Introduction
The 814 area code covers a wide swath of northwestern and central Pennsylvania, from Erie in the state's northwest corner to Altoona, Johnstown and State College. The Public Utility Commission calls it Pennsylvania's largest area code, reaching all or part of 27 counties, and since May 1, 2021, it has shared that territory with the overlay code 582.
Whether you're checking an unfamiliar 814 number or choosing one for a business, read on for the 27 counties it reaches, what time it is there, how 582 arrived after a split plan fell through, the country code question, dialing and how to screen suspicious calls.
- 814 serves all or part of 27 counties in central and northwestern Pennsylvania, including Erie, Altoona, Johnstown and State College.
- It is one of Pennsylvania's four original area codes, established in 1947.
- 582 overlays 814. Ten-digit dialing has been required since April 3, 2021, and 582 went into service on May 1, 2021.
- No part of the region leaves Eastern Time, and 814 is a Pennsylvania area code rather than a country code.
Where Is the 814 Area Code?
Area code 814 is in Pennsylvania and nowhere else, so there is no 814 area code in California or any other state. The PUC describes the 814/582 region as stretching from Erie to Johnstown to Breezewood, State College and Potter County, a territory that covers the state's northwest and a long band through its middle.
Much of that ground is rural, with cities spaced far apart. A call from Erie to Bedford stays inside 814 even though the two sit at opposite ends of the region, one near the New York line and the other near the Maryland border.
Neighboring codes surround it: 412 and 724 around Pittsburgh to the southwest, 570 and 272 to the east, and 717 and 223 to the southeast. See our Pennsylvania area codes page for the full list.
Cities and Counties in the 814 Area Code
The PUC names Altoona, Erie, Johnstown and State College as the region's main cities, and its rate center map adds towns such as Meadville, Oil City, Titusville, Warren, Bradford, St. Marys, DuBois, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Bedford and Somerset.
Of the 27 counties on the PUC's list, 13 appear without any qualifier: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Somerset and Warren. The other 14 are only partly in 814:
| County | Portion in 814 |
|---|---|
| Armstrong | Northeastern portion only |
| Centre | Majority of the county |
| Clarion | All except portions of the west |
| Clinton | Small portions |
| Crawford | All except the southwestern portion |
| Fayette | Small portions |
| Fulton | Western portions |
| Huntingdon | All except Kishacoquillas Valley |
| Indiana | Northern and eastern portions only |
| Mercer | Extreme northeastern portion |
| Mifflin | Extreme southwestern corner |
| Tioga | Western portions only |
| Venango | All except the southeastern corner |
| Westmoreland | Extreme northeastern corner only |
So a county name alone won't settle which code a caller uses. Most of Indiana County's southwest, for example, is outside 814.
814 Area Code Time Zone (Eastern Time)
Everything in 814 and 582 runs on Eastern Time. Pennsylvania lies entirely within the federal eastern standard time zone, and NANPA's area code records list Eastern for both codes, so Erie and Bedford never differ by an hour.
Winter brings Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5. After clocks spring forward on the second Sunday in March, the region is on Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4, until they fall back on the first Sunday in November. A student calling home to State College from California at 6 p.m. Pacific reaches a household where it is already 9 p.m.
814 and 582: One Area, Two Area Codes
814 held on to its original setup longer than Pennsylvania's other early codes; the PUC notes it was the last of them to change because its numbers ran out. When relief came, it was an overlay. In May 2020 the PUC announced that 582 would cover the entire 814 region, with 582 numbers assigned only after the available 814 supply is exhausted.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| October 3, 2020 | Callers encouraged to start dialing ten digits |
| April 3, 2021 | Ten-digit dialing required for all calls |
| May 1, 2021 | 582 placed into service |
Nobody had to change an existing number. The price of the overlay was convenience, since every local call now includes the area code.
The 582 Split That Never Happened
582 was nearly a different kind of code. After NANPA petitioned for relief in June 2009, the PUC voted on December 16, 2010, to split 814 rather than overlay it. 582 would have gone to the northwestern part of the region, west of a boundary running just east of the Shinglehouse, Wilcox, Kersey, DuBois and Sykesville rate centers, starting February 1, 2012. The commission favored the split partly because it kept seven-digit local dialing.
More than 40 petitions for reconsideration followed, and in January 2011 the commission reopened the case. Then the forecast changed. By March 2012 the projected exhaust date for 814 had moved out to the second quarter of 2018, helped by lower demand and conservation measures such as mandatory thousands-block number pooling, and on April 26, 2012, the PUC voted 5-0 to dismiss the split.
When 814 did approach exhaustion later in the decade, the commission chose the overlay instead, which is why Erie never had to give up its area code.
