Area code 970 – Colorado
970 has served Colorado since 1995, split from 303. All but a handful of its 786 number blocks are allocated (786 of 786), so it is effectively exhausted. No carrier dominates: Lumen / CenturyLink 33.7%, Other CLEC / VoIP 18.2%, Onvoy / Inteliquent 12.6%. It shares its geography with overlay codes 748, so local calls take all ten digits. 1,101 FTC complaints named a 970 caller ID in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, putting it 28th of 422 codes with five or more complaints. The dominant complaint type is “Other”.
Who holds 970 number blocks
Share of the 786 assigned NXX blocks (100% of the 786 possible), across 60 carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers.
- Lumen33.7%
- Other CLEC / VoIP16.4%
- Onvoy12.6%
- Verizon11.1%
- T-Mobile9.8%
- AT&T7.6%
- Bandwidth2%
- Peerless1.8%
- Comcast1.3%
- Charter1.3%
- Allstream0.5%
- Windstream0.5%
- American Messaging0.4%
- Telnyx0.4%
- Dish0.3%
- TDS0.3%
- Vonage0.1%
Spam complaints naming 970
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID was a 970 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 970
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 120.
Timeline
- 1995 970 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 303.
More about 970
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 970
What state is area code 970?
Colorado. It covers the same area as 748/970.
Can I still get a 970 number?
Only from recycled stock. 786 of the 786 available blocks are already allocated, so new numbers in the area normally come from the overlay codes (748/970).
Is a call from 970 a scam?
970 is one of the most complained-about codes in the country – 1,101 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 28th of 422 ranked codes. Most of those calls are spoofed: the caller fakes a local-looking number because it gets answered more often. Look up the specific number rather than judging by the code. The most reported category here is “Other”.
Which carrier owns 970 numbers?
Lumen / CenturyLink holds the largest share of assigned number blocks at 33.7%. 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 970?
Yes – ten digits for local calls in 970, because it shares its area with another code.
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: “10D”. Reviewed by the data desk. Spotted an error? Request a correction.