The 208 area code covers Boise, Pocatello and 111 more places in Idaho.
Area code 208 is in Idaho, on Mountain Time and Pacific Time. In the 208 area, phone numbers are given out most in Ada County, then Kootenai and Bonneville counties. It has been in service since 1947. 986 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in Idaho, mostly Ada County, Kootenai County and Bonneville County
- Time zone
- Mountain Time and Pacific Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- 986 (since 2017)
- Prefixes in use
- 785
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 208-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 208 number.
Enter the full 10-digit number to see who it is listed to and the city and state on the listing. It is the same free check as our who called me lookup. To see only the caller ID name on the number, use our free CNAM lookup. To see whether it is a mobile, a landline or a VoIP line, use our free VoIP checker. To see which carrier a (208) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Boise holds 27% of the phone prefixes in area code 208.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 785 prefixes in use shows where 208 numbers are actually given out.
- Boise210 prefixes, 27%
- Pocatello53 prefixes, 7%
- Idaho Falls51 prefixes, 6%
- Coeur d'Alene50 prefixes, 6%
- Twin Falls44 prefixes, 6%
- Nampa28 prefixes, 4%
- Lewiston18 prefixes, 2%
- Burley15 prefixes, 2%
Also served: Ketchum, Sandpoint, Moscow and Caldwell and 101 smaller places.
Qwest (Lumen) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 208: 186 of 785.
NANPA, which runs the North American numbering plan, assigns each prefix (the three digits after the area code) to one carrier. Here is how the 785 prefixes in use in 208 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Qwest (Lumen)Lumen's landline company | 186 | 24% |
| Ziply FiberLandline company | 75 | 10% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 57 | 7% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 47 | 6% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 39 | 5% |
| Allstream | 18 | 2% |
| 48 other carriers | 363 | 46% |
66% of these prefixes are pooled, which means the blocks of 1,000 numbers inside them can belong to other carriers. Any number can also have been moved to another carrier since, so this shows who holds the prefixes, not who serves a given number.
Want the carrier of one exact number? Our free carrier lookup checks it, because numbers move between carriers.
Source: NANPA central office code assignments, October 1, 2026.
208 has been overlaid once since 1947.
1947
208 is one of the original North American area codes.
2017
On September 5, 2017, 986 is added on top of 208, so new numbers here can get either code.
A 208 number on your screen can still be a scam, because caller ID is easy to fake.
- Let an unknown call go to voicemail. A real caller leaves a message; a robocaller usually does not.
- Look the number up with the box above before you call back, because calling back tells a robocaller your line is live.
- Hang up on anyone who wants gift cards, crypto or a wire transfer, or asks you to read out a code that was just texted to you.
- Report unwanted robocalls at reportfraud.ftc.gov, or paste a suspicious message into our free scam checker.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 208.
Where is area code 208?
208 covers Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Coeur d'Alene and 109 more places in Idaho. In the 208 area, phone numbers are given out most in Ada County, then Kootenai and Bonneville counties.
What state is area code 208 in?
Idaho. 208 is an Idaho area code on Mountain Time and Pacific Time.
What cities use area code 208?
The places holding the most 208 prefixes are Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, Nampa, Lewiston and Burley, out of 113 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 208?
No single phone company owns 208. NANPA's records show Qwest (Lumen) holds the most 208 prefixes, 186 of 785, followed by Ziply Fiber and AT&T Mobility. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 208 in?
208 is on Mountain Time and Pacific Time.
When did area code 208 start?
208 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 208 the same area as 986?
Yes. 986 (since 2017) covers the same ground as 208. Nobody's number changed when it was added; new lines simply get whichever code has numbers left, so two neighbours can have different codes.
How do I dial a 208 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 208-555-0142.
Is 208 a toll-free number?
No. 208 is a regular area code for Boise and Pocatello in Idaho, not a toll-free one. The toll-free codes in North America are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888.
Who called me from a 208 number?
Enter the full 10-digit number in the lookup above. It returns the listed owner where there is a public record, where the number is registered, and whether it is a mobile, a landline or a VoIP line.
Is area code 208 a scam?
208 is a real Idaho area code, so the code itself is not a warning sign. Scam callers fake local-looking numbers on purpose, so judge the call by what the caller asks for, and look the number up before calling back.
Put this lookup on your site: our free area code widget takes two lines of code and shows any US area code's state, time zone and local time.
Source: NANPA, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator: its area code database and prefix assignments, as of October 1, 2026.