838 area code: location, overlays and numbers
Since 2017, the US telephone area code 838 has served Albany, New York on an overlay shared with 518.
- Location
- Albany, New York
- Service began
- 2017
- The time zone
- Eastern time zone
- Overlay
- 518
- Calls in the area
- Full 10-digit dialling
- Rate centre list
- 135
- Exhaust projection
- 2064
- Country calling prefix
- +1 (United States)
Sources: the area code report and rate-centre report from NANPA public reports, file dated 11/01/2026; exhaust year from NANPA projections 2026-1 (April 2026). We are not an official NANPA site.
Getting a 838 number
There are two routes to a 838 number. One route is a provider, which assigns a new number with its plan. The pick is made at sign-up, from the numbers the provider holds in the code. A seller puts numbers it already holds on the market, often ones that follow a pattern, and asks a one-time price. Later you move the number over 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. The order stays based on first-year cost and never changes. How we make money
Places in the 838 area code
According to NANPA, 838 has 135 rate centres. Every one of them is a local calling area where numbers get assigned:
Hoosick Falls, Hillsdale, Hartford, Hampton, Hague, Greenwich, Greenville, Greenfield Center, Granville, Gloversville, Glens Falls, Glen, Germantown, Galway, Fort Covington, Freehold, Fort Plain, Fort Ann, Fonda, Esperance, Elizabethtown, Ellenburg Depot, Delanson, Dannemora, Crown Point, Coxsackie, Corinth, Copake, Colonie, Cobleskill, Claverack, Clarksville, Chestertown, Chazy, Chatham, Chateaugay, Champlain, Central Bridge, Catskill, Castleton, Caroga Lake, Canajoharie, Canaan, Cambridge, Cairo, Broadalbin, Bramanville, Brainardsville, Bolton Landing, Blue Mountain Lake, Berne, Berlin, Ballston Spa, Averill Park, Athens, Au Sable Forks, Argyle, Amsterdam, Altamont, Albany and 75 more.
Area codes that are related
The same area and the same shared numbers pool: 518. Any of these codes can supply a new number in this area, so request the one you want.
More New York codes: 212, 845, 315, 585, 716, 929, 914, 934, 516, 680, 607, 332, 718, 363, 917, 329, 646, 624, 347, 465 and 631.
838 area code questions
What area does area code 838 cover?
The 838 code serves Albany, New York and the wider Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY area.
Which country code applies to a 838 number?
+1. Because 838 sits in the North American Numbering Plan, calls from abroad use +1 838 plus the 7-digit number.
What time is it in the 838 area code?
The 838 area code uses Eastern time.
Who calls using a 838 number?
Homes, mobiles and local businesses all use numbers in this code, and so do callers who fake a local number. When a 838 number appears on your screen, it shows where the number was assigned. It does not tell you who is calling.