Area Code 812

About Area Code 812

Area code 812 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Evansville, Indiana. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Southern Indiana. Overlay 930 (2014).

Within Indiana, area code 812 shares numbering capacity with 7 other area codes. The state's 6,862,199-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 8 active codes, with 812 primarily responsible for the Evansville region. Indiana's state capital is Indianapolis, and its largest city is Indianapolis.

When you receive a call from a 812 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 812 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 812 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 812 area code located?

Area code 812 is assigned to Evansville, Indiana, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Indiana uses 8 active area codes, and 812 is one of them. Calls placed from the 812 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 812 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 812 area code?

The 812 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 812 territory is Evansville (116,373 residents in Vanderburgh County).

• Evansville, IN — 116,373 residents (5.8% of 812 numbers)
• Indianapolis, IN — 887,642 residents (44.3% of 812 numbers)
• Fort Wayne, IN — 267,927 residents (13.4% of 812 numbers)
• South Bend, IN — 103,453 residents (5.2% of 812 numbers)
• Carmel, IN — 101,064 residents (5% of 812 numbers)
• Fishers, IN — 98,977 residents (4.9% of 812 numbers)
• Bloomington, IN — 79,168 residents (4% of 812 numbers)
• Hammond, IN — 76,973 residents (3.8% of 812 numbers)
• Lafayette, IN — 71,886 residents (3.6% of 812 numbers)
• Noblesville, IN — 69,797 residents (3.5% of 812 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 812

All phone numbers within area code 812 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(812) 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 + 812 + 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 812 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 812

Original NANP code. Southern Indiana. Overlay 930 (2014).

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 812 area code safe to answer?

Area code 812 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 812 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.