The 217 area code covers Springfield, Decatur and 245 more places in Illinois.
Area code 217 is in Illinois, on Central Time. In the 217 area, phone numbers are given out most in Sangamon County, then Macon and Vermilion counties. It has been in service since 1947. 447 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in Illinois, mostly Sangamon County, Macon County and Vermilion County
- Time zone
- Central Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- 447 (since 2021)
- Prefixes in use
- 786
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 217-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 217 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 (217) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Springfield holds 12% of the phone prefixes in area code 217.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 786 prefixes in use shows where 217 numbers are actually given out.
- Springfield91 prefixes, 12%
- Decatur44 prefixes, 6%
- Danville27 prefixes, 3%
- Quincy25 prefixes, 3%
- Mattoon24 prefixes, 3%
- Jacksonville21 prefixes, 3%
- Lincoln14 prefixes, 2%
- Taylorville14 prefixes, 2%
Also served: Charleston, Effingham, Litchfield and Paris and 235 smaller places.
Frontier holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 217: 189 of 786.
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 786 prefixes in use in 217 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FrontierLandline company | 189 | 24% |
| Illinois Bell (AT&T)AT&T's landline company | 129 | 16% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 72 | 9% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 59 | 8% |
| Illinois Consolidated Telephone | 45 | 6% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 40 | 5% |
| 36 other carriers | 252 | 32% |
70% 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.
217 has been overlaid once since 1947.
1947
217 is one of the original North American area codes.
2021
On March 27, 2021, 447 is added on top of 217, so new numbers here can get either code.
A 217 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.
The area codes closest to 217 are 309, 314 and 618.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 217.
Where is area code 217?
217 covers Springfield, Decatur, Danville and Quincy and 243 more places in Illinois. In the 217 area, phone numbers are given out most in Sangamon County, then Macon and Vermilion counties.
What state is area code 217 in?
Illinois. 217 is an Illinois area code on Central Time.
What cities use area code 217?
The places holding the most 217 prefixes are Springfield, Decatur, Danville, Quincy, Mattoon, Jacksonville, Lincoln and Taylorville, out of 247 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 217?
No single phone company owns 217. NANPA's records show Frontier holds the most 217 prefixes, 189 of 786, followed by Illinois Bell (AT&T) and AT&T Mobility. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 217 in?
217 is on Central Time.
When did area code 217 start?
217 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 217 the same area as 447?
Yes. 447 (since 2021) covers the same ground as 217. 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 217 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 217-555-0142.
Is 217 a toll-free number?
No. 217 is a regular area code for Springfield and Decatur in Illinois, not a toll-free one. The toll-free codes in North America are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888.
What area codes are near 217?
The closest are 309/861 (Peoria, Illinois), 314/557 (Saint Louis, Missouri), 618/730 (Collinsville, Illinois) and 636 (Saint Charles, Missouri), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 217 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 217 a scam?
217 is a real Illinois 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.