624 Area Code: A Guide to Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Western New York

Quick answer: Area code 624 is the overlay for area code 716 across western New York, serving Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Jamestown, Olean, and the surrounding communities of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties. Activated on November 16, 2023, it operates in the Eastern Time Zone alongside 716, with ten-digit dialing mandatory for all local calls throughout the region.

Does area code 624 replace 716 in Buffalo?

No — area code 624 does not replace 716. It is an all-services overlay, meaning both codes cover exactly the same geographic territory in western New York. Every existing 716 number remains unchanged.

The only difference is that new phone lines, additional mobile numbers, and VoIP subscriptions activated after November 16, 2023 may be assigned a 624 number when 716 numbers are unavailable. A call to a 624 number reaches the same western New York geography — the same neighborhoods, the same businesses, the same exchange — as a call to a 716 number assigned decades ago.

The introduction of 624 resolved a straightforward arithmetic problem: a 2022 analysis by the North American Numbering Plan Administration determined that area code 716 would exhaust its available central office prefixes by 2024. Rather than disrupt any existing subscriber by changing their number, regulators added a second prefix to extend the region's capacity. For callers, businesses, and residents, the practical impact is minimal — a 624 number simply means the person or business was assigned a new line after the overlay went live.

The 607 area code, which covers the southern tier of New York from Binghamton and Ithaca east to Oneonta and Cooperstown, offers a useful in-state comparison: like 624, it is a standalone upstate New York prefix anchoring communities with strong university presences, post-industrial economic transitions, and deep regional identities that no area code change can alter.

Who does area code 624 serve?

Area code 624 serves the same western New York territory as 716 — a four-county corridor along Lake Erie and the Niagara River frontier that stretches from the Canadian border at Niagara Falls in the north to the Pennsylvania border and the Allegheny highlands in the south. The region is defined by its Great Lakes geography, its industrial heritage, its flagship state university, and one of the most internationally recognized natural attractions in North America.

Major cities and communities in the 624 service area:

• Buffalo — Erie County seat and the second-largest city in New York, an internationally connected inland port city on Lake Erie and the Niagara River, undergoing a sustained urban and economic renaissance anchored by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the Canalside waterfront district, and growing technology, healthcare, and financial services sectors
• Niagara Falls — Niagara County city at the American end of Niagara Falls, one of the most visited natural wonders in the world drawing more than 8 million visitors annually to its observation decks, state parks, and border crossing connecting to Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Cheektowaga — Erie County town immediately east of Buffalo, home of Buffalo Niagara International Airport and one of the largest suburban commercial and residential communities in the western New York metro
• Amherst — Erie County town north of Buffalo and home of the University at Buffalo's North Campus, a major suburban employment and residential hub with one of the fastest-growing commercial corridors in the region
• Tonawanda and North Tonawanda — Twin cities straddling the Erie-Niagara county line along the Niagara River, former industrial centers now home to a growing arts, brewing, and waterfront recreation economy
• Lockport — Niagara County city along the historic Erie Canal, site of the Lockport Caves and Erie Canal Discovery Center, an important heritage tourism destination
• Jamestown — Chautauqua County city in the southern 624 territory, birthplace of Lucille Ball and home of the National Comedy Center — the only accredited museum dedicated to comedy in the United States
• Olean — Cattaraugus County city anchoring the southern tier portion of the 624 footprint, home of St. Bonaventure University and a regional commercial hub for the Allegheny River valley

Counties in the 624 overlay territory:

The entire 624 region observes Eastern Time (UTC−5 in winter, UTC−4 during DST) — the same zone as New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Callers from the Central Time Zone should account for the one-hour difference, and callers from the Pacific Coast should plan for the three-hour lead when scheduling calls with Buffalo or Niagara Falls contacts.

The story behind western New York's area codes

Area code 716 was one of the original codes established when the North American Numbering Plan launched in 1947, assigned to serve western New York from the Niagara frontier south to the Pennsylvania border and east to the Corning area. It was among the earliest and most geographically stable area codes in the northeastern United States.

For more than five decades, 716 served its western New York territory largely unchanged. Its first significant contraction came in 2001, when area code 585 was split from 716 to serve the Rochester metropolitan area and the Finger Lakes corridor — reducing 716's footprint to its current four-county territory centered on Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Jamestown, and Olean.

A different kind of change arrived in 2021. Congress had designated 988 as the new nationwide three-digit code for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, but some western New York exchanges had existing seven-digit local numbers beginning with 988. To prevent conflicts when the 988 lifeline launched in July 2022, the New York Public Service Commission — the state body that regulates telecommunications alongside the North American Numbering Plan Administration — required mandatory ten-digit dialing across the entire 716 territory beginning October 24, 2021.

With ten-digit dialing already in place, the stage was set for overlay relief. In 2022, NANPA analysis confirmed that 716 would exhaust its available central office prefixes by 2024. The New York PSC approved the addition of area code 624 as an all-services overlay, with an activation date of November 16, 2023 — giving western New York a second prefix sharing the same geographic territory and ten-digit dialing requirement.

