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Area code 859

Area code 859 serves Kentucky, including Lexington, Covington and Boone (Eastern time). It has been in service since April 1, 2000.

Numbers starting with 859 drew 1,478 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 439 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so an 859 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
KentuckyCincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Eastern
In service since
April 1, 2000Created from 606
Overlay
None: the only code for its area
Local calls
Dial 10 digitsArea code needed, even next door
Exchanges in use
563 of 792held by 40 carriers
Projected to run out
2Q 2062NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 859 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 859. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

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

1,478

FCC complaints since November 2023

439

Different 859 numbers reported

1,784

FCC complaints naming an 859 number, by month

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

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 202338
December 20234
January 202415
February 202410
March 202411
April 202419
May 202412
June 20247
July 202419
August 202414
September 20248
October 202415
November 202411
December 202410
January 202512
February 202515
March 20259
April 202516
May 202510
June 202510
July 202512
August 202512
September 202514
October 20251
November 20253
December 20256
January 20265
February 20265
March 202617
April 20265
May 20269
June 202612
July 202613
August 20269
September 202612
October 202631

What people said 859 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 1,052 of 1,478 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends436
Other413
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)237
Medical and prescriptions165
Dropped call or no message103
Warranties and protection plans18

Most reported 859 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 859

NANPA lists 42 rate centers for 859. 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.
  • Lexington164
  • Covington95
  • Boone32
  • Winchester29
  • Richmond24
  • Danville16
  • Mount Sterling13
  • Berea11
  • Harrodsburg11
  • Alexandria10
  • Cynthiana10
  • Independence10
  • Nicholasville10
  • Paris10
  • Versailles9
  • Walton8
  • Williamstown8
  • Lancaster6
  • Springfield6
  • Warsaw6
  • Butler5
  • Carlisle5
  • Bryantsville4
  • Falmouth4
Show all 42 rate centers

Ford, Glencoe, Midway, North Middletown, Salvisa, Wilmore, Burgin, Cornishville, Junction City, Little Rock, Mackville, Paint Lick, Perryville, Waco, Willisburg, Kirksville, Millersburg, Mooresville.

Phone companies holding 859 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 69% 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 40 carriers

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

Show as a table
Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Windstream Kentucky East, Inc. - Lexington77
Cincinnati Bell57
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - KY55
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - GA53
Onvoy, LLC - KY51
Level 3 Communications, LLC - KY49
Bellsouth Telecomm Inc dba South Central Bell Tel38
Paetec Itel, LLC29

When today's 859 exchanges were assigned

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

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200124
200230
200325
20045
20055
20069
20074
20086
20092
20103
20118
201213
20133
20147
20157
20163
20179
20183
20195
20204
202111
202210
202312
20246
20255
20264

Check an 859 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 Kentucky

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