North Carolina has 10 area codes: six that cover different parts of the state, and four overlays sitting on top of the busiest of them.
The overlays — 980, 984, 743 and 472 — cover exactly the same ground as the code they sit on, not a different place, which means two next-door neighbours can have different area codes. Because of them, ten-digit dialling is required across most of the state.
The two exceptions are the mountains and the coast. 828 and 252 have no overlay, so seven digits still work for a local call there.
Below: the codes for each region — Charlotte, the Triangle, the Triad, southeastern North Carolina, the mountains and the coast — then the complete list of all 10, and a city-by-city lookup.
Area codes by metro area. Where several codes share a row, they are one overlay covering the same ground — not separate places.
704 and 980 are one overlay covering the same ground: Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord, Kannapolis, Salisbury, Statesville, Pineville, Monroe, Matthews and Huntersville. 704 is the original; 980 was added on top of it, not beside it.
This is the largest code area in the state at roughly 2.1 million people, which is why an overlay was needed here first.
919 and 984 cover the Research Triangle — Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex and Wake Forest. 984 overlays 919, so both serve the same towns.
336 and 743 cover the Piedmont Triad — Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, Burlington, Asheboro, Lexington, Mebane and around 150 other municipalities. 743 overlays 336.
910 and 472 cover southeastern North Carolina — Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Lumberton and around 140 other places.
Jacksonville, North Carolina — home to Camp Lejeune — uses 910, not the Florida code people often expect.
472 is the newest area code in North Carolina. Announced in February 2022 and in service since 7 October 2022, it is an overlay on 910 — covering exactly the same area, not a new one. That means Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Lumberton and the rest of southeastern North Carolina. A 472 number and a 910 number can be on the same street. New numbers in the region are assigned whichever code has availability, which is why ten-digit dialling became mandatory there when 472 launched.
828 covers the entire western mountains — Asheville, Hickory, Boone, Morganton, Waynesville and roughly 180 mountain communities.
828 has no overlay. It is the only code in western North Carolina, which means seven-digit local dialling still works there — one of only two places in the state where that is true.
252 covers eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks — Greenville, Rocky Mount, New Bern, Wilson, Kinston, Havelock, Elizabeth City and the barrier islands.
Like 828, it has no overlay, so seven-digit local dialling still works on the coast.
Which code covers a given city. Where two codes are listed, they are an overlay over the same ground.
Both — they are different numbering systems, and the plus sign is what separates them.
If the number you have starts with +252, it is Somalia. If it is ten digits beginning 252, it is North Carolina.
Four of the ten codes are overlays: 980 over 704, 984 over 919, 743 over 336 and 472 over 910. An overlay adds a second code across the same geography rather than splitting the area in two, which means existing customers keep their numbers.
The trade-off is dialling. Wherever an overlay exists, every local call must be dialled with all ten digits, because seven digits are no longer unique — two houses on the same street can have different area codes depending on when their line was installed.
The mountains (828) and the coast (252) are the only parts of the state with no overlay, so seven-digit local dialling still works there. Almost no competing guide states this, and it is the practical difference between the two halves of the state.
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The area codes serving North Carolina have evolved over decades, reflecting the state's growth and changing communication needs.
704 was North Carolina's first of these codes, assigned to Charlotte Metro and anchored by Charlotte. It remains the code most North Carolina residents associate with Charlotte and Gastonia.
As Research Triangle grew, 919 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Raleigh and Durham. Existing numbers kept their codes — 919 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Piedmont Triad grew, 336 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Existing numbers kept their codes — 336 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Southeast North Carolina grew, 910 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Wilmington and Fayetteville. Existing numbers kept their codes — 910 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Eastern North Carolina grew, 252 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Greenville and Rocky Mount. Existing numbers kept their codes — 252 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Western North Carolina grew, 828 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Asheville and Hickory. Existing numbers kept their codes — 828 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Charlotte Metro (overlay) grew, 980 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Charlotte and Huntersville. Existing numbers kept their codes — 980 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Research Triangle (overlay) grew, 984 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Raleigh and Durham. Existing numbers kept their codes — 984 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Piedmont (overlay) grew, 743 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Existing numbers kept their codes — 743 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
As Southeast North Carolina (overlay) grew, 472 was introduced to keep up with demand for new numbers around Fayetteville and Wilmington. Existing numbers kept their codes — 472 simply opened fresh inventory for the area.
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