The 279 area code covers the same area as 916, including Sacramento, Folsom and 9 more places in California.
Area code 279 is in California, on Pacific Time. In the 279 area, phone numbers are given out most in Sacramento County, then Placer and Sutter counties. It has been in service since March 10, 2018. 916 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 4 counties in California, mostly Sacramento County, Placer County and Sutter County
- Time zone
- Pacific Time
- In service since
- March 10, 2018
- Shares its area with
- 916 (since 1947)
- Prefixes in use
- 148
- How to dial
- Local calls need 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-279-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 279 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 (279) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Sacramento holds 47% of the phone prefixes in area code 279.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 148 prefixes in use shows where 279 numbers are actually given out.
- Sacramento69 prefixes, 47%
- Folsom16 prefixes, 11%
- Elk Grove12 prefixes, 8%
- Fair Oaks7 prefixes, 5%
- Lincoln5 prefixes, 3%
- Rio Linda4 prefixes, 3%
- Courtland2 prefixes, 1%
- Walnut Grove2 prefixes, 1%
Also served: Isleton, Courtland and Chico.
Of the carriers named here, Fractel holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 279: 36 of 148.
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 148 prefixes in use in 279 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fractel | 36 | 24% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 15 | 10% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 13 | 9% |
| BandwidthSupplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services | 7 | 5% |
| Teleport (AT&T)AT&T's business phone network | 4 | 3% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 3 | 2% |
| 18 other carriers | 70 | 47% |
100% 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.
279 started in 2018 as an overlay on 916, and its ground has not changed since.
2018
279 starts on March 10, 2018, as an overlay on 916: new numbers on the same ground.
A 279 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 279 are 925, 209 and 510.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
California has 40 other area codes.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 279.
Where is area code 279?
279 covers Sacramento, Folsom, Elk Grove and Fair Oaks and 7 more places in California. In the 279 area, phone numbers are given out most in Sacramento County, then Placer and Sutter counties.
What state is area code 279 in?
California. 279 is a California area code on Pacific Time.
What cities use area code 279?
The places holding the most 279 prefixes are Sacramento, Folsom, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Lincoln, Rio Linda, Pleasant Grove and Walnut Grove, out of 11 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 279?
No single phone company owns 279. NANPA's records list its 148 prefixes across many carriers, and the ones named on this page include Fractel, T-Mobile and AT&T Mobility. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 279 in?
279 is on Pacific Time.
When did area code 279 start?
279 went into service on March 10, 2018, as an overlay on 916: new numbers for the same area.
Is 279 the same area as 916?
Yes. 916 (since 1947) covers the same ground as 279. 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 279 number?
Local calls need 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-279-555-0142.
Is 279 a toll-free number?
No. 279 is a regular area code for Sacramento and Folsom in California, 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 279?
The closest are 925 (Walnut Creek, California), 209/350 (Stockton, California), 510/341 (Oakland, California) and 415/628 (San Francisco, California), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 279 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 279 a scam?
279 is a real California 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.