978 Area Code: Lowell, Massachusetts Location and Time Zone

Introduction

The 978 area code covers north central and most of northeastern Massachusetts, including Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Salem, Gloucester and Fitchburg. It was split from 508 in 1997, and since 2001 it has shared that territory with an overlay code, 351.

Many people look it up after a call from a 978 number they did not recognize. Below you will find the towns and counties it covers, the local time, how 351 fits in, why 978 gets mistaken for a country code, and how to dial, screen or get a 978 number.

Where Is the 978 Area Code?

Area code 978 is in Massachusetts. Its territory covers the north central part of the state and most of the northeast, from Salem, Beverly and Gloucester in Essex County through Lowell in Middlesex County and west to Fitchburg, Gardner and Athol in Worcester County.

If the question is what area code 978 is in the United States, the short answer is Massachusetts; no other state uses it. The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable publishes the state's official area code map, which shows where 978 ends and 508, 617 and 413 begin.

Our Massachusetts area codes page puts 978 next to the state's other codes, which helps when you are comparing locations for an office or a sales territory.

Cities and Counties in the 978 Area Code

The 978 area takes in parts of three counties: Essex, Middlesex and Worcester. The table groups well-known cities and towns from the 978 and 351 service list by the county each one belongs to.

The service list also names smaller towns such as Ashby, Ayer, Boxborough, Carlisle, Dunstable, Georgetown, Groveland, Littleton, Merrimac, Pepperell, Rowley, Salisbury, Shirley, Stow and Tyngsboro. Each of the three counties also has communities outside 978, so check the town rather than assuming a whole county shares the code.

978 Area Code Time Zone (Eastern Time)

All of Massachusetts lies in the Eastern Time Zone, so the 978 area code time zone question has the same answer for every town on the list, from Gloucester to Winchendon.

Massachusetts observes daylight saving time. Local time is UTC-5 under Eastern Standard Time and UTC-4 under Eastern Daylight Time, with clocks moving forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.

Lowell and Fitchburg keep the same clock as Boston and New York. Callers on Central Time are one hour behind the 978 area and callers on Pacific Time are three hours behind, so an early-afternoon call from the West Coast arrives near the end of the Massachusetts workday.

978 and 351: The Overlay Code

Unlike 351, 978 itself came from a split. Before July 1988 this part of Massachusetts used 617, together with the rest of the eastern two-thirds of the state, and the split that created 508 moved it to the new code. On September 1, 1997, 978 was split from 508, and a permissive dialing period for the change ended on February 1, 1998.

Not every phone changed. Some mobile numbers assigned in the 1990s to rate centers now in 978 and 351 kept the 508 area code, so an older cell number tied to this region can still start with 508.

Area code 351 was added on May 2, 2001, as an overlay on the same territory. Nobody lost a number, but ten-digit dialing became mandatory for all calls from then on. A 351 number and a 978 number in the same town are equally local; the code only shows which pool the number came from.

Supply is not a concern for now. As of 2026, both codes are well supplied with numbers, and exhaustion is not projected until the 2150s.

Is 978 a Country Code? What That Search Really Means

No. 978 is a Massachusetts area code, and in international format its numbers start with +1, the country code of the North American Numbering Plan. Canada, the Bahamas, Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago dial into the same +1 system, so the three digits that follow +1 are always an area code, never a separate country.

The mix-up makes sense, because 978 looks like the three-digit country codes near it on the ITU's list of assigned codes. There, +971 is the United Arab Emirates, +972 is Israel and +977 is Nepal, while 978 is marked as a spare code with no country behind it.

So if “978 country code” or “code 978” brought you here, a number shown as 978 plus seven digits belongs to the 978 area in Massachusetts. Searches for “1 978” have the same answer: that leading 1 is not part of the area code but the +1 country code, which US callers also dial before long-distance numbers. Our guide to the +1 country code breaks down how these numbers are put together.

How to Tell If a Call From 978 Is Legitimate

Nothing about the 978 code makes a call trustworthy or suspicious. The numbers belong to people and organizations across a large part of Massachusetts, and they can also be borrowed: with caller ID spoofing, a scammer can display a local-looking number that is not theirs.

Judge the request instead of the number. The FTC's guidance points to a few warning signs:

• Pressure to pay or make a decision on the spot.
• Instructions to pay with a gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or payment app.
• Requests for your Social Security number, account numbers or passwords.
• A caller claiming to be from a government agency who contacts you out of the blue.
• A recorded message that asks you to press a key.

The safest move is to hang up and contact the organization through a number you already trust, such as the one on a bill or its official website. If you already paid, call your bank, card issuer or payment service immediately, then report the call at ReportFraud.ftc.gov with the number that called, the caller ID display, and the date and time.

For repeat callers, the FTC's advice on blocking unwanted calls covers built-in blocking on cell phones, services from your carrier, call-blocking apps and call-blocking devices for landlines. The Do Not Call Registry only applies to legitimate telemarketers, so it will not keep scammers away.

How to Dial a 978 Phone Number

Seven-digit dialing has not worked in the 978 area since the 351 overlay in 2001. Include the area code even for a call across the street, whether the number starts with 978 or 351.

• Calling within the 978 and 351 area: dial 978 and the seven digits.
• Calling from elsewhere in the US: put a 1 before 978 and the seven digits.
• Calling from a mobile phone, in the US or overseas: enter +1 978 and the seven digits.
• Calling from a landline in a country outside the North American Numbering Plan: start with that country's international access prefix, often 00, then dial 1, 978 and the seven digits.

In writing, the usual domestic style is (978) followed by a three-digit exchange code and a four-digit line number, and the international style is +1 978 followed by the same seven digits. The US phone number format guide covers both.

If an old contact entry, alarm panel or speed dial still holds only seven digits, add 978 or 351 in front, or the call will not go through.

How to Get a 978 Phone Number for Your Business

A 978 number shows customers in Lowell, Lawrence, Salem or Fitchburg a familiar local code. It also works for teams based elsewhere, because a cloud phone number is not tied to a single building or desk phone.

1. 1Search for an available 978 number that is easy to read aloud; a 351 number reaches the same towns if you prefer one.
2. 2Have incoming calls forwarded to the mobile or desktop app of whoever should answer. Our guide on how to forward calls walks through the options.
3. 3Add business texting so customers can text the same number they call.
4. 4Call the number from an outside phone to confirm it rings where you expect.
5. 5Moving a 978 number you already use? Porting brings it to the new provider without changing the number.

Ringflow offers local numbers in area codes nationwide, toll-free numbers and an auto attendant for routing callers, with a free trial so you can test the setup first.

Conclusion

The 978 area code belongs to northern Massachusetts: Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Salem, Fitchburg and dozens of smaller towns, all on Eastern Time. It split from 508 in 1997, has shared its map with 351 since 2001, and is not projected to run short of numbers until the 2150s.

Give a 978 call the same scrutiny as any unknown caller: ignore pressure, never pay a stranger by gift card or wire transfer, and report scams to the FTC. For a Massachusetts presence, Ringflow can set your business up with a local number, call forwarding and texting, and bring your existing number over when you are ready.

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