The 805 area code covers Santa Barbara, Oxnard and 31 more places in California.
Area code 805 is in California, on Pacific Time. In the 805 area, phone numbers are given out most in Ventura County, then Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. It has been in service since 1957. 820 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 4 counties in California, mostly Ventura County, Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County
- Time zone
- Pacific Time
- In service since
- 1957
- Shares its area with
- 820 (since 2018)
- Prefixes in use
- 786
- How to dial
- Local calls need 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-805-555-0142.
Find out who called you from an 805 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 (805) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Santa Barbara holds 11% of the phone prefixes in area code 805.
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 805 numbers are actually given out.
- Santa Barbara86 prefixes, 11%
- Oxnard75 prefixes, 10%
- San Luis Obispo71 prefixes, 9%
- Ventura64 prefixes, 8%
- Thousand Oaks64 prefixes, 8%
- Santa Maria45 prefixes, 6%
- Simi Valley43 prefixes, 5%
- Camarillo36 prefixes, 5%
Also served: Paso Robles, Lompoc, Newbury Park and Moorpark and 21 smaller places.
Frontier holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 805: 140 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 805 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FrontierLandline company | 140 | 18% |
| Pacific Bell (AT&T)AT&T's landline company | 127 | 16% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 84 | 11% |
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 56 | 7% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 54 | 7% |
| BandwidthSupplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services | 32 | 4% |
| 31 other carriers | 293 | 37% |
69% 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.
805 has been split once and overlaid once since 1957.
1957
805 starts, split off from 213.
1999
On February 13, 1999, 661 splits off and takes part of the 805 area.
2018
On June 30, 2018, 820 is added on top of 805, so new numbers here can get either code.
An 805 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 805 are 661, 818 and 559.
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 805.
Where is area code 805?
805 covers Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Luis Obispo and Ventura and 29 more places in California. In the 805 area, phone numbers are given out most in Ventura County, then Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
What state is area code 805 in?
California. 805 is a California area code on Pacific Time.
What cities use area code 805?
The places holding the most 805 prefixes are Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Santa Maria, Simi Valley and Camarillo, out of 33 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 805?
No single phone company owns 805. NANPA's records show Frontier holds the most 805 prefixes, 140 of 786, followed by Pacific 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 805 in?
805 is on Pacific Time.
When did area code 805 start?
805 went into service in 1957, when it was split off from 213.
Is 805 the same area as 820?
Yes. 820 (since 2018) covers the same ground as 805. 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 805 number?
Local calls need 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-805-555-0142.
Is 805 a toll-free number?
No. 805 is a regular area code for Santa Barbara and Oxnard 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 805?
The closest are 661 (Bakersfield, California), 818/747 (Van Nuys, California), 559/357 (Fresno, California) and 213/323/738 (Los Angeles, California), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from an 805 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 805 a scam?
805 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.