Key milestones:

• 1947 — 716 established as one of New York's original NANP codes, covering western New York from the Canadian border to Pennsylvania
• 2001 — 585 split from 716 for the Rochester metro and Finger Lakes; 716 retained for the Buffalo-Niagara corridor
• October 24, 2021 — Ten-digit dialing becomes mandatory across 716 territory ahead of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launch
• November 16, 2023 — 624 activated as an all-services overlay for the entire 716 territory

Placing a call to a 624 number

Because 624 and 716 operate as overlays across the same geographic territory, ten-digit dialing is mandatory for all calls within western New York — whether from a 624 number to a 716 number, from 716 to 624, or between any two numbers sharing the same prefix. This requirement has applied to the entire region since October 2021 and is enforced regardless of carrier or device type.

Time zone tip: Buffalo and all 624 communities observe Eastern Time — the same zone as New York City, Toronto, and Miami. The region runs one hour ahead of Chicago, two hours ahead of Denver, and three hours ahead of the West Coast. West Coast callers should factor in the three-hour lead when placing early-morning calls to Buffalo-area partners.

Building a western New York presence with a 624 number

Western New York's economy is more diversified than its post-industrial reputation suggests — a region where world-class medical research, one of New York's flagship public universities, the most visited natural attraction in North America, and a growing clean energy and financial services sector all operate within the same area code footprint. For any business serving these industries, a local 624 number projects authentic regional presence.

Reasons to choose a 624 area code number:

• Healthcare and life sciences — The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, anchored by Kaleida Health, Catholic Health System, Erie County Medical Center, and the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is a growing urban medical district that has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in research investment and made western New York one of the most significant upstate New York healthcare markets
• University at Buffalo — SUNY's flagship research university enrolls more than 32,000 students across medicine, engineering, law, pharmacy, and the arts, serving as the primary talent pipeline for the region's technology, healthcare, and professional services economy, and driving a growing startup ecosystem through programs like the 43North business competition
• Niagara Falls tourism — With more than 8 million annual visitors, Niagara Falls anchors a tourism economy that extends across hotels, restaurants, attraction operators, and transportation providers throughout Niagara County and the northern Erie County corridor
• Financial services and manufacturing — M&T Bank, headquartered in Buffalo, operates one of the largest regional banking networks in the northeastern United States; Rich Products Corporation, National Fuel Gas, Moog Inc., and Bell Flight (Textron) add depth to a financial and advanced manufacturing base that extends across the Erie and Niagara county industrial corridor
• Virtual expansion — Businesses targeting the Great Lakes corridor frequently build local credibility across multiple post-industrial metros simultaneously; just as a virtual 472 area code number gives businesses a genuine Pittsburgh presence in western Pennsylvania, a virtual 624 number routes calls to any device and establishes an immediate Buffalo and western New York identity without a physical office

Recognizing 624 area code phone scams

Because 624 is a new and unfamiliar prefix, scammers exploit the uncertainty around it — some residents mistake spoofed 624 calls for legitimate new numbers, while others are suspicious of any call from a prefix they have never seen. Both reactions make the region vulnerable to fraud. The 624/716 territory has a significant elderly population in Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties that scammers frequently target with government impersonation and utility fraud.

Common scam types targeting 624 numbers:

• National Fuel Gas shutoff threats — Callers impersonating National Fuel Gas representatives, threatening immediate service disconnection unless payment is made by gift card, wire transfer, prepaid debit card, or cryptocurrency; National Fuel Gas is the primary natural gas utility across the 624 territory and has issued repeated public warnings about this fraud pattern
• IRS and federal tax fraud — Callers threatening immediate arrest, wage garnishment, or property seizure over unpaid federal taxes, spoofed as a Buffalo or Niagara Falls government number to appear local to western New York residents
• Medicare and healthcare fraud — Scammers posing as Kaleida Health, Catholic Health System, or Medicare representatives, requesting insurance card numbers, Social Security digits, or co-payment information under the pretext of processing benefits or updating patient records
• Social Security suspension fraud — Automated calls claiming a Social Security number has been suspended or linked to criminal activity, targeting older residents in Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus county communities with high retired populations
• Tech support scams — Callers posing as Microsoft, Apple, or internet service provider representatives, claiming a device has been compromised and requesting remote access or a payment to resolve a fabricated problem — a fraud pattern that has been consistently reported across the Buffalo metro region

How to protect yourself:

• Let unfamiliar 624 calls go to voicemail — legitimate utilities, government agencies, and healthcare providers always leave a message and never demand immediate payment by gift card
• National Fuel Gas, National Grid, and NYSEG will never call to demand same-day payment to prevent disconnection during an unsolicited call
• Verify any caller by hanging up and calling the official number on your utility bill or the organization's website — never the number the caller provides
• Report suspected 624 scam calls to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the New York Attorney General at ag.ny.gov

Everything you need to know about 624

• Area code 624 is the overlay for area code 716 in western New York, sharing the same territory across Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties
• It was activated on November 16, 2023, after NANPA analysis projected that 716 would exhaust its available central office prefixes by 2024
• Ten-digit dialing has been mandatory across the 624/716 territory since October 24, 2021 — more than two years before 624 was activated — due to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline transition
• The entire 624 region observes Eastern Time — one hour ahead of Chicago and three hours ahead of the Pacific Coast
• No existing 716 numbers changed when 624 was introduced — the 624 prefix is used exclusively for new lines and new subscriptions activated after November 16, 2023
• The economy is anchored by Kaleida Health and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the University at Buffalo, M&T Bank, Niagara Falls tourism, National Fuel Gas, and advanced manufacturing
• Common scam types include National Fuel Gas shutoff threats, IRS fraud, Medicare fraud, Social Security suspension fraud, and tech support scams

Frequently asked questions