---
title: "Area code 704: North Carolina, United States"
url: "https://lookvalid.com/area-code/704.md"
canonical_url: "https://lookvalid.com/area-code/704"
last_updated: "2026-10-23"
type: "reference"
summary: "Area code 704 serves North Carolina, United States. Number formats, numbering rules, a live phone validator and the other codes in North Carolina."
---

# Area code 704: North Carolina, United States

Area code 704 serves North Carolina, United States. Number formats, numbering rules, a live phone validator and the other codes in North Carolina.

NANPA lists 782 central office codes (prefixes) in use in area code 704, held by 26 holders across 57 rate centers.
The largest rate center is CHARLOTTE, with 345 prefixes (44%).
Southern Bell Tel & Tel holds the most prefixes, 243 (31%). 64% of the prefixes are pooled, which means their thousands-blocks can belong to different companies.
The FCC unwanted-call data has 3,993 complaints on file for 3,167 numbers in 704, most often filed as "Unwanted Calls". These are consumer reports, not findings.

## Facts

- In service since: 1947-01-01
- Time zone: Eastern (E)
- Assigned overlays: 980 (2001-04-01)
- Prefixes in use: 782
- Pooled prefixes: 500 (64%)
- Rate centers: 57
- Companies holding prefixes: 26
- Assignment dates on file: 2001-01-05 to 2023-07-18 (130 prefixes)
- ZIP codes in its places: 132

## Rate centers

| Rate center | Prefixes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CHARLOTTE | 345 | 44% |
| GASTONIA | 51 | 7% |
| CONCORD | 37 | 5% |
| SALISBURY | 33 | 4% |
| STATESVL | 33 | 4% |
| MONROE | 31 | 4% |
| SHELBY | 25 | 3% |
| DAVIDSON | 16 | 2% |
| 49 other rate centers | 211 | 27% |

## Carriers

| Holder | Prefixes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Southern Bell Tel & Tel | 243 | 31% |
| Verizon Wireless | 95 | 12% |
| T-Mobile USA | 60 | 8% |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS | 55 | 7% |
| Windstream Concord Telephone | 46 | 6% |
| Paetec Itel | 45 | 6% |
| 20 other carriers | 238 | 30% |

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 704 went into service.
- 1998-03-22: Area code 828 went into service and names 704 as its parent.
- 2001-04-01: Area code 980 went into service as an overlay in the same area as 704.

## Nearest area codes

The area codes closest to 704, measured between the centers of the ZIP code places they serve, are 336 (about 72 miles), 743 (about 74 miles), 828 (about 89 miles), 803 (about 91 miles) and 839 (about 91 miles).

## ZIP codes

132 ZIP codes fall in places that have a rate center in this area code. The places with the most are Charlotte, NC (74 ZIP codes), Gastonia, NC (5 ZIP codes) and Salisbury, NC (4 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

3,993 complaints for 3,167 numbers. Numbers whose latest complaint falls in each year:

- 2023: 118
- 2024: 118
- 2025: 152

## Questions

### Where is area code 704?

NANPA assigns area code 704 to North Carolina, United States.

### In which state does area code 704 sit?

North Carolina. 704 is one of 10 area codes the NANPA table assigns to the state.

### Which places does area code 704 cover?

The places with the most ZIP codes among the rate centers in 704 are Charlotte, NC, Gastonia, NC and Salisbury, NC. The rate center list on this page shows all of them.

### Who owns area code 704?

NANPA assigns area codes. Within 704, Southern Bell Tel & Tel holds the most prefixes, 243 prefixes or 31%.

### Which time zone does 704 use?

The NANPA NPA report lists the time zone for 704 as Eastern (E).

### What year did 704 enter service?

The NANPA NPA report gives an in-service date of 1947-01-01, so 704 has been in use since 1947.

### Does area code 704 have an overlay?

Yes. 980 (in service 2001-04-01) shares the same area with 704, so numbers from all of them are local to each other.

### Which area codes are nearest to 704?

The area codes closest to 704, measured between the centers of the ZIP code places they serve, are 336 (about 72 miles), 743 (about 74 miles), 828 (about 89 miles), 803 (about 91 miles) and 839 (about 91 miles).

### How many prefixes does area code 704 have?

NANPA's report dated 2026-10-17 lists 782 prefixes in service in 704, spread over 57 rate centers and 26 holders.

### Are there complaints about 704 numbers?

The FCC data on file has 3,993 complaints for 3,167 numbers in 704. 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).