781 Area Code — Massachusetts
781 is a North American Numbering Plan area code for Massachusetts, the United States. It covers about 1,209,767 people in 59 towns and 79 ZIP codes, including Lynn, Malden and Waltham.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Area code | 781 |
| Country | United States (+1) |
| State / province | Massachusetts |
| Type | Shares its towns with 339 |
| Time zone | Eastern |
| Population covered | 1,209,767 |
| Towns covered | 59 |
| ZIP codes | 79 |
| Approx. centre | 42.288, -70.998 |
Where area code 781 is used
Area code 781 is assigned to Massachusetts, the United States, inside the North American Numbering Plan. Numbers in the code are written (781) NXX-XXXX at home and +1 781 NXX-XXXX when dialled from outside Canada and the United States. Since the NANP moved to 10-digit dialling you must always include the area code, even for a local call.
Other area codes in this footprint: 339. They serve towns in the same territory, so a single street can contain numbers from more than one code. That is normal in the NANP and does not change how you dial.
Towns and cities in area code 781
The 59 towns below are the largest in the 781 footprint, ranked by population. Every one of them links to its own page with the full list of area codes and ZIP codes for that town.
| Town | County | Population | ZIP codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn | Essex County | 101,709 | 6 |
| Malden | Middlesex County | 65,906 | 1 |
| Waltham | Middlesex County | 64,792 | 4 |
| Medford | Middlesex County | 61,730 | 2 |
| Revere | Suffolk County | 60,012 | 1 |
| Arlington | Middlesex County | 46,350 | 2 |
| Woburn | Middlesex County | 41,939 | 4 |
| Braintree | Norfolk County | 38,899 | 2 |
| Randolph | Norfolk County | 34,912 | 1 |
| Lexington | Middlesex County | 34,295 | 2 |
| Norwood | Norfolk County | 31,542 | 1 |
| Melrose | Middlesex County | 29,650 | 1 |
Counties covered
| County | ZIP codes |
|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 27 |
| Plymouth County | 27 |
| Norfolk County | 15 |
| Essex County | 9 |
| Suffolk County | 1 |
Other area codes serving the same towns
Nearby area codes
How to dial area code 781
- Within North America: 781 + 7-digit number (781-NXX-XXXX). The leading 1 is optional on a mobile phone and required on most landlines for long-distance.
- From abroad: your country's international prefix, then 1, then 781, then the 7-digit number — for example 00 1 781 NXX-XXXX from most of Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is 781?
781 is a North American Numbering Plan area code assigned to Massachusetts, the United States. It covers about 1,209,767 people in 59 towns.
Is 781 a US or Canadian area code?
781 is a United States area code. Canada and the United States share the +1 country code, so both are part of the same numbering plan.
What time zone is area code 781 in?
Area code 781 is in the Eastern time zone.
Do I have to dial 10 digits?
Yes. Every NANP call now requires the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for a local call.