Area code 208
208 is Idaho's original area code and still covers the whole state. Since September 5, 2017, it has shared Idaho with a second code, 986.
At a glance
- Region
- Idaho, United States
- Local time
- Shares the area with
- 986
- In service since
- 1947
- Local calls
- 10 digits (area code + number)
Where is area code 208?
208 and 986 both cover the entire state of Idaho. A few of the larger cities are below.
- Boise
- Nampa
- Meridian
- Idaho Falls
- Pocatello
- Twin Falls
- Coeur d'Alene
- Lewiston
Which time zone is area code 208 in?
Both Mountain and Pacific. Federal rules set the line along the main channel of the Salmon River.
Northern Idaho, above the river, including Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston, is on Pacific time. Southern Idaho, including Boise, Idaho Falls, and Pocatello, is on Mountain time. The box above shows the current time in both.
Why Idaho got 986
Idaho used 208 alone from 1947. As it ran low on numbers, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission chose a statewide overlay on November 2, 2015, instead of splitting the state, so nobody had to change their number.
How to dial
Since August 5, 2017, local calls in Idaho need all 10 digits.
Free tool
Check a phone number
See whether a number from area code 208, or any US or Canadian number, is mobile, landline, or VoIP, and who the carrier is. The area code alone can't tell you.
Any format works, like +1 212 555 0123.
HashPhone
Need a second number of your own?
HashPhone gives you a US or Canadian number for calls and texts on the phone you already have. Pick from the area codes available when you sign up.