---
title: "Area code 209: California, United States"
url: "https://lookvalid.com/area-code/209.md"
canonical_url: "https://lookvalid.com/area-code/209"
last_updated: "2026-10-23"
type: "reference"
summary: "Area code 209 serves California, United States. Number formats, numbering rules, a live phone validator and the other codes in California."
---

# Area code 209: California, United States

Area code 209 serves California, United States. Number formats, numbering rules, a live phone validator and the other codes in California.

NANPA lists 784 central office codes (prefixes) in use in area code 209, held by 45 holders across 63 rate centers.
Pacific Bell holds the most prefixes, 180 (23%). 77% of the prefixes are pooled, which means their thousands-blocks can belong to different companies.
The FCC unwanted-call data has 4,287 complaints on file for 3,138 numbers in 209, most often filed as "Unwanted Calls". These are consumer reports, not findings.

## Facts

- In service since: 1958-01-01
- Time zone: Pacific (P)
- Assigned overlays: 350 (2022-11-28)
- Prefixes in use: 784
- Pooled prefixes: 605 (77%)
- Rate centers: 63
- Companies holding prefixes: 45
- Assignment dates on file: 2001-04-19 to 2025-01-28 (284 prefixes)
- ZIP codes in its places: 144

## Rate centers

| Rate center | Prefixes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| STOCKTON | 138 | 18% |
| MODESTO | 137 | 17% |
| MERCED | 57 | 7% |
| MANTECA | 44 | 6% |
| LODI | 36 | 5% |
| TRACY | 32 | 4% |
| TURLOCK | 31 | 4% |
| ANGELSCAMP | 22 | 3% |
| 55 other rate centers | 287 | 37% |

## Carriers

| Holder | Prefixes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pacific Bell | 180 | 23% |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS | 128 | 16% |
| Onvoy | 76 | 10% |
| Verizon Wireless | 71 | 9% |
| T-Mobile USA | 69 | 9% |
| Bandwidth.com CLEC | 42 | 5% |
| 39 other carriers | 218 | 28% |

A prefix holder is the company a code was assigned to, not necessarily a number's current carrier, because numbers can be ported to another company.

## History

- 1947-01-01: Area code 415, named as the parent of 209 in the NANPA report, was in service.
- 1958-01-01: Area code 209 went into service.
- 1998-11-14: Area code 559 went into service and names 209 as its parent.
- 2022-11-28: Area code 350 went into service as an overlay in the same area as 209.

## Nearest area codes

The area codes closest to 209, measured between the centers of the ZIP code places they serve, are 559 (about 59 miles), 408 (about 77 miles), 669 (about 80 miles), 831 (about 84 miles) and 925 (about 89 miles).

## ZIP codes

144 ZIP codes fall in places that have a rate center in this area code. The places with the most are Fresno, CA (58 ZIP codes), Stockton, CA (20 ZIP codes) and Modesto, CA (10 ZIP codes). A ZIP code and an area code are unrelated systems, so a ZIP code can sit in more than one area code and an area code spans many ZIP codes.

## Complaints on file

4,287 complaints for 3,138 numbers. Numbers whose latest complaint falls in each year:

- 2023: 225
- 2024: 308
- 2025: 164

## Questions

### Where is area code 209?

NANPA assigns area code 209 to California, United States.

### In which state does area code 209 sit?

California. 209 is one of 41 area codes the NANPA table assigns to the state.

### Which places does area code 209 cover?

The places with the most ZIP codes among the rate centers in 209 are Fresno, CA, Stockton, CA and Modesto, CA. The rate center list on this page shows all of them.

### Who owns area code 209?

NANPA assigns area codes. Within 209, Pacific Bell holds the most prefixes, 180 prefixes or 23%.

### Which time zone does 209 use?

The NANPA NPA report lists the time zone for 209 as Pacific (P).

### What year did 209 enter service?

The NANPA NPA report gives an in-service date of 1958-01-01, so 209 has been in use since 1958.

### Does area code 209 have an overlay?

Yes. 350 (in service 2022-11-28) shares the same area with 209, so numbers from all of them are local to each other.

### Which area codes are nearest to 209?

The area codes closest to 209, measured between the centers of the ZIP code places they serve, are 559 (about 59 miles), 408 (about 77 miles), 669 (about 80 miles), 831 (about 84 miles) and 925 (about 89 miles).

### How many prefixes does area code 209 have?

NANPA's report dated 2026-10-17 lists 784 prefixes in service in 209, spread over 63 rate centers and 45 holders.

### Are there complaints about 209 numbers?

The FCC data on file has 4,287 complaints for 3,138 numbers in 209. They are unverified consumer reports. A number with no complaints on file is not proven safe.

Sources: NANPA central office code report dated 2026-10-17; NANPA NPA report dated 2026-10-18; FCC unwanted-call complaints, data fetched 2026-10-17; ZIP code places from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).