508 area code — Worcester, MA geographic

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

If a call shows area code 508, the number was issued in the Worcester area — a code active since 1988, on Eastern time. The same territory is also served by its overlay code (508/774 complex). Keep in mind the code identifies where the number was registered; the person calling may be elsewhere.

The code currently holds 749 working prefixes, held by 22 different carriers. Of these, 437 are pooled prefixes shared by multiple carriers. Numbers are anchored to 94 rate centers — billing localities that fix where each prefix belongs.

The current NANPA exhaust forecast for the 508/774 complex is 4Q 2045.

The code was carved out of 617 (1988). As demand grew it in turn gave rise to 978 (1997), 774 (2001).

Local calls inside 508 are dialed 10D; 1+10 digit permissible at service provider discretion.

Worth noting: 508 is covers more rate centers (94) than any other Massachusetts area code.

Use this page to decode where 508 numbers come from — and remember that spoofing means the screen can lie about everything except your own caution.

Largest localities in 508

FAQ

Where is a 508 number from?

508 is assigned to Worcester and surrounding areas of Massachusetts in the Eastern time zone. The three digits after the area code (the prefix) narrow it down to a rate center.

Is 508 a toll-free number?

No. 508 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 774 and 508 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 508/774 complex shares one service area, and local calls are dialed with 10 digits.

Will 508 run out of numbers?

NANPA's current forecast projects exhaust in 4Q 2045 — decades of capacity remain.