Idaho Area Codes
2 active area codes · Boise City · Population around 2,000,872
Idaho has 2 active area codes, serving cities like Boise City, Meridian, and Nampa. Of those, 2 are overlays covering ground another code already covers, which is why local calls there use all ten digits. The newest, 986, has been in service since September 5, 2017. Each code below links to its cities, carriers, timezone, and coverage map.
Idaho Area Code Map
What area codes does Idaho have?
- 208OverlayBoise CityMountain / Pacific · 227 cities · 1,839,106
- 986OverlayBoise CityMountain / Pacific · 227 cities · 1,839,106
More than one of these codes covers 44 of the 44 counties in Idaho, and one county is covered by 2 of them. Each card counts the people inside that code's own boundary at the 2020 census. Adding all 2 gives 3,678,212, against the 1,839,106 the same census counts in those counties, because 1,839,106 residents fall inside more than one code.
Which cities are the largest in Idaho?
How many phone prefixes does Idaho use?
The area codes in Idaho hold 912 assigned prefixes between them, listed under 70 distinct carrier names. A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a single carrier.
Sources: City populations – U.S. Census Bureau PEP, Vintage 2024 (SUB-IP-EST2024-POP). State populations – the same program, Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA). Area-code footprint and county populations – 2020 Census Centers of Population, mapped against NANP area code boundaries. The share of each city inside a code is measured the same way, against Census place boundaries from the Census Bureau's TIGERweb service. Area code assignments – NANPA CO Code data. See our data methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many area codes does Idaho have?
Idaho has 2 active area codes: 208, 986.
What is the main area code for Idaho?
Of the 2 area codes in Idaho, 208 is the oldest one still serving Boise City, its largest city. 208 has been in service since 1947.
What are the largest cities in Idaho?
The largest cities in Idaho include Boise City, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Idaho Falls.
What is the total population of Idaho?
Idaho has an estimated total population of 2,000,872 based on US Census PEP 2024 data.
Do I have to dial ten digits in Idaho?
In the parts of Idaho covered by an overlay, yes. 2 of the 2 area codes here cover ground another code already covers, and where two codes share an area, local calls need the area code as well as the seven-digit number.
Why does Idaho have 2 area codes?
They arrived one at a time rather than all at once: 208 has been in service since 1947. 2 of the 2 are overlays, laid over a code that already covered the same ground instead of splitting its map in two. The most recent is 986, in service since September 5, 2017.
What is the newest area code in Idaho?
986, in service since September 5, 2017.
Is my county covered by more than one area code in Idaho?
It may be: more than one area code covers 44 of the 44 counties in Idaho, and one county there is covered by 2 of them. The table above shows which codes reach each of the largest cities.