Area code 803: South Carolina
Area code 803 is a US state area code for South Carolina, on Eastern Time. It has 783 prefixes in service across 82 rate centers, the largest being Columbia, Rock Hill and Orangeburg. It shares its area with 839, so local numbers there can start with any of them. Local calls there take 10 digits.
Local time in area code 803
America/New_York
Prefixes in service
783 of 792 possible
82 rate centers
Area code 803 facts
| Location | South Carolina, United States |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Eastern Time |
| Overlays | 839 |
| In service since | 1947, when the plan began |
| Local calls | 10 digits; toll calls 1 + 10 digits |
| Carrier | Not shown. An area code is where a number was issued; numbers port between carriers. Check line type |
Which cities and towns use area code 803?
NANPA records each prefix against a rate center, the local billing area a number belongs to, usually named after its main town. These are the 803 rate centers with the most prefixes in service. 70 smaller ones aren't listed.
| Rate center | Prefixes |
|---|---|
| Columbia | 251 |
| Rock Hill | 42 |
| Orangeburg | 37 |
| Aiken | 32 |
| North Augusta | 25 |
| Sumter | 20 |
| Camden | 19 |
| Lancaster | 16 |
| Newberry | 15 |
| Barnwell | 15 |
| North Sumter | 15 |
| Chester | 14 |
Source: NANPA central office code assignments, file dated 10/17/2026. Each prefix holds up to 10,000 numbers.
How do I dial a 803 number?
NANPA's dialling plan for 803: local calls inside the code take 10 digits, toll calls 1 + 10 digits. From another area code, dial 1 first. From abroad, use +1. The examples use 555-0147, from a range reserved for fictional numbers.
| Local call inside 803 | 803-555-0147 |
|---|---|
| From another US or Canadian area code | 1-803-555-0147 |
| From outside North America | +1 803 555 0147 |
| E.164, for CRMs and SMS tools | +18035550147 |
When did area code 803 start?
Area code 803 is one of the original codes NANPA lists from 1947. Today 803 and 839 cover the same area as an overlay, which is why 10-digit dialling is needed for local calls there.
Tools for 803 numbers
- Area code lookup
Look up any code or a whole list of numbers, or find the codes for a state or city.
- Area code time zone
Local time for a list of numbers, with a callable-now flag.
- NPA-NXX lookup
Rate center and state for one prefix, a level below the area code.
- TCPA calling hours checker
Whether it's inside the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. calling window there now.
Next step
A 803 number tells you where it was issued, not what it is now.
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Area code 803 questions
- What state is area code 803?
- Area code 803 is in South Carolina, United States. Its largest rate centers by number of prefixes are Columbia, Rock Hill, Orangeburg, Aiken and North Augusta.
- What time zone is area code 803 in?
- Eastern Time.
- What area codes overlay 803?
- 839. An overlay adds a new code to the same area instead of splitting it, so neighbours can have different area codes and local calls need 10 digits.
- When did area code 803 start?
- Area code 803 is one of the original codes NANPA lists from 1947.
- Is an 803 number a cell phone or a landline?
- The area code can't tell you. In the US and Canada mobiles, landlines and VoIP lines share area codes and prefixes, and numbers move between carriers and line types. Only a live line-type lookup answers it for one number.
- How many phone numbers does area code 803 have?
- 783 of its 792 possible prefixes are in service, and each prefix holds up to 10,000 numbers. That counts prefixes assigned to carriers, not numbers in use.
Other area codes in South Carolina
Sources
Location, overlays, in-service date and dialling plan: NANPA NPA database, file dated 10/16/2026. Prefixes and rate centers: NANPA central office code assignments, 10/17/2026. Time zones mapped to the IANA time zone database. By the SimpleVerifier Team; how we build these pages.