Area Code 986

About Area Code 986

Area code 986 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Boise, Idaho. It operates in the Mountain time zone and was first introduced in 2017. Overlay for 208. State-wide Idaho.

Within Idaho, area code 986 shares numbering capacity with 1 other area code. The state's 1,964,726-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 2 active codes, with 986 primarily responsible for the Boise region. Idaho's state capital is Boise, and its largest city is Boise.

When you receive a call from a 986 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 986 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 986 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 986 area code located?

Area code 986 is assigned to Boise, Idaho, in the Mountain time zone. The state of Idaho uses 2 active area codes, and 986 is one of them. Calls placed from the 986 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 986 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Mountain time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-7 to UTC-6 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 986 area code?

The 986 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 986 territory is Boise (237,446 residents in Ada County).

• Boise, ID — 237,446 residents (26.5% of 986 numbers)
• Meridian, ID — 117,635 residents (13.1% of 986 numbers)
• Nampa, ID — 110,491 residents (12.3% of 986 numbers)
• Idaho Falls, ID — 65,343 residents (7.3% of 986 numbers)
• Caldwell, ID — 60,447 residents (6.7% of 986 numbers)
• Pocatello, ID — 56,720 residents (6.3% of 986 numbers)
• Coeur d'Alene, ID — 56,166 residents (6.3% of 986 numbers)
• Twin Falls, ID — 52,832 residents (5.9% of 986 numbers)
• Lewiston, ID — 34,774 residents (3.9% of 986 numbers)
• Post Falls, ID — 45,621 residents (5.1% of 986 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 986

All phone numbers within area code 986 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(986) 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 + 986 + 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 986 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 986

Overlay for 208. State-wide Idaho.

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 986 area code safe to answer?

Area code 986 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 986 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.