Area code 843

Where area code 843 is

NANPA lists 843 as an in-service geographic area code for South Carolina, first put into service on March 22, 1998. It is an overlay: 843 and 854 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 Charleston, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort, and Hilton Head Island. By population, its largest named places are Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Florence, and Myrtle Beach.

Places served by 843

843 holds 28% of the 2,765 central office codes assigned in South Carolina, the 3rd most of the state's 6 codes. 66 Census places could be matched to rate centers with 843 exchanges; the most populous are Charleston (158,000), Mount Pleasant (95,604), Summerville (52,625), and Florence (40,923). Each place page lists the exact prefixes and carriers for that town.

Dialing 843 numbers

According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 843 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 for all HNPA and FNPA calls permissible at each service provider discretion"

Phone companies in area code 843

49 carriers hold the 783 central office codes assigned in 843. Bellsouth Telecomm INC d/b/a Southern Bell Tel & Tel has the most, with 139 (18%). 471 of the codes (60%) 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 843

NANPA assigns each central office code to a rate center, the local calling area that decides whether a call is local or toll. 843 has codes in 93 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.

843 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). 783 are assigned in 843, 98% of 800. 9 were assigned in 2020 or later.

Using area code 843 for business calls

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in area code 843 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.