The 973 area code covers Newark, Morristown and 35 more places in New Jersey.
Area code 973 is in New Jersey, on Eastern Time. In the 973 area, phone numbers are given out most in Essex County, then Morris and Passaic counties. It has been in service since June 1, 1997. 862 covers the same area, so two neighbours can have different area codes.
- Where
- 5 counties in New Jersey, mostly Essex County, Morris County and Passaic County
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- In service since
- June 1, 1997
- Shares its area with
- 862 (since 2001)
- Prefixes in use
- 779
- How to dial
- Local calls need all 10 digits: 973-555-0142.
Find out who called you from a 973 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 (973) number is on today, use our free carrier lookup.
Works for US & Canada numbers. Enter a 10-digit number, e.g. (415) 555-0132.
Free & rate-limited. No signup required to try.
Newark holds 19% of the phone prefixes in area code 973.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a town. Counting the 779 prefixes in use shows where 973 numbers are actually given out.
- Newark147 prefixes, 19%
- Morristown90 prefixes, 12%
- Passaic46 prefixes, 6%
- Caldwell42 prefixes, 5%
- Paterson40 prefixes, 5%
- Orange33 prefixes, 4%
- Whippany28 prefixes, 4%
- Bloomfield28 prefixes, 4%
Also served: Madison, Livingston, Boonton and Millburn and 25 smaller places.
Of the carriers named here, Level 3 (Lumen) holds the most phone number prefixes in area code 973: 76 of 779.
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 779 prefixes in use in 973 divide between carriers; holders this page does not name are grouped as other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level 3 (Lumen)Lumen's business and wholesale network | 76 | 10% |
| T-MobileMobile network | 48 | 6% |
| Teleport (AT&T)AT&T's business phone network | 31 | 4% |
| PAETEC (Windstream)Windstream's business phone network | 30 | 4% |
| AT&T MobilityMobile network | 26 | 3% |
| AT&T | 17 | 2% |
| 26 other carriers | 551 | 71% |
58% 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.
973 has been overlaid once since 1997.
1997
973 starts on June 1, 1997, split off from 201.
2001
On December 29, 2001, 862 is added on top of 973, so new numbers here can get either code.
A 973 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 973 are 201, 908 and 212.
This list measures the distance between the centres of each area, across state lines, and shows codes that share one area together.
These are the questions people ask most about area code 973.
Where is area code 973?
973 covers Newark, Morristown, Passaic and Caldwell and 33 more places in New Jersey. In the 973 area, phone numbers are given out most in Essex County, then Morris and Passaic counties.
What state is area code 973 in?
New Jersey. 973 is a New Jersey area code on Eastern Time.
What cities use area code 973?
The places holding the most 973 prefixes are Newark, Morristown, Passaic, Caldwell, Paterson, Orange, Whippany and Bloomfield, out of 37 places in all. The count comes from NANPA's prefix assignments as of October 1, 2026.
Which phone company owns area code 973?
No single phone company owns 973. NANPA's records list its 779 prefixes across many carriers, and the ones named on this page include Level 3 (Lumen), T-Mobile and Teleport (AT&T). Numbers move between carriers, so check one exact number with a carrier lookup.
What time zone is area code 973 in?
973 is on Eastern Time.
When did area code 973 start?
973 went into service on June 1, 1997, when it was split off from 201.
Is 973 the same area as 862?
Yes. 862 (since 2001) covers the same ground as 973. 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 973 number?
Local calls need all 10 digits: 973-555-0142.
Is 973 a toll-free number?
No. 973 is a regular area code for Newark and Morristown in New Jersey, 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 973?
The closest are 201/551 (Hackensack, New Jersey), 908 (Elizabeth, New Jersey), 212/718/917/646/347/929/332/465 (New York City, New York) and 914 (Westchester County, New York), measured between the centres of each area.
Who called me from a 973 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 973 a scam?
973 is a real New Jersey 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.