Area code 803: where it is and who calls from it
Area code 803 is in South Carolina.
South Carolina (Columbia, Rock Hill, Sumter, Aiken, and most of central South Carolina)
| Where | South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Eastern Time ยท local time |
| In service since | 1947 |
| Overlay | Yes, with 839 |
| Prefixes assigned | 784 of 792 possible (99%) |
Overlay: 803 covers the same area as 839. Overlay areas use 10-digit dialing, so a seven-digit number alone won't connect, and neighbors can have different area codes.
Where 803 numbers started
Every prefix is assigned to a rate center, the local calling area it was set up in. These are the biggest in 803, with how many prefixes each has.
Plus 20 smaller rate centers.
Who holds 803 numbers
- Mobile carrier 34%
- Local phone company 29%
- Internet / business phone carrier 23%
- Paging service 1%
- Phone company 13%
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T (local phone) | Local phone company | 175 | 22% |
| Verizon Wireless | Mobile carrier | 111 | 14% |
| AT&T Mobility | Mobile carrier | 80 | 10% |
| T-Mobile (including Sprint) | Mobile carrier | 59 | 8% |
| Windstream (PAETEC) | Internet / business phone carrier | 40 | 5% |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Internet / business phone carrier | 37 | 5% |
| Onvoy | Internet / business phone carrier | 30 | 4% |
| Frontier | Local phone company | 23 | 3% |
| Charter / Spectrum | Internet / business phone carrier | 21 | 3% |
| Bandwidth | Internet / business phone carrier | 21 | 3% |
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: South Carolina.
Other area codes in South Carolina
Got a call from 803?
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 803 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.