Area code 279 – California
279 has served California since 2018, split from 916. It is still largely empty: 151 of 786 number blocks allocated. Other CLEC / VoIP is the largest holder with 38.4% of blocks, ahead of Onvoy / Inteliquent at 25.2%. It shares its geography with overlay codes 916, so local calls take all ten digits. Spam complaints are comparatively rare: 272 in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 316th of the 422 codes with five or more complaints.
- State
- California
- In service since
- 2018
- Time zone
- Pacific
- Shares area with
- 916
Who holds 279 number blocks
Share of the 151 assigned NXX blocks (19.2% of the 786 possible), across 25 carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers.
- Other CLEC / VoIP35.1%
- Onvoy25.2%
- T-Mobile12.6%
- AT&T11.3%
- Bandwidth4.6%
- Verizon3.3%
- Lumen2%
- Twilio1.3%
- TPx1.3%
- Charter1.3%
- Windstream0.7%
- Dish0.7%
- 8x80.7%
Spam complaints naming 279
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID was a 279 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 279
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 16.
Timeline
- 2018 279 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 916.
More about 279
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 279
What state is area code 279?
California. It covers the same area as 279/916.
Is a call from 279 a scam?
Not by itself. 279 drew 272 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 316th of 422 ranked codes – mid-pack or lower. Spam callers spoof caller IDs, so the only useful check is the full number.
Which carrier owns 279 numbers?
Other CLEC / VoIP holds the largest share of assigned number blocks at 38.4%. 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 279?
NANPA records the local dialing plan for 279 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.