617 area code: location, overlays and numbers
In Boston, Massachusetts, area code 617 has served as a US telephone area code since 1947, and it shares an overlay with 857.
- Location
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Serving since
- 1947
- Zone for local time
- Eastern time zone
- Overlay
- 857
- Local calling
- Full 10-digit dialling
- Rate centre list
- 20
- Exhaust, projected
- 2066
- Country calling prefix
- +1 (United States)
NANPA public reports dated 11/01/2026 provide the area code report and rate-centre report. The NANPA projections 2026-1 (April 2026) supply the exhaust year. This site is not an official NANPA site.
Get hold of a 617 number
A 617 number is available in two ways. With its plan, a provider hands out a new number, chosen at sign-up from the pool it holds in the code. Numbers a seller already holds, often ones with a pattern, are offered at a one-time price, and you then transfer the number to a provider.
Providers ranked by first-year cost
| Provider | Cheapest plan | First year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
 Free app | Basic (Just for me), free | $0 | Open Google Voice |
 Free app | Free plan, free | $0 | Open TextNow |
 Developer API | Pay-as-you-go local number, $1.15 a month | $13.80 | Open Twilio |
 Second-number app | Standard, $3.99 a month billed yearly | $47.99 | Open Burner |
 Toll-free specialist | Solo, $6.99 a month billed yearly | $84 | Open UniTel Voice |
 Second-number app | Deluxe (local number), $6.99 a month billed yearly | $102.88 | Open GoDaddy Conversations (formerly Smartline) |
Sellers that list local numbers
| Seller | What it sells | Listed price | Monthly fee | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Marketplace | Local numbers | From $9 one-time | None stated | Search at Exclusive Digits |
 Marketplace | Local and toll-free | From $9.95 one-time | $2.99 a month | Search at NumberBarn |
 Number broker | Local and toll-free | From $99 one-time | None stated | Search at RingBoost |
 Number broker | Local and toll-free | From $100 one-time | None stated | Search at PhoneNumberExpert |
| 212areacode.comNumber broker | Local numbers | From $150 one-time | None stated | Search at 212areacode.com |
Some sellers and providers may pay us a referral fee. First-year cost determines the order, which never changes. How we earn
Places in the 617 area code
For 617, NANPA lists 20 rate centres. Each one is a local calling area where numbers are assigned:
Winthrop, Watertown, Somerville, South Boston, Roxbury, Quincy, Newton, Milton, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, Everett, East Boston, Dorchester, Chelsea, Charlestown, Cambridge, Brookline, Brighton, Belmont, Boston.
Other related area codes
This shares the same area and number pool: 857. Any of these codes can give you a new number in this area, so ask for the one you want.
These other area codes serve Massachusetts: 413, 508, 781, 978, 339, 351 and 774.
City guide pages cover Boston area codes.
617 area code questions
Where is the 617 area code?
Boston, Massachusetts, around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, is served by area code 617.
Which country code does a 617 number use?
+1. Because 617 belongs to the North American Numbering Plan, callers abroad dial +1 617 plus the 7-digit number.
What time is it in the 617 area code?
The 617 area stays on Eastern time.
Who places calls using a 617 number?
Callers with a number in this code include homes, mobiles, local businesses and people who fake a local number. When a 617 number appears on your screen, it shows where the number was assigned rather than who is calling.
Is 617 toll-free?
No. 617 serves a local area, so charges for calls to it match those for any other US call. Toll-free prefixes in the US are 855, 866, 844, 877, 888, 800 and 833.
Why do people want 617 numbers?
The 86 original area codes from 1947 included 617, the first code for a big city; sellers therefore ask more for its numbers. It earns the top area-code score in our appraisal rubric.