The 10 North Carolina Area Codes: A Complete List And The Newest 472 Overlay Explained

As of December 2025, North Carolina is a state in constant communication expansion, now utilizing a total of ten active area codes across its vast geographic and economic regions. This comprehensive guide provides the most up-to-date information on every single one of North Carolina’s area codes, from the historic 704 to the recently implemented overlays, ensuring you know exactly how to dial and where each code is located. The most critical update for residents and businesses is the introduction of the new 472 area code, which now covers the southeastern coastal plain, a direct response to the explosive demand for new phone numbers in that popular region. Understanding North Carolina’s complex area code map is essential for anyone living in or doing business with the Tar Heel State. Due to population growth in major metropolitan areas like Charlotte, Raleigh, and Fayetteville, most of the state's original area codes have been "overlaid" with a second code, meaning 10-digit dialing is now the standard for local calls in nearly all urban and suburban zones. This system ensures a continuous supply of new phone numbers without requiring existing customers to change their digits, but it does require everyone to adapt their dialing habits.

Complete List of North Carolina Area Codes and Their Regions

North Carolina’s ten area codes are strategically split to cover the state's diverse geography, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Outer Banks. Here is a complete breakdown of every active area code, the region it covers, and its corresponding overlay code (if applicable). This acts as the definitive profile of the state's numbering plan.

• 252: Covers the North Coastal Plain and the northeast corner of the state, including the famous Outer Banks. Key cities include Greenville, Rocky Mount, and New Bern. This code was split from 919 in 1998.
• 336 & 743 (Overlay): Serves the Piedmont Triad and the northwest Piedmont region. Major cities in this region are Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. The 743 overlay was introduced in 2015.
• 704 & 980 (Overlay): The primary codes for the Charlotte Metropolitan Area and the surrounding counties in the southwest Piedmont region. Key cities include Charlotte, Gastonia, and Concord. The 980 overlay was introduced in 2007.
• 828: Covers the entire Western North Carolina region, including the Appalachian Mountains. Key cities include Asheville, Hickory, and Boone. This code was split from 704 in 1998.
• 910 & 472 (Overlay): Covers the South Coastal Plain, including Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) and the southeastern beaches. Key cities include Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Wilmington, and Lumberton. The new 472 overlay is the most recent change.
• 919 & 984 (Overlay): Serves the Research Triangle region and the central-eastern part of the state. Major cities include Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill. The 984 overlay was introduced in 2014.

The Newest Area Code: Understanding the 910/472 Overlay

The most recent and significant change to North Carolina’s numbering plan is the introduction of the 472 area code as an all-services overlay for the long-standing 910 region. This change was necessitated by the rapid growth in the southeastern part of the state, particularly around military installations and coastal communities.

Why the 472 Area Code Was Needed

The 910 area code, which has served the region since 1993, was rapidly running out of available phone number combinations. The region it covers is vast and includes major population centers like Fayetteville, the bustling port city of Wilmington, and the marine base at Jacksonville. The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) determined that an overlay was the most efficient solution to ensure a continuous supply of new telephone numbers for new businesses and residents moving into the area. The 472 area code now serves the exact same geographic footprint as 910. This means that if your phone number is in the 910 region, new phone lines activated in the same location may now receive a 472 area code. This overlay is a clear indicator of the economic vitality and population boom occurring in the South Coastal Plain region of North Carolina, driving the need for more telecom resources.

The Essential Rule: 10-Digit Dialing is Now Standard

A direct consequence of implementing area code overlays is the mandatory shift to 10-digit dialing for all local calls within the affected regions. This is perhaps the most crucial piece of information for all North Carolina residents and businesses to grasp.

What is 10-Digit Dialing?

In the past, if you were calling someone in your own area code, you only needed to dial the 7-digit phone number. With an overlay, two or more area codes (like 910 and 472, or 704 and 980) cover the same physical area. To ensure the phone system knows which number you intend to reach, you must now include the area code even for local calls. For example, if you live in Raleigh (919/984) and call a neighbor who also has a 919 number, you must dial 9-1-9 plus the 7-digit number. The same rule applies to the new 910/472 region: all calls, local or long-distance, must now be dialed with the area code (10 digits).

Impact on Residents and Businesses

This change affects more than just your cell phone. Businesses must update all their materials, including signage, stationery, and advertising, to include the 10-digit number. Furthermore, automatic dialing equipment, security systems, speed dial lists, and medical alert devices must be reprogrammed to ensure they function correctly. While your existing 7-digit number remains the same, the method of calling it has permanently changed in overlay zones.

A Look Back: The Historical Evolution of NC Area Codes

North Carolina’s current complex numbering system is a far cry from its origins. When the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) was first established by AT&T and the Bell System in 1947, the entire state of North Carolina was covered by a single code: 704. As the state’s population and telecommunications needs grew, the 704 area code was split multiple times:

• 1954: The first split created the 919 area code, covering the eastern half of the state, including Raleigh and Durham. 704 was left to cover the western half.
• 1993: The 919 area code was split to create 910, covering the southeastern coastal plain.
• 1997: The 704 area code was split to create 336, covering the Piedmont Triad region.
• 1998: Two more splits occurred: 252 was split from 919 (northeast coastal), and 828 was split from 704 (mountain region).

Since then, growth has been managed through overlays, which are now the preferred method over geographic splits. The 980 (Charlotte), 743 (Piedmont Triad), 984 (Research Triangle), and the latest 472 (Southeastern NC) overlays are all modern solutions to the same problem: managing the finite resource of telephone numbers in a rapidly growing state. This historical progression illustrates North Carolina’s journey from a single dialing zone to a major economic hub with intricate communication networks.

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