The 820 area code covers the same area as 805, including Santa Barbara, Oxnard and 31 more places in California.
Area code 820 is in California, on Pacific Time. In the 820 area, phone numbers are given out most in Ventura County, then Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. It has been in service since June 30, 2018. 805 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
- June 30, 2018
- Shares its area with
- 805 (since 1957)
- Prefixes in use
- 98
- How to dial
- Local calls need 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-820-555-0142.
Find out who called you from an 820 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 (820) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
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Camarillo holds 12% of the phone prefixes in area code 820.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 98 prefixes in use shows where 820 numbers are actually given out.
- Camarillo12 prefixes, 12%
- Newbury Park10 prefixes, 10%
- Oxnard8 prefixes, 8%
- Atascadero8 prefixes, 8%
- Santa Barbara8 prefixes, 8%
- Santa Maria6 prefixes, 6%
- Ventura5 prefixes, 5%
- San Luis Obispo3 prefixes, 3%
Also served: Paso Robles, Lompoc, Newbury Park and Moorpark and 21 smaller places.
Fractel holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 820: 32 of 98.
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 98 prefixes in use in 820 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fractel | 32 | 33% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 18 | 18% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 8 | 8% |
| Boost MobileMobile phone service | 2 | 2% |
| Ton80 Communications | 2 | 2% |
| 8x8Cloud phone platform for apps and businesses | 1 | 1% |
| 15 other carriers | 35 | 36% |
99% 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.
820 started in 2018 as an overlay on 805, and its ground has not changed since.
2018
820 starts on June 30, 2018, as an overlay on 805: new numbers on the same ground.
An 820 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 820 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 820.
Where is area code 820?
820 covers Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Luis Obispo and Ventura and 29 more places in California. In the 820 area, phone numbers are given out most in Ventura County, then Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
What state is area code 820 in?
California. 820 is a California area code on Pacific Time.
What cities use area code 820?
The places holding the most 820 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 820?
No single phone company owns 820. NANPA's records show Fractel holds the most 820 prefixes, 32 of 98, 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 820 in?
820 is on Pacific Time.
When did area code 820 start?
820 went into service on June 30, 2018, as an overlay on 805: new numbers for the same area.
Is 820 the same area as 805?
Yes. 805 (since 1957) covers the same ground as 820. 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 820 number?
Local calls need 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-820-555-0142.
Is 820 a toll-free number?
No. 820 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 820?
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 820 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 820 a scam?
820 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.