The 821 area code covers the same area as 864, including Greenville, Spartanburg and 58 more places in South Carolina.
Area code 821 is in South Carolina, on Eastern Time. In the 821 area, phone numbers are given out most in Greenville County, then Spartanburg and Anderson counties. It has been in service since August 19, 2024. 864 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 8 counties in South Carolina, mostly Greenville County, Spartanburg County and Anderson County
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- In service since
- August 19, 2024
- Shares its area with
- 864 (since 1995)
- Prefixes in use
- 42
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 821-555-0142.
Find out who called you from an 821 number.
Enter the full 10-digit number to see who it is listed to, the city and state on the listing, and whether it is a mobile, landline or VoIP line. 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.
Greenwood holds 29% of the phone prefixes in area code 821.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 42 prefixes in use shows where 821 numbers are actually given out.
- Greenwood12 prefixes, 29%
- Laurens7 prefixes, 17%
- Greenville4 prefixes, 10%
- Spartanburg3 prefixes, 7%
- Anderson2 prefixes, 5%
- Simpsonville2 prefixes, 5%
- Piedmont1 prefix, 2%
- Seneca1 prefix, 2%
Also served: Clemson, Easley, Union and Simpsonville and 48 smaller places.
Each prefix, or block of 1,000 numbers inside it, is also handed to a carrier. A number keeps its digits when its owner switches carrier, so the prefix no longer tells you who carries it today. Our free carrier lookup shows which carrier an 821 number is on now.
821 started in 2024 as an overlay on 864, and its ground has not changed since.
2024
821 starts on August 19, 2024, as an overlay on 864: new numbers on the same ground.
An 821 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 821 are 828, 803 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 821.
Where is area code 821?
821 covers Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson and Greenwood and 56 more places in South Carolina. In the 821 area, phone numbers are given out most in Greenville County, then Spartanburg and Anderson counties.
What state is area code 821 in?
South Carolina. 821 is a South Carolina area code on Eastern Time.
What cities use area code 821?
The places holding the most 821 prefixes are Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Greenwood, Seneca, Greer, Laurens and Gaffney, out of 60 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
What time zone is area code 821 in?
821 is on Eastern Time.
When did area code 821 start?
821 went into service on August 19, 2024, as an overlay on 864: new numbers for the same area.
Is 821 the same area as 864?
Yes. 864 (since 1995) covers the same ground as 821. 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 821 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 821-555-0142.
Is 821 a toll-free number?
No. 821 is a regular area code for Greenville and Spartanburg 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 821?
The closest are 828 (Asheville, North Carolina), 803/839 (Columbia, South Carolina), 704/980 (Charlotte, North Carolina) and 706/762 (Augusta, Georgia), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from an 821 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 821 a scam?
821 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.
Source: NANPA, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator: its area code database and prefix assignments, as of October 1, 2026.