Area code 508

Where area code 508 is

NANPA lists 508 as an in-service geographic area code for Massachusetts, first put into service on July 16, 1988. It is an overlay: 508 and 774 cover the same territory, so neighbors on the same street can have different area codes. It is in the Eastern time zone. The places with the most assigned exchanges include Worcester, Framingham, Brockton, New Bedford, and Fall River. By population, its largest named places are Worcester, Cambridge, Brockton, New Bedford, and Fall River.

Places served by 508

508 holds 16% of the 4,743 central office codes assigned in Massachusetts, the 4th most of the state's 9 codes. 77 Census places could be matched to rate centers with 508 exchanges; the most populous are Worcester (211,000), Cambridge (121,000), Brockton (106,000), and New Bedford (101,000). Each place page lists the exact prefixes and carriers for that town.

Ten-digit and seven-digit dialing in 508

According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 508 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits. Because local calls need the area code, business cards, signage and website copy should always show the full ten-digit number. NANPA's dialing-plan note for this code reads: "1+10 digit permissible at service provider discretion"

Who holds 508 exchanges

22 carriers hold the 749 central office codes assigned in 508. Verizon New England INC. has the most, with 306 (41%). 439 of the codes (59%) are pooled, meaning the code holder shares blocks of 1,000 numbers with other carriers instead of using all 10,000 itself. The code holder is not necessarily the carrier serving a given number today, since numbers can be ported between providers.

Rate centers and towns in 508

NANPA assigns each central office code to a rate center, the local calling area that decides whether a call is local or toll. 508 has codes in 94 rate centers. Rate center names in the file are abbreviations; where one matches a Census place, the table links to that city's local-number page.

508 code assignments over time

An area code has 800 possible central office codes that start with 2 through 9, a few of which are reserved (such as N11 service codes and 555). 749 are assigned in 508, 94% of 800. 10 were assigned in 2020 or later.

A local 508 number on Callata

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in area code 508 is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.