Introduction
The 516 area code belongs to Nassau County on Long Island, the county directly east of Queens. Since January 20, 2023, it has shared that ground with the overlay code 363, which means a new phone line in Hempstead or Oyster Bay can be issued with either code.
Most people look up 516 after an unknown call or while setting up a local business line. Here you'll find the city and towns the code covers, its time zone, how it shrank from all of Long Island to Nassau alone, whether 516 is a country code, the dialing rules and what to do about a suspicious call.
- 516 covers Nassau County, New York, including the city of Long Beach and the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay.
- The code dates to 1951 and once covered all of Long Island; Suffolk County moved to 631 on November 1, 1999.
- 363 overlays 516 and entered service January 20, 2023. Local calls use ten digits.
- Nassau is on Eastern Time, and 516 is a US area code under country code +1, not a country code.
Where Is the 516 Area Code?
Area code 516 is in the state of New York, and its whole territory lies within the boundaries of Nassau County on Long Island. That is how the New York State Department of Public Service describes it, and the numbering plan administrator's records list New York as the code's only location.
On a map of Long Island, Nassau sits between New York City and Suffolk County. Queens, to the west, uses 718 and the codes that overlay it, and Suffolk, to the east, uses 631 and 934. So a 516 number points to Nassau specifically rather than to Long Island in general.
The remaining codes in the state, from Manhattan to the Canadian border, are listed on our New York area codes page.
Cities and Towns in the 516 Area Code
The Department of Public Service names one city and three towns as the 516 area. Each town contains many villages and hamlets, and all of them share the same area code:
- City of Long Beach
- Town of Hempstead
- Town of North Hempstead
- Town of Oyster Bay
A 2015 notice about the Suffolk County overlay, on file with the state regulator, includes a Long Island map that labels Great Neck, Mineola and Freeport inside the 516 zone, alongside Long Beach. Anyone with phone service in those communities, or anywhere else in Nassau, is in 516 territory.
What 516 doesn't cover is just as useful to know. The code ends at the Suffolk County line, so numbers in Huntington or Babylon use 631 or 934, and it ends at the Queens line, where New York City's codes take over.
516 Area Code Time Zone (Eastern Time)
Nassau County keeps Eastern Time, the same as New York City and the rest of the state. NANPA lists Eastern as the only zone for both 516 and 363, so there is no second time zone anywhere in the county.
Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) applies in winter, and Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) runs from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November. For a team in Denver, a Nassau customer's 9 a.m. is 7 a.m. Mountain Time.
516 and 363: One Area, Two Area Codes
When AT&T laid out the first nationwide numbering plan in 1947, Nassau and Suffolk shared area code 914 with the lower Hudson Valley. In 1951 the two Long Island counties received their own code, 516, and they kept it together for nearly fifty years.
Demand from pagers and cell phones ended that arrangement. On April 29, 1999, the Public Service Commission ordered a geographic split in which Nassau kept 516 and Suffolk received a new code. NANPA designated it 631 that May, and it went into service on November 1, 1999.
Nassau's next shortage was handled with an overlay. The commission approved one in January 2022, and beginning January 20, 2023, customers requesting new service, an additional line or a move could be assigned a 363 number. According to the Department of Public Service, 363 numbers are assigned only once the remaining 516 numbers are exhausted, and no existing number changed.
Ten-digit local dialing didn't arrive with 363. Callers in 516 had already been dialing ten digits for local calls since the national launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in July 2022, so the overlay needed no new habits.
Is 516 a Country Code? What That Search Really Means
No. Searches such as "country code 516" or "code 516 in USA" usually come from someone who saw +1 516 on a screen and wasn't sure which part was which. The +1 is the country code, shared by the United States, Canada and other members of the North American Numbering Plan, and 516 is the area code that follows it.
A Nassau number written for callers abroad looks like +1 516 555 0137. Inside the US you would dial 516-555-0137 from within the 516/363 area or 1-516-555-0137 from anywhere else. Our United States country code page explains +1 in more detail.
