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 119 13% | |
| California | 78 8% | |
| Florida | 74 8% | |
| Texas | 66 7% | |
| New York | 43 5% |
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 857 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTON | Boston | Suffolk County | 153 |
| CAMBRIDGE | Cambridge | Middlesex County | 29 |
| BROOKLINE | Brookline | Norfolk County | 27 |
| ROXBURY | — | — | 20 |
| NEWTON | Newton | Middlesex County | 18 |
| QUINCY | Quincy | Norfolk County | 14 |
| BRIGHTON | — | — | 13 |
| DORCHESTER | — | — | 13 |
| CHARLESTN | — | — | 10 |
| JAMAICA PL | — | — | 9 |
Plus 10 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
- May 3, 2000
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-234
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 857 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 857 prefixes
The five largest of 43 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon Wireless | 67 18% | |
| Omnipoint Miami E License, LLC | 61 16% | |
| Onvoy, LLC | 42 11% | |
| Metropcs, Inc. | 25 7% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 19 5% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 857
What area code is 857?
A Massachusetts area code, in service since May 2, 2001.
Where is 857 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Boston, MA; Eastern Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 857?
756 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 857 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 3Q 2066; no relief planning listed.