718 Area Code: Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island

Introduction

The 718 area code is New York City's code for Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, plus Marble Hill, a small piece of Manhattan that borders the Bronx. It went into service on September 1, 1984, when the outer boroughs were split away from 212, the code the whole city had shared until then.

If a 718 number just called you, the line was set up somewhere in those boroughs, although the person using it could be anywhere. This guide covers the boroughs and counties behind the code, its time zone and origin, the codes that now share its territory, how to dial it and how to size up an unexpected call.

Where Is the 718 Area Code?

Area code 718 is in New York, and inside the state it is used only within New York City. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) describes its territory as the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Marble Hill section of Manhattan.

Two nearby areas trip people up. The rest of Manhattan has its own codes, 212, 646 and 332, and Nassau County, just east of Queens on Long Island, uses 516 and 363. For every other code in the state, see our New York area codes page.

Some searches pair 718 with California, usually after a missed call. The code has one location, New York City, and no California area uses it. Keep in mind that caller ID shows where a number was issued, not where the caller is, and scammers can make any number appear.

Boroughs and Counties in the 718 Area Code

Only one city uses 718, yet the code spans four counties, because each of New York City's boroughs is also a county of New York State. Two of them go by different names: Brooklyn is Kings County and Staten Island is Richmond County.

Marble Hill is the entry that surprises people. It belongs to the borough of Manhattan, but it is physically attached to the Bronx and its telephone wire center is in the Bronx. When the Bronx moved to 718, Marble Hill went with it, even though residents campaigned to keep 212.

Because the same codes serve every borough in the table, a 718 number can't tell you whether a caller is in Brooklyn or the Bronx. It only tells you the line was assigned somewhere in the outer boroughs or Marble Hill.

718 Area Code Time Zone (Eastern Time)

The entire 718 area is on Eastern Time. NANPA's area code records list a single time zone for 718, and New York City lies inside the eastern standard time zone set out in federal regulations.

From early November to mid-March the boroughs keep Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5). Clocks move forward to Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November. A 10 a.m. call from Queens reaches Chicago at 9 a.m. and Los Angeles at 7 a.m.

How 718 Began: The 1984 Split From 212

From the first nationwide numbering plan in 1947 until 1984, all of New York City dialed under 212. In 1984 New York Telephone asked the New York Public Service Commission to divide the city to head off a shortage of numbers, and on February 1 the commission voted to give Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island a new code, leaving 212 for Manhattan and the Bronx.

NANPA assigned 718 on April 6, 1984, and it went into service on September 1. The plan drew protests and threats of legal action from outer-borough officials, but it went ahead on schedule, and callers could keep using 212 for the new area until January 1, 1985.

The second change came on July 1, 1992, when the Bronx and Marble Hill moved from 212 to 718. A permissive period that let either code reach those numbers ran until May 16, 1993. The boundaries have not moved since; later demand was handled by adding codes on top of 718 instead.

718, 347, 929 and 465: One Area, Four Codes Plus 917

Starting in 1999, New York met demand for new numbers in the outer boroughs with overlays rather than another split. An overlay adds a code to the same map, so every existing 718 number kept its area code while new lines could be assigned from the added one.

Each of those codes has its own guide. Our 347 area code guide covers the first overlay, the 929 area code guide covers the 2011 addition, and the 917 area code guide explains the one code that reaches Manhattan as well as the outer boroughs.

465 is the latest arrival. The Public Service Commission approved it on January 24, 2025, and NANPA's plan releases its prefixes only after every assignable prefix in 347, 718, 917 and 929 is taken. The Department of Public Service projects that for the third quarter of 2027, and current numbers keep their codes.

718 Area Code vs ZIP Codes

Searches for a "718 zip code" mix up two unrelated systems. Area codes route telephone calls under the North American Numbering Plan, while ZIP Codes are assigned by the US Postal Service to sort and deliver mail. Their boundaries were drawn separately and don't line up, so no ZIP Code matches 718.

The four boroughs under 718 contain many ZIP Codes, and one apartment building there can have phone lines in 718, 347, 929 and 917. To find the ZIP Code for a Brooklyn or Bronx address, use the Postal Service's ZIP Code lookup rather than the phone number.

How to Tell If a Call From 718 Is Legitimate

Nothing about the 718 area code makes a call suspicious. Households, shops and offices across four boroughs use it, and because caller ID can be spoofed, a New York number doesn't prove a caller is who they claim to be either. Pay attention to what the caller asks for:

• You don't recognize the number, and the caller won't say clearly who they are or why they're calling.
• They insist you act now to pay a fine, confirm an account or stop a delivery from being returned.
• They want payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app.
• They ask you to read back a one-time code that just arrived by text.

When a call sounds wrong, hang up and phone the company or agency back on a number you find yourself. Report scam calls to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and register with the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce telemarketing calls. iPhone and Android phones both let you block a number from the recent calls list, and many carriers offer free spam labeling.

How to Dial a 718 Phone Number

Seven-digit local calls ended in the 718 area after 347 arrived, with ten-digit dialing across 718 and 347 required by April 15, 2000. NANPA's current dialing plan for the area lists 1 plus ten digits for local calls and accepts ten digits without the 1.

1. 1From anywhere in the US: dial 1, the area code and the seven-digit number, such as 1-718-555-0142.
2. 2A local call inside the 718 area: 718-555-0142 also connects, because ten-digit local dialing is permitted.
3. 3From another country: dial your international exit code, then 1 for the United States, then 718 and the number. Written internationally, that is +1 718 555 0142.

Whether a number starts with 718 or one of its overlays, you dial it the same way. Emergency calls to 911 still take three digits.

How to Get a 718 Phone Number for Your Business

For a business that serves Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx or Staten Island, a 718 number puts the outer boroughs' original code on your website, van and receipts. Its overlays cover exactly the same ground, so a 347 or 929 number is just as local to those customers.

With Ringflow, you can choose a local number from the area codes Ringflow offers and check whether 718 numbers are available when you search. Setting one up takes four steps:

1. 1Search the New York area codes for a 718 number, and look at 347 or 929 if 718 isn't available.
2. 2Forward calls to the Ringflow mobile and desktop apps so the right person picks up, in the office or on the road.
3. 3Add an auto attendant that greets callers and routes them to sales, service or voicemail after hours.
4. 4Turn on business texting, or port the 718 number you already use so customers keep dialing it.

Conclusion

The 718 area code is New York City's outer-borough original: created from 212 on September 1, 1984, extended to the Bronx and Marble Hill in 1992, and now shared with 347, 929, 917 and 465. It runs on Eastern Time, and calls within the area need the full number.

If you want a number that fits Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx or Staten Island, Ringflow lets you pick from its local area codes, check 718 availability, forward calls to its apps and keep an existing number through porting. You can try it free before committing.

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