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Area code 857

Area code 857 serves Massachusetts, including Boston, Cambridge and Brookline (Eastern time). It has been in service since May 2, 2001 and shares its area with 617.

Numbers starting with 857 drew 1,584 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 511 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so an 857 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
MassachusettsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Eastern
In service since
May 2, 2001Created from 617
Overlay
Same area as 617
Local calls
Dial 10 digitsArea code needed, even next door
Exchanges in use
362 of 792held by 41 carriers
Projected to run out
4Q 2072NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 857 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 857. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

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

1,584

FCC complaints since November 2023

511

Different 857 numbers reported

1,862

FCC complaints naming an 857 number, by month

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

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 20239
December 20235
January 20248
February 202414
March 202417
April 202414
May 202412
June 202411
July 20249
August 20249
September 202418
October 202416
November 202416
December 20245
January 202510
February 20257
March 202516
April 20256
May 20259
June 20255
July 202512
August 202511
September 202511
October 20252
November 202514
December 202511
January 202621
February 202617
March 202619
April 202618
May 202619
June 202622
July 202630
August 202619
September 202626
October 202633

What people said 857 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 1,246 of 1,584 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other591
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)448
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends272
Dropped call or no message100
Medical and prescriptions15
Energy, solar, and utilities12

Most reported 857 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 857

NANPA lists 21 rate centers for 857. 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.
  • Boston152
  • Cambridge28
  • Brookline26
  • Roxbury20
  • Newton18
  • Quincy15
  • Brighton13
  • Dorchester13
  • Charlestown10
  • Jamaica Plain9
  • Somerville8
  • Belmont7
  • East Boston7
  • South Boston6
  • Watertown6
  • Winthrop6
  • Hyde Park5
  • Chelsea4
  • Everett4
  • Milton4
  • Xxxxxxxxxx1

Phone companies holding 857 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 98% 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 41 carriers

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

Show as a table
Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - MA67
Omnipoint Miami E License, LLC60
Onvoy, LLC - MA42
Metropcs, Inc.25
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - DC19
Paetec Itel, LLC19
Mcimetro Access Transmission Services LLC13
Verizon New England Inc.13

When today's 857 exchanges were assigned

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

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200144
20029
20041
20058
200614
20079
20088
20097
20109
201118
201211
20138
201415
201525
201621
201721
20189
20199
202019
202129
202217
20237
202413
20252
20264

Check an 857 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 Massachusetts

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