The Bay State

Massachusetts
Calling Codes

Need to reach Boston, Cambridge, or Cape Cod? Massachusetts uses key area codes like 617, 508, and 413. Connect with universities, hospitals, and businesses across the state instantly.

How to Dial
Calling MassachusettsOnline
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How to Call Massachusetts Step-by-Step

Massachusetts has distinct area codes for Boston, Central/Cape, and Western regions.

1

Exit Code

Dial your country's exit code (e.g., 00 for Europe). Skip if calling from within North America.

2

Country Code (+1)

Dial +1 for the United States.

3

Area Code

Dial the 3-digit area code (617, 508, 413, etc.) followed by the 7-digit number.

Regional Breakdown

617/857: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville.
508/774: Worcester, New Bedford, Cape Cod & Islands.
978/351: Lowell, Lawrence, North Shore.
413: Springfield, Amherst, The Berkshires (Western MA).

Massachusetts City Codes

Find the right area code for your destination.

CityRegionArea Code
BostonMetro Boston617 / 857
CambridgeMiddlesex617 / 857
WorcesterCentral MA508 / 774
SpringfieldWestern MA413
LowellNorthern MA978 / 351
CityRegionArea Code
New BedfordSouth Coast508 / 774
BrocktonPlymouth508 / 774
QuincyNorfolk617 / 857
LynnNorth Shore781 / 339
PlymouthSouth Shore508 / 774

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Massachusetts is a global leader in education, biotechnology, and finance. Whether you are calling Harvard, MIT, or a tech startup in the Seaport District, StartACall ensures high-fidelity voice connections at a fraction of the cost.

  • Connect to 617, 508, 413, and 978 numbers
  • Perfect for student/family communication
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  • No hidden fees or connection charges

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Frequently Asked Questions

What area code is 617?

617 is the original area code for Boston and its immediate suburbs (Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, Quincy). It is overlaid by 857.

Do I need to dial 10 digits in Massachusetts?

Yes. Massachusetts has mandatory 10-digit dialing for all calls (Area Code + Number) due to the multiple overlay codes in use across the state.

How do I call Cape Cod?

Cape Cod and the Islands (Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket) use the 508 and 774 area codes.

Can I call Massachusetts universities?

Yes, you can call any landline at Harvard, MIT, BU, or UMass directly from your browser using StartACall.

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Massachusetts area codes in rings: from Boston's 617 outward

In short

Massachusetts numbers are easiest to understand as rings radiating from Boston: 617 and 857 at the center, 781 and 339 in the inner suburbs, 978 and 351 to the north, 508 and 774 to the south and west, and 413 covering everything beyond Worcester. Here is how the rings work and when to dial them from abroad.

The ring structure explained

Boston, Cambridge and the urban core use 617 with its 857 overlay, the codes attached to the universities, hospitals and financial firms most overseas callers want. The first ring out, towns like Waltham, Quincy and Lexington, uses 781 overlaid by 339.

Beyond that, 978 and 351 cover the northern arc from Lowell to Gloucester, while 508 and 774 sweep the south and west, taking in Worcester, Framingham, Cape Cod and the islands. Western Massachusetts, including Springfield, Amherst and the Berkshires, keeps its own 413, the only region without an active overlay pairing in daily use.

Each pair covers identical ground, so 857 is as much Boston as 617. The rings only hint at geography; a person's mobile keeps its code through every move within the state. When someone moves from Boston to Worcester, their 617 mobile moves with them unchanged.

Calling universities and hospitals

Harvard, MIT and the big teaching hospitals answer mainly on 617 numbers, and their administrative lines run 9am to 5pm Eastern. Admissions offices are busiest, and slowest to answer, around application deadlines in January and decision season in March and April, so allow for hold time.

Hospital switchboards operate around the clock, but reaching a specific department from abroad works best mid-morning Boston time, 10am to noon, after rounds and before afternoon clinics. That corresponds to 3pm to 5pm in the UK and 4pm to 6pm in central Europe.

Financial firms downtown keep market hours, opening before 9am Eastern to match the New York exchanges, which gives European callers an extra early window. Compliance rules mean many finance lines are recorded, and reaching a named individual usually requires a direct extension rather than the switchboard. Leave a full message with your country code and state your time zone when requesting a call back. Fridays in summer are noticeably quieter across the financial district.

Dialing format, timing and cost

Every Massachusetts number is +1 plus ten digits, and because overlays cover the state, locals already write numbers in full ten-digit form. Massachusetts observes Eastern Time, five hours behind London in winter and four in summer, so the UK window of 2pm to 10pm covers the working day.

Mobiles and landlines share the same codes and the same StartACall per-minute rate, pay-as-you-go from a browser over WebRTC, no app, no SIM, no connection fee. A US virtual number, from $2.14 to $5 per month, gives Boston contacts a local way to call you back.

Cape Cod and the islands swell in summer, and 508 numbers for inns, ferries and restaurants answer long hours from June through August but may go quiet off season, when calls often reach answering services instead of staff. Book ferry queries in the Massachusetts morning, when phone queues are shortest. The car ferries themselves still run year round on reduced winter schedules.

Frequently asked questions

What area code is Boston?+

Boston uses 617 and its overlay 857, covering the city, Cambridge, Brookline and the urban core. Both codes reach the same territory at the same cost. Both are dialed +1 plus ten digits at one cost.

What is the 508 area code?+

508, with its overlay 774, covers south-central and southeastern Massachusetts, including Worcester, Framingham, New Bedford, Cape Cod and the islands. The two codes overlay exactly the same territory, so both are equally local.

What area code is western Massachusetts?+

Area code 413 serves western Massachusetts, including Springfield, Amherst, Northampton and the Berkshires. It is the state's only region still identified by a single code. From abroad, dial +1 413 followed by the seven-digit local number.

How do I call Boston from the UK?+

Dial 00 or +, then 1, then the ten-digit number, for example +1 617 555 0142. Boston is five hours behind the UK in winter, so afternoon UK calls land in the Boston morning.

Does an 857 number cost more to call than 617?+

No. 857 is an overlay of 617 covering identical territory, and StartACall bills every Massachusetts code at the same per-minute rate, mobile or landline, with no connection fee. Pay-as-you-go credits never expire between calls.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the StartACall calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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