The 803 area code covers Columbia, Rock Hill and 63 more places in South Carolina.
Area code 803 is in South Carolina, on Eastern Time. In the 803 area, phone numbers are given out most in Richland County, then Aiken and York counties. It has been in service since 1947. 839 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in South Carolina, mostly Richland County, Aiken County and York County
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- In service since
- 1947, one of the original area codes
- Shares its area with
- 839 (since 2020)
- Prefixes in use
- 784
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 803-555-0142.
Find out who called you from an 803 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 (803) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Columbia holds 32% of the phone prefixes in area code 803.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 784 prefixes in use shows where 803 numbers are actually given out.
- Columbia251 prefixes, 32%
- Rock Hill42 prefixes, 5%
- Orangeburg38 prefixes, 5%
- Aiken32 prefixes, 4%
- North Augusta25 prefixes, 3%
- Sumter20 prefixes, 3%
- Camden19 prefixes, 2%
- Lancaster16 prefixes, 2%
Also served: Newberry, Barnwell, Chester and Lexington and 53 smaller places.
BellSouth (AT&T) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 803: 173 of 784.
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 784 prefixes in use in 803 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BellSouth (AT&T)AT&T's landline company | 173 | 22% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 80 | 10% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 59 | 8% |
| PAETEC (Windstream)Windstream's business phone network | 40 | 5% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 37 | 5% |
| FrontierLandline company | 23 | 3% |
| 42 other carriers | 372 | 47% |
68% 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.
803 has been split 2 times and overlaid once since 1947.
1947
803 is one of the original North American area codes.
1995
On December 3, 1995, 864 splits off and takes part of the 803 area.
1998
On March 22, 1998, 843 splits off and takes part of the 803 area.
2020
On May 26, 2020, 839 is added on top of 803, so new numbers here can get either code.
An 803 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 803 are 843, 864 and 704.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
South Carolina has 5 other area codes.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 803.
Where is area code 803?
803 covers Columbia, Rock Hill, Orangeburg and Aiken and 61 more places in South Carolina. In the 803 area, phone numbers are given out most in Richland County, then Aiken and York counties.
What state is area code 803 in?
South Carolina. 803 is a South Carolina area code on Eastern Time.
What cities use area code 803?
The places holding the most 803 prefixes are Columbia, Rock Hill, Orangeburg, Aiken, North Augusta, Sumter, Camden and Lancaster, out of 65 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 803?
No single phone company owns 803. NANPA's records show BellSouth (AT&T) holds the most 803 prefixes, 173 of 784, followed by AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile. Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 803 in?
803 is on Eastern Time.
When did area code 803 start?
803 is one of the original North American area codes, in service since 1947.
Is 803 the same area as 839?
Yes. 839 (since 2020) covers the same ground as 803. 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 an 803 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 803-555-0142.
Is 803 a toll-free number?
No. 803 is a regular area code for Columbia and Rock Hill in South Carolina, 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 803?
The closest are 843/854 (Charleston, South Carolina), 864/821 (Greenville, South Carolina), 704/980 (Charlotte, North Carolina) and 828 (Asheville, North Carolina), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from an 803 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 803 a scam?
803 is a real South Carolina 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.
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Source: NANPA, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator: its area code database and prefix assignments, as of October 1, 2026.