Cities in area code 978
978 numbers are anchored to 58 rate centers across Massachusetts. Each row shows how many active prefixes the locality holds — a direct measure of its numbering footprint.
Ranked by active prefixes, the code's territory runs through Lowell, Lawrence, Billerica, Concord, Peabody, Andover, Danvers and Haverhill, and 49 smaller communities down to single-prefix localities.
Metropolitan coverage: 58 rate centers belong to FCC top-100 metro areas.
Overlap note: 43 localities are shared with other area codes, so a neighbor's number may differ in its first three digits.
Clock-wise the coverage is Eastern.
A caller's real location can differ: numbers port between carriers and follow their owners when they move. Use the prefix tables to see where a specific number block was issued.
| Locality (rate center) | Active prefixes | Metro area | All codes serving it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell | 81 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Lawrence | 81 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 508, 978 |
| Billerica | 38 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 508, 978 |
| Concord | 30 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Peabody | 30 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 508, 978 |
| Andover | 26 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 508, 978 |
| Danvers | 26 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Haverhill | 26 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Wilmington | 25 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Salem | 25 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Beverly | 24 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 508, 978 |
| Fitchburg | 24 | Worcester, MA | 351, 508, 978 |
| Acton | 22 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Leominster | 21 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Maynard | 18 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Newburyport | 16 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Westford | 16 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 508, 978 |
| Sudbury | 14 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Gloucester | 13 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 508, 978 |
| Littleton | 13 | Worcester, MA | 978 |
| Hudson | 12 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| North Reading | 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Gardner | 10 | Worcester, MA | 978 |
| Ayer | 10 | Worcester, MA | 978 |
| Topsfield | 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Ipswich | 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Groton | 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Athol | 7 | (Worcester, MA-CT Metropolitan Statistical Area) | 978 |
| Templeton | 7 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Townsend | 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| West Newbury | 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 978 |
| Clinton | 7 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Tyngsboro | 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Hamilton | 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Amesbury | 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Bolton | 5 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Barre | 5 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Petersham | 5 | Worcester, MA | 978 |
| Sterling | 5 | Worcester, MA | 978 |
| Orange | 5 | (Springfield, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area) | 351, 978 |
| Georgetown | 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Ashburnham | 4 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Rockport | 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Berlin | 4 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Princeton | 4 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Rowley | 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Pepperell | 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Manchester | 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Westminster | 4 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Winchendon | 3 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Harvard | 3 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Lunenburg | 3 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Shirley | 3 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Athol Franklin County | 3 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
| Essex | 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Merrimac | 2 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Ashby | 2 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 351, 978 |
| Hubbardston | 2 | Worcester, MA | 351, 978 |
FAQ
What is the biggest city in area code 978?
Lowell holds the most active prefixes (81), making it the code's largest numbering locality.
How many places does 978 cover?
58 rate centers in Massachusetts hold active 978 prefixes, from Lowell down to communities with a single prefix.
Does a 978 number guarantee the caller lives in one of these places?
No — the tables show where number blocks were issued. Porting and VoIP let people keep or acquire numbers anywhere.