516 Area Code vs ZIP Codes
There is no "516 zip code." ZIP Codes come from the US Postal Service and exist to deliver mail, while area codes come from the numbering plan and exist to route calls. The two maps were never designed to match, and a phone number's area code says nothing reliable about a postal address.
Nassau County is divided into many ZIP Codes but only one area code zone. If you need the ZIP Code for an address in Freeport or Long Beach, look it up with the Postal Service; the phone number won't help.
How to Tell If a Call From 516 Is Legitimate
A 516 caller ID is not evidence of anything on its own. Scammers can display any number they like, including a local Long Island one, while plenty of real Nassau businesses, medical offices and schools call from 516 every day. What matters is how the call goes:
| If the caller... | Do this |
|---|---|
| Says there's a problem with your account and wants you to confirm details | Hang up and call the company on the number printed on your statement or card |
| Insists on gift cards, crypto, a wire or a payment app as the only way to pay | Don't pay; these payment demands are classic scam signs |
| Asks for a code that was just texted to you | Never share it, because the code lets someone into your account |
| Pressures you to act before you can check the story | End the call and verify on your own time |
Report fraud attempts at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If unwanted sales calls are the problem, add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry, which puts it off-limits to most telemarketers. Block repeat callers from your phone's recent calls screen, and ask your carrier about its spam filtering.
How to Dial a 516 Phone Number
In Nassau, how you dial depends on whether the number is inside or outside the 516/363 area. The Department of Public Service spells out the rules:
| Call | What to dial | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Local call within 516 or 363 | Area code and seven-digit number (10 digits) | 516-555-0137 |
| Call to any other area code, such as 631 in Suffolk | 1, then the area code and number | 1-631-555-0188 |
| Call into Nassau from another country | Exit code, then 1, 516 and the number | +1 516 555 0137 |
| Emergency and service codes | Three digits | 911, and 211 through 811 where offered |
Equipment that dials on its own, such as alarm systems, fax machines and speed dialers, has to follow the same pattern: ten digits within 516/363 and the leading 1 for other area codes.
How to Get a 516 Phone Number for Your Business
For a Nassau business, a 516 number keeps your phone line consistent with an address in Hempstead, Long Beach or Oyster Bay. If you already have one, you don't have to give it up to change providers, because number porting moves it to the new service.
Ringflow lets you choose a local number from the area codes it offers and check whether 516 numbers are available before you commit. Once your number is set up, you can:
- ring the Ringflow mobile and desktop apps, so calls reach staff who aren't at a desk
- greet callers with an auto attendant that sends them to the right department
- send and receive business texts from the same number
Conclusion
The 516 area code is Nassau County's code: created in 1951 for all of Long Island, narrowed to Nassau when Suffolk took 631 in 1999, and joined by the 363 overlay in January 2023. It runs on Eastern Time, and local calls there take ten digits.
Nassau businesses can start with Ringflow's free trial: search its area codes for a 516 number, have calls ring the team's phones and computers through the Ringflow apps, and add texting or an auto attendant when needed. A 516 number you already own can come along through porting.
Ready when you are
Get a Local Number for Your Nassau County Business
Choose a local number from the area codes Ringflow offers, answer it on mobile and desktop apps, and add an auto attendant. Try Ringflow free or port your existing 516 number.
FAQ
The 516 area code is in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. It covers the city of Long Beach and the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay. Suffolk County, farther east, uses 631 and 934.
516 is in the Eastern Time Zone. Nassau County observes Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) in winter and Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) from mid-March to early November.
Yes. Area code 363 overlays 516 and has served the same Nassau County area since January 20, 2023. Existing 516 numbers did not change, and 363 numbers are assigned only once the remaining 516 numbers run out.
No. 516 is a US area code. The country code for the United States is +1, so a Nassau County number dialed from abroad starts with +1 516.
Not necessarily. 516 is used by homes and businesses across Nassau County, and scammers can fake any caller ID. Treat pressure, threats and requests for gift cards or verification codes as warning signs, and report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Search the area codes offered by a cloud phone provider such as Ringflow and see whether a 516 number is available. The number can ring Ringflow's mobile and desktop apps, and a 516 number you already use can be ported instead of replaced.