Is 814 a Country Code? What That Search Really Means
No country dials 814. The digits are a Pennsylvania area code, and they sit behind the country code +1 that the United States shares with Canada and other North American Numbering Plan countries. The search "country code 814" usually comes from seeing a full international number and reading the wrong part as the country.
From abroad, an Altoona or Erie number is dialed with the caller's exit code, then 1, then 814 and the seven-digit number; in writing it looks like +1 814 555 0126. In a search for "1 814," that 1 is either the country code or the US long-distance prefix. More on +1 is on our United States country code page.
814 Area Code vs ZIP Codes
An area code and a ZIP Code can look alike, since both are short strings of digits tied to a place, but they come from unrelated systems. The numbering plan sets area codes to route calls; the Postal Service sets ZIP Codes to deliver mail. There's no ZIP Code equivalent of 814.
Across 27 counties the region holds many ZIP Codes, and the same area code applies whether a household gets its mail in Erie or in a small Potter County community. To find a ZIP Code, look up the street address with the Postal Service.
How to Tell If a Call From 814 Is Legitimate
An 814 number is ordinary in this part of Pennsylvania, used by clinics, colleges, contractors and neighbors alike. The code can also be faked, because scammers spoof local-looking numbers to get people to answer. These signs matter more than the digits:
- a caller who won't give a name or callback number you can verify
- a demand for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or a payment app
- a request for your bank login, Social Security number or a verification code
- a threat of arrest, a lawsuit or a utility shutoff unless you pay right now
Hang up and verify through a number you already trust, such as the one on a bill or an official website. Report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry to cut down on sales calls. Your phone's call history lets you block a number, and carriers offer tools that flag likely spam.
How to Dial an 814 Phone Number
Since April 3, 2021, seven-digit calls no longer connect in the 814 region. NANPA's dialing plan for 814 and 582 calls for ten digits within the area and 1 plus ten digits for calls to other area codes.
- 1Within the 814/582 region: dial ten digits, such as 814-555-0126.
- 2To another area code, such as Pittsburgh's 412: dial 1 first, as in 1-412-555-0183.
- 3From outside the US: international access code, the digit 1, then all ten digits.
- 4In an emergency: 911 still takes three digits.
The PUC gave callers six months of voluntary ten-digit dialing before the rule took effect. If a speed dial entry or an alarm system still stores seven digits, add 814 in front.
How to Get an 814 Phone Number for Your Business
In a region this large, a local 814 number tells customers you're in their part of Pennsylvania. It suits businesses in Erie, State College, Altoona or Johnstown, as well as companies elsewhere that serve customers across the region.
Ringflow's number search covers the area codes Ringflow offers, so you can choose a local number and check whether an 814 number is available before signing up. Setup takes four steps:
- 1Search for an 814 number and choose one that is easy to remember.
- 2Have calls ring Ringflow's mobile and desktop apps, useful when staff cover more than one location.
- 3Set up an auto attendant so callers can choose a location or department.
- 4Add business texting, or port the 814 number your customers already have saved.
Conclusion
The 814 area code covers Erie, Altoona, Johnstown, State College and the towns and countryside between them, all or part of 27 Pennsylvania counties. It has been in place since 1947, outlasted a split plan that was dropped in 2012, and gained the 582 overlay in 2021, with ten-digit dialing and Eastern Time throughout.
Ringflow can supply the phone side: a local number from Ringflow's area codes, calls that reach staff on mobile or desktop apps wherever they are in the region, an auto attendant for businesses with several locations, and business texting. Start free, or port the 814 number you use today.
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Get a Local Number for Central and Northwestern PA
Choose a local number from the area codes Ringflow offers and answer it on mobile and desktop apps, with an auto attendant and texting. Try Ringflow free or port your current number.
FAQ
The 814 area code is in northwestern and central Pennsylvania. It covers all or part of 27 counties, including the cities of Erie, Altoona and Johnstown and the State College area.
Eastern Time, the same as the rest of Pennsylvania. Erie, Altoona and State College move their clocks forward in March and back in November with the rest of the zone, so there is never a time difference inside the 814 region.
Yes. Since May 1, 2021, 582 has served the same region as 814. Existing numbers kept 814, 582 numbers are assigned once 814 numbers run out, and ten-digit dialing has been required since April 3, 2021.
No. 814 is a Pennsylvania area code within country code +1, which covers the United States. From another country, add your international access code and the digit 1 in front of the ten-digit number.
Not automatically. 814 is the everyday code for homes and businesses across central and northwestern Pennsylvania, and scammers can spoof any number. Watch for pressure, threats or requests for gift cards and verification codes, and tell the FTC about scam calls through ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
An 814 business number can come from a cloud phone provider. Ringflow lets you check 814 availability among its local area codes; calls then reach its mobile and desktop apps, and an auto attendant can greet callers. Porting brings over a number you already have.
