Quick answer: The 978 area code covers northeastern and north-central Massachusetts — the Merrimack Valley and mill cities like Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Fitchburg, and Leominster. It went into service on September 1, 1997 as a split from 508, sits in the Eastern Time Zone, and shares its territory with the 351 overlay (added 2001) — so every local call requires 10-digit dialing.
978 area code: a local guide to northeastern Massachusetts
If a call comes in from a 978 number, it's coming from the part of Massachusetts that mill towns built — Lowell, Lawrence, and the stretch of communities between Boston and the New Hampshire line. It's an area code most people outside New England rarely think about, yet it covers some of the state's most historic cities and a steadily growing business corridor.
This guide covers exactly where 978 reaches, how it split off from a larger code in the 1990s, the dialing rules that catch people out, and how to get a northeastern Massachusetts number even if you're based somewhere else entirely.
Based on numbering data from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator and our experience provisioning local numbers across the 190+ countries MCM serves.
Where is the 978 area code?
The 978 area code covers northeastern and north-central Massachusetts. Its territory wraps around the northern and western edges of the Greater Boston region, stopping short of the city itself. It sits firmly in the Eastern Time Zone, on the same clock as New York, Boston, and the rest of the U.S. East Coast.
Counties inside the 978 region
The code stretches across three counties, though it doesn't cover any of them completely:
| County | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Essex | Large portions, including the historic mill cities |
| Middlesex | Most of the county's northern and western towns |
| Worcester | The northern, north-central section only |
Major cities served
The 978 footprint includes a strong mix of historic cities and smaller towns:
- Lowell — the largest city in the region, a former textile powerhouse
- Lawrence — a dense, historic mill city on the Merrimack River
- Haverhill and Methuen — Merrimack Valley communities near New Hampshire
- Fitchburg and Leominster — the north-central anchors
- Andover, Peabody, Newburyport, Ayer, and Littleton — among many smaller towns
How the 978 area code came to be
This code didn't always exist. It was carved out of a much larger region when Massachusetts simply ran out of phone numbers.
Split from 508 in 1997. On September 1, 1997, the 978 area code went into service as a split from area code 508, which then covered a huge swath of central and southeastern Massachusetts. As the 508 region's numbers dwindled, the northern and north-central section was reassigned a new code — 978 — while the rest kept 508.
Why the split happened. The late 1990s saw cell phones, pagers, fax machines, and second home lines multiply fast. Every device needed its own number. The original 508 territory couldn't keep up, so splitting it was the cleanest way to free up millions of new numbers without disrupting the entire state.
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The 351 overlay: 978's companion code
If you've seen 351 numbers in the same towns as 978, you're not imagining it. The two codes share identical territory.
What an overlay is. An overlay is a second area code layered on top of an existing one, covering the exact same geographic area. It adds number capacity without splitting the region again or forcing anyone to change their number. When 978 itself started running low, an overlay was the obvious fix.
351 joined in 2001. Area code 351 was added in 2001 as an overlay for the entire 978 region. Since then, the two codes have coexisted across the same cities and towns. A new line in Lowell or Lawrence today might be assigned either 978 or 351, depending on what's available.
Dialing rules in the 978 region
Because 978 and 351 share the same ground, dialing follows one consistent rule. Learn it once and you're set.
10-digit dialing is required
In any overlay region, all calls require 10-digit dialing — the three-digit area code plus the seven-digit number. This applies even to a call across the street. There is no 7-digit shortcut anywhere inside the 978 or 351 footprint.
Calling from outside the U.S.
International callers add the North American country code: dial +1, then 978, then the seven-digit local number. Saved as a contact, most phones format this automatically, so the caller rarely has to think about it.
Why a 978 number makes sense for business
A local number is a small signal that does real work. For companies serving the Merrimack Valley and north-central Massachusetts, a 978 line says "we're part of this community."
- Customers trust local numbers. People are noticeably more likely to answer a call from a familiar local code. An out-of-state or unrecognized number often goes straight to voicemail. For sales, support, and appointment-driven businesses, that difference shows up directly in answer rates.
- Serve the region without an office there. With a cloud-based virtual number, you can hold a 978 line from anywhere — calls ring wherever your team actually sits. You get a credible northeastern Massachusetts presence without renting space in Lowell or Haverhill. My Country Mobile provisions these numbers on a carrier-grade network with no local hardware required.
- Room to grow. A cloud number scales with the business. Add agents, open a second region, or reroute calls to a new team, and the 978 line keeps working without any rewiring.
How to get a 978 phone number
Claiming a northeastern Massachusetts number is quicker than most people assume. Here's the straightforward path.
Step 1: Choose a provider with 978 inventory. Not every provider stocks every area code. Confirm that 978 numbers are actually available, and check that the provider runs a network built for clean call quality.
Step 2: Select your number and features. Pick an available number, then choose the call-handling tools your team needs — forwarding, voicemail-to-email, IVR menus, or business-hours routing. MCM runs these features on infrastructure with a 99.99% uptime SLA, so quality holds whether your volume is light or heavy.
Step 3: Route it and go live. Point the number at your phones, softphones, or contact center software, and start taking calls. Setup is typically a matter of minutes.
You can start a free trial at mycountrymobile.com — no contracts, no credit card, and a working line in about five minutes.
Wrapping up
The 978 region tells a quiet but real story: historic mill cities, a busy Merrimack Valley corridor, and enough growth over the years to need both a split from 508 and a 351 overlay on top. For any business serving that part of Massachusetts, the practical move is simple — confirm a number is available, pick the features you need, and route a test call to hear the quality yourself.
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FAQs
Where is the 978 area code located?
It covers northeastern and north-central Massachusetts, including parts of Essex, Middlesex, and northern Worcester counties. Major cities include Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Fitchburg, and Leominster. It is in the Eastern Time Zone.
What is the overlay for the 978 area code?
The overlay is 351, added in 2001. It covers the exact same geographic territory, so new lines in the region may be assigned either 978 or 351.
When was the 978 area code created?
It went into service on September 1, 1997, as a split from area code 508, which previously covered central and southeastern Massachusetts.
Do I need to dial 10 digits for a 978 number?
Yes. Because 978 shares its territory with the 351 overlay, all calls require 10-digit dialing — the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for local calls.
Is 978 close to Boston?
It surrounds the northern and western edges of Greater Boston but does not include the city itself. Boston proper uses the 617 and 857 codes.
Can I get a 978 number without living in Massachusetts?
Yes. A virtual phone number lets you hold a 978 line from anywhere. Calls forward to your existing phones while customers see a local Massachusetts number.
How quickly can I set up a 978 virtual number?
With a cloud provider, setup usually takes only a few minutes — choose an available number, set your call-routing features, point it at your devices, and start receiving calls.
Get a 978 number for your business
A local Merrimack Valley presence used to require a Massachusetts address. Now it's a 30-second sign-up.
My Country Mobile offers 978 virtual numbers with call forwarding, voicemail-to-email, SMS, IVR, and integrations with HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive, and Zendesk. Calls route to any device worldwide, and over 17,500 businesses already trust MCM with their virtual phone presence.
