Area Code 351

About Area Code 351

Area code 351 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Worcester, Massachusetts. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 2001. Overlay for 978. North-central Massachusetts.

Within Massachusetts, area code 351 shares numbering capacity with 8 other area codes. The state's 7,100,960-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 9 active codes, with 351 primarily responsible for the Worcester region. Massachusetts's state capital is Boston, and its largest city is Boston.

When you receive a call from a 351 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 351 area code — but be aware that Local Number Portability (in effect since 2003) means the caller could be physically located anywhere in the US or Canada. Area code 351 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 351 area code located?

Area code 351 is assigned to Worcester, Massachusetts, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Massachusetts uses 9 active area codes, and 351 is one of them. Calls placed from the 351 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 351 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Eastern time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-5 to UTC-4 in summer. The local time shown above is always current, so you can quickly check whether it's a reasonable hour to call back.

What cities and counties use the 351 area code?

The 351 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 351 territory is Worcester (207,621 residents in Worcester County).

• Worcester, MA — 207,621 residents (10.9% of 351 numbers)
• Boston, MA — 651,092 residents (34.1% of 351 numbers)
• Springfield, MA — 155,927 residents (8.2% of 351 numbers)
• Cambridge, MA — 118,927 residents (6.2% of 351 numbers)
• Lowell, MA — 114,790 residents (6% of 351 numbers)
• Brockton, MA — 105,451 residents (5.5% of 351 numbers)
• Quincy, MA — 101,728 residents (5.3% of 351 numbers)
• Lynn, MA — 101,993 residents (5.3% of 351 numbers)
• Fall River, MA — 94,449 residents (4.9% of 351 numbers)
• New Bedford, MA — 95,363 residents (5% of 351 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 351

All phone numbers within area code 351 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(351) NXX-XXXX. The NXX is the central office prefix (also called an "exchange") and XXXX is the subscriber line number. For long-distance calls within the NANP, dial 1 + 351 + NXX + XXXX. From outside North America, dial your country's international access code, then 1 (the NANP country code), then the 10-digit number.

If you need to verify whether a specific 351 number is wireless, landline, or VoIP, you can use our reverse phone lookup tool. Be aware that number portability means the area code no longer guarantees the caller's physical location — only where the number was first assigned.

History of area code 351

Overlay for 978. North-central Massachusetts.

The original 86 area codes were assigned by AT&T and Bell Labs in 1947 as part of the North American Numbering Plan. At the time, rotary-dial phones meant codes with lower digits (like 212 for NYC, 213 for LA, 312 for Chicago) were given to the largest cities because they took less time to dial. Today's area code assignments still reflect those early choices, even though touch-tone and cell phones made the original reason obsolete.

Is the 351 area code safe to answer?

Area code 351 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 351 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.