Area code 209 – California
209 has served California since 1958, split from 415. All but a handful of its 786 number blocks are allocated (784 of 786), so it is effectively exhausted. AT&T is the largest holder with 40.9% of blocks, ahead of Other CLEC / VoIP at 11.2%. It shares its geography with overlay codes 350, so local calls take all ten digits. 933 FTC complaints named a 209 caller ID in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, putting it 50th of 422 codes with five or more complaints.
- State
- California
- In service since
- 1958
- Time zone
- Pacific
- Shares area with
- 350
Who holds 209 number blocks
Share of the 784 assigned NXX blocks (99.7% of the 786 possible), across 46 carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers.
- AT&T40.9%
- T-Mobile12.1%
- Verizon10.5%
- Onvoy9.7%
- Other CLEC / VoIP7.7%
- Bandwidth5.4%
- Lumen3.4%
- Comcast2.3%
- TPx1.9%
- Frontier1.8%
- American Messaging1.3%
- Peerless1%
- Charter0.9%
- Telnyx0.4%
- Dish0.4%
- Twilio0.3%
- Vonage0.1%
Spam complaints naming 209
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID was a 209 number, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 (33 days). Caller IDs on spam calls are frequently spoofed, so these are complaints about the code, not calls proven to originate in it.
Rate centers in 209
NANPA allocates number blocks to rate centers and records their names abbreviated to ten characters, so these are NANPA's codes rather than place names – CHAMPAURBN is Champaign-Urbana, NWYRCYZN01 is a New York City zone. We show them unchanged instead of guessing at the full names. Showing the largest 5 of 63.
Timeline
- 1958 209 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 415.
More about 209
Separate pages for the questions that need their own answer: what time it is there, what the complaint data says, who holds the number blocks, and how the code compares with the one it shares its area with.
Frequently asked about 209
What state is area code 209?
California. It covers the same area as 209/350.
Can I still get a 209 number?
Only from recycled stock. 784 of the 786 available blocks are already allocated, so new numbers in the area normally come from the overlay codes (209/350).
Is a call from 209 a scam?
209 is one of the most complained-about codes in the country – 933 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 50th of 422 ranked codes. Most of those calls are spoofed: the caller fakes a local-looking number because it gets answered more often. Look up the specific number rather than judging by the code.
Which carrier owns 209 numbers?
AT&T holds the largest share of assigned number blocks at 40.9%. The rest is spread across 3 other carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers – people keep their numbers when they switch carriers.
Do I need to dial 10 digits in 209?
NANPA records the local dialing plan for 209 as “1+10D”.
Sources and verification
- NANPA – NPA Database (npa_report.csv), file date 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- NANPA – CO Code Assignment Records, All States (utilized), file updated 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- FTC – Do Not Call Reported Calls Data, 25 daily files 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
NANPA dialing note for this code: “1+10D”. Reviewed by the data desk. Spotted an error? Request a correction.