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Area code 773

Area code 773 serves Illinois, including Chicago Zone 03, Chicago Zone 01 and Chicago Zone 02 (Central time). It has been in service since October 12, 1996 and shares its area with 872.

Numbers starting with 773 drew 1,691 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 880 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 773 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
IllinoisChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Central
In service since
October 12, 1996Created from 312
Overlay
Same area as 872
Local calls
Dial 1 + 10 digits
Exchanges in use
786 of 792held by 22 carriers
Projected to run out
1Q 2051NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 773 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 773. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

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

1,691

FCC complaints since November 2023

880

Different 773 numbers reported

2,117

FCC complaints naming a 773 number, by month

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

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 202312
December 202317
January 202422
February 202421
March 202415
April 202423
May 202413
June 202411
July 202417
August 202422
September 202430
October 2024137
November 202480
December 202420
January 202518
February 202519
March 202522
April 202518
May 202526
June 202539
July 202525
August 202515
September 202519
October 20254
November 202512
December 202512
January 202613
February 202622
March 202617
April 202613
May 202611
June 202622
July 202625
August 202616
September 202632
October 202630

What people said 773 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 1,055 of 1,691 reports were robocalls.

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SubjectReports
Other619
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends269
Medical and prescriptions228
Dropped call or no message167
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)155
Warranties and protection plans23

Most reported 773 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 773

NANPA lists 11 rate centers for 773. 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.
  • Chicago Zone 03170
  • Chicago Zone 01124
  • Chicago Zone 0279
  • Chicago Zone 0778
  • Chicago Zone 0475
  • Chicago Zone 1072
  • Chicago Zone 0656
  • Chicago Zone 0845
  • Chicago Zone 0541
  • Chicago Zone 0926
  • Chicago Zone 1120

Phone companies holding 773 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 62% 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 22 carriers

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

Show as a table
Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Illinois Bell Tel CO257
T-Mobile USA, Inc.169
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - IL84
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - IL59
Mcimetro Access Transmission Services LLC38
Level 3 Communications, LLC - IL36
Paetec Itel, LLC33
Teleport Communications America, LLC - IL23

When today's 773 exchanges were assigned

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

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200150
200214
200415
200519
200620
200730
200828
200919
20104
20116
20151
20193
20202
20212
20221
20236
20244
20254
20261

Check a 773 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 Illinois

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