Area code 518: where it is and who calls from it
Area code 518 is in New York.
New York (Albany, Schenectady, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake, Lake George, Westport, and most of northeastern New York)
| Where | New York |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Eastern Time ยท local time |
| In service since | 1947 |
| Overlay | Yes, with 838 |
| Prefixes assigned | 775 of 792 possible (98%) |
Overlay: 518 covers the same area as 838. Overlay areas use 10-digit dialing, so a seven-digit number alone won't connect, and neighbors can have different area codes.
Where 518 numbers started
Every prefix is assigned to a rate center, the local calling area it was set up in. These are the biggest in 518, with how many prefixes each has.
Plus 75 smaller rate centers.
Who holds 518 numbers
- Mobile carrier 19%
- Local phone company 34%
- Internet / business phone carrier 32%
- Paging service 2%
- Phone company 13%
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon (local phone) | Local phone company | 216 | 28% |
| Windstream (PAETEC) | Internet / business phone carrier | 59 | 8% |
| Verizon Wireless | Mobile carrier | 58 | 7% |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Internet / business phone carrier | 47 | 6% |
| AT&T Mobility | Mobile carrier | 45 | 6% |
| Tc Systems | Phone company | 35 | 5% |
| Firstlight Fiber | Internet / business phone carrier | 33 | 4% |
| Frontier | Local phone company | 30 | 4% |
| Charter / Spectrum | Internet / business phone carrier | 28 | 4% |
| Onvoy | Internet / business phone carrier | 28 | 4% |
Most prefixes are pooled: the 10,000 numbers in each are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to different carriers, and people can also take their numbers to another carrier. So the carrier shown is where the prefix started, not a guarantee about any one number.
States served: New York.
Other area codes in New York
212 315 329 332 347 363 465 516 585 607 624 631 646 680 716 718 838 845 914 917 929 934
Got a call from 518?
An area code tells you where a number was first assigned, not where the caller is. People keep their numbers when they move, and scammers can fake any number. If you weren't expecting the call, let it go to voicemail.
If the call shows a 518 number that matches the first six digits of your own, that's often neighbor spoofing. Use the box above to check the full number.
Area code facts from the NANPA area code database (updated 10/06/2026); prefixes and carriers from NANPA's central office code records (updated 2026-10-10). Place description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.