Area code 916 – California
916 is one of the original area codes, in service across California since 1947. All but a handful of its 786 number blocks are allocated (785 of 786), so it is effectively exhausted. AT&T is the largest holder with 43.6% of blocks, ahead of Verizon at 11.8%. It shares its geography with overlay codes 279, so local calls take all ten digits. 787 FTC complaints named a 916 caller ID in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, putting it 105th of 422 codes with five or more complaints.
- State
- California
- In service since
- 1947
- Time zone
- Pacific
- Shares area with
- 279
Who holds 916 number blocks
Share of the 785 assigned NXX blocks (99.9% of the 786 possible), across 42 carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers.
- AT&T43.6%
- Verizon11.8%
- T-Mobile11.3%
- Other CLEC / VoIP6.9%
- Consolidated4.3%
- Onvoy3.9%
- Lumen3.9%
- Frontier3.2%
- Bandwidth2.7%
- Spok1.8%
- TPx1.7%
- Allstream1.1%
- Comcast1%
- American Messaging0.9%
- Peerless0.6%
- Telnyx0.4%
- Charter0.4%
- Windstream0.3%
- Vonage0.1%
Spam complaints naming 916
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID was a 916 number, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 (33 days). Caller IDs on spam calls are frequently spoofed, so these are complaints about the code, not calls proven to originate in it.
Rate centers in 916
NANPA allocates number blocks to rate centers and records their names abbreviated to ten characters, so these are NANPA's codes rather than place names – CHAMPAURBN is Champaign-Urbana, NWYRCYZN01 is a New York City zone. We show them unchanged instead of guessing at the full names. Showing the largest 5 of 17.
Timeline
- 1947 916 assigned in the original North American Numbering Plan.
More about 916
Separate pages for the questions that need their own answer: what time it is there, what the complaint data says, who holds the number blocks, and how the code compares with the one it shares its area with.
Frequently asked about 916
What state is area code 916?
California. It covers the same area as 279/916.
Can I still get a 916 number?
Only from recycled stock. 785 of the 786 available blocks are already allocated, so new numbers in the area normally come from the overlay codes (279/916).
Is a call from 916 a scam?
Not by itself. 916 drew 787 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 105th of 422 ranked codes – mid-pack or lower. Spam callers spoof caller IDs, so the only useful check is the full number.
Which carrier owns 916 numbers?
AT&T holds the largest share of assigned number blocks at 43.6%. The rest is spread across 3 other carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers – people keep their numbers when they switch carriers.
Do I need to dial 10 digits in 916?
NANPA records the local dialing plan for 916 as “1+10D”.
Sources and verification
- NANPA – NPA Database (npa_report.csv), file date 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- NANPA – CO Code Assignment Records, All States (utilized), file updated 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- FTC – Do Not Call Reported Calls Data, 25 daily files 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
NANPA dialing note for this code: “1+10D”. Reviewed by the data desk. Spotted an error? Request a correction.