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Before You Call Back

Area code 279

Area code 279 serves California, including Sacramento, Folsom and Elk Grove (Pacific time). It has been in service since March 10, 2018 and shares its area with 916.

Numbers starting with 279 drew 660 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 331 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 279 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
California(sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area) and Sacramento--Roseville--Folsom, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Pacific
In service since
March 10, 2018Created from 916
Overlay
Same area as 916
Local calls
Dial 1 + 10 digits
Exchanges in use
152 of 792held by 25 carriers
Projected to run out
4Q 2068NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 279 numbers

Reports where the number on the consumer's caller ID (or, for the FCC, the number the caller asked them to call back) starts with 279. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

FTC reports, Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026

660

FCC complaints since November 2023

331

Different 279 numbers reported

810

FCC complaints naming a 279 number, by month

November 2023 to October 2026. Source: FCC Consumer Complaints Data.

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 20233
December 20236
January 20249
February 20241
March 20244
April 20241
May 20248
June 20247
July 20245
August 20247
September 20246
October 20247
November 20247
December 20249
January 20257
February 20251
March 202510
April 202543
May 20256
June 20254
July 20251
August 20254
September 20254
October 20250
November 20252
December 20251
January 20261
February 20262
March 20260
April 202622
May 202626
June 202625
July 202640
August 20269
September 202617
October 202618

What people said 279 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 398 of 660 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other266
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)178
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends110
Dropped call or no message33
Medical and prescriptions10
Lotteries, prizes, and sweepstakes6

Most reported 279 numbers

Numbers with at least five reports from three or more places in the last twelve months. Many of them are likely spoofed.

Places served by 279

NANPA lists 16 rate centers for 279. A rate center is the town or district a block of numbers is tied to for billing; sorted here by how many exchanges each holds.
  • Sacramento: Main DA46
  • Sacramento: North DA25
  • Folsom17
  • Elk Grove13
  • Roseville: Main DA11
  • Fair Oaks (sacramento)7
  • South Placer7
  • Lincoln5
  • Roseville: Citrus Heights DA5
  • Rio Linda4
  • Meadowview3
  • Michigan Bar3
  • Courtland2
  • Walnut Grove2
  • Isleton1
  • Pleasant Grove1

Phone companies holding 279 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 100% of these exchanges are pooled: their numbers are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to other carriers, so the holder below is not always the company serving a given number.

Exchanges held, top 8 of 25 carriers

NANPA central office code assignments, file of November 11, 2026.

Show as a table
Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Onvoy, LLC - CA39
Fractel, LLC36
T-Mobile USA, Inc.16
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC13
Bandwidth.com CLEC, LLC - CA7
Commio, LLC4
Teleport Communications America, LLC - CA4
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - CA3

When today's 279 exchanges were assigned

Exchanges still assigned, by year of assignment. Exchanges returned since are not counted.

Show as a table
YearExchanges
20188
201910
202019
202124
202221
202318
202428
20258
202610

Check a 279 number

A check shows the carrier and rate center of the number's exchange and every FTC and FCC report about that exact number. Why the number on screen can be fake.

Other area codes in California

NANPA area code database and central office code file of November 11, 2026; FCC complaints November 1, 2023 to November 11, 2026; FTC reports August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. How the data is used.

Official sources (7)Show