279 area code — Sacramento:main Da, CA geographic

Data: NANPA public reports, current as of July 28, 2026.

Area code 279 is a geographic code serving Sacramento:main Da, California in the Pacific time zone. It has been in service since March 10, 2018. Together with 916 it forms the 279/916 overlay. Because of number portability and VoIP, the area code tells you where the number was issued, not where the caller is right now.

NANPA lists 143 active NXX prefixes in 279, assigned to 24 carriers. 143 of those prefixes are pooled — shared between carriers in thousands-number blocks. The code spans 16 rate centers (billing localities).

Its parent code is 916, which it left in 2018.

Official projections put exhaust for the 279/916 complex at 2Q 2063.

The dialing plan is 1+10D for home-NPA local calls and 1+10D across codes.

If a 279 call asks for money or personal data, treat the displayed number as unverified: hang up and reach the organization through its published number. Numbering data locates numbers, not callers.

Largest localities in 279

FAQ

Where is a 279 number from?

279 is assigned to Sacramento:main Da and surrounding areas of California in the Pacific time zone. The three digits after the area code (the prefix) narrow it down to a rate center.

Is 279 a toll-free number?

No. 279 is a geographic code; calls are billed like any other domestic call. Toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888.

Why do 916 and 279 cover the same place?

They are overlays: when a code runs low on numbers, a new code is added over the same territory instead of splitting it. The 279/916 complex shares one service area, and local calls are dialed with 10 digits.

Will 279 run out of numbers?

NANPA's current forecast projects exhaust in 2Q 2063 — decades of capacity remain.