Area codes 518 and 838


Area codes 518 and 838 are telephone area codes serving the northeasternmost part of the "upstate" part of New York in the United States. 518 was established as one of the original area codes during 1947. 838 was added as an overlay during 2017. It covers 24 counties and 1,200 ZIP Codes. It has 493 landline and 100 wireless exchanges serviced by 47 carriers. It is the largest area code in size in New York, extending from the eastern Mohawk Valley to the Vermont border, and from the Canada–US border to south of Albany. The bulk of the area code's population is in the Capital District. Other cities in the area code are Glens Falls, Plattsburgh, and Saratoga Springs.

History

518 is the only one of New York's original five Numbering Plan Areas that still has its original boundaries. Despite the presence of the Capital District and the proliferation of pagers and cellphones, it was one of the few remaining original area codes that had never been divided or overlaid. By the spring of 2016, however, 518 was on the verge of depletion, and it was projected that the region would need another area code by 2019 at the latest. By the autumn, however, it was anticipated that 518 would be depleted during the third quarter of 2017. An overlay area code, 838, was approved quickly, to be implemented during the autumn of 2017.
From March 18 to August 19, 2017, telephone calls could be made using 7 digits or 10 digits. 10-digit dialing became mandatory on August 20, 2017, with recorded messages reminding callers if they dialed incorrectly. On September 19, 2017, area code 838 was officially added as an overlay to area code 518 making this the second overlay in the upstate region.

Areas served by this area code

By county