🇺🇸 617 area code
Area code 617 covers Boston, Cambridge, Quincy and Newton and the surrounding area in Massachusetts. It shares that territory with 857, so the same neighbourhood can have numbers in any of them. Enter a 617 number below for a free check before you call back.
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Time zone: Eastern (UTC−5)
- In service since 1947
Consultar un número
Validez, operador, tipo de línea y región en la primera pasada.
Area code 617 at a glance
- Area code
- 617
- Location
- Massachusetts, United States
- Main cities
- Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, Newton, Somerville, Brookline
- Time zone
- Eastern (UTC−5)
- Local time now
- —
- In service since
- 1947
- Overlay codes
- 857
- Codes split from it
- 508, 781, 857
- Local calls
- Dial 10 digits
- Number format
- (617) 555-0123
- From abroad
- +1 617 555 0123
Cities in area code 617
- Boston
- Cambridge
- Quincy
- Newton
- Somerville
- Brookline
- Everett
- Chelsea
- Dorchester
- Jamaica Plain
Is a 617 call a scam?
An area code tells you where a number was first assigned, not where the caller is. Mobile numbers keep their area code when people move, and internet (VoIP) numbers can be picked in any area code — so a 617 number can be calling from anywhere.
Robocallers exploit that with "neighbor spoofing": showing a 617 number to people in Massachusetts because a local-looking call is more likely to be answered. If a 617 call claims to be your bank, the IRS or a delivery company, hang up and call the official number yourself.
About area code 617
617 is one of the original North American area codes, created in 1947 when AT&T and the Bell System first divided the continent into numbering plan areas.
It is part of the 617/857 overlay: the codes cover the same area, and a new line there can be given a number in any of them. Two neighbours — or two phones in one household — can have different area codes. That is also why local calls need the full ten digits.
As the region grew, 508, 781 and 857 were carved out of or added to 617.
Area codes
More area codes in Massachusetts
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Preguntas frecuentes
Area code 617 questions
Sources: NANPA NPA database (11/04/2026) and Google libphonenumber. Area codes show where a number was assigned, not where its owner is today.
Where is area code 617?
Area code 617 is in Massachusetts, United States. It covers Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, Newton, Somerville and Brookline.
What time zone is area code 617?
617 is in the Eastern (UTC−5) time zone, and observes daylight saving time.
What area codes overlay 617?
857 serves the same area as 617. Numbers in all of them are local to one another.
When did area code 617 start?
617 entered service in 1947.
How do I find out who called me from 617?
Enter the full number in the lookup at the top of this page. The free check confirms whether the number is valid and shows its carrier, line type and region; a full report adds owner and public-web records where they are available.
Why am I getting calls from area code 617?
If you live in or near Massachusetts, they may be genuinely local — or robocalls spoofing a local-looking number. Unknown 617 callers who will not leave a message are best looked up before you call back.
Got a call from 617?
Run the free check first — validity, carrier, line type and region — and unlock the full report only if you need it.