Buffalo, NY Area Codes

Area codes serving Buffalo

Buffalo sits in New York, part of the Northeast region and the Eastern Time zone. Its numbers are spread across an overlay of 2 codes that all cover the same ground: 624, 716.

The original code is 716 (in service since 1947). As the area ran low on numbers, regulators added overlay codes on top instead of splitting the city, so longtime residents kept their numbers while new lines received a newer code.

Code	Area served	In service
624	Western New York, including Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Jamestown	November 16, 2023
716	Western New York, including Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Jamestown	January 1, 1947

Nearby cities sharing these area codes

• Cheektowaga
• Amherst
• Tonawanda
• Niagara Falls
• West Seneca
• North Tonawanda
• Lockport
• Hamburg
• Lackawanna
• Jamestown
• Dunkirk
• Olean
• Salamanca

How to pick an area code for a new number

When you activate a new line in Buffalo, the carrier assigns whichever code has numbers available — you usually can't choose. If a specific code matters to you (for example the prestige of 716), ask the carrier whether any blocks remain, or request a number transfer. All codes here dial identically and cost the same.

Dialing in Buffalo

Because Buffalo is an overlay area, 10-digit dialing is mandatory: always dial the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for a neighbor. See 10-digit dialing and overlay area codes for the background. For every code in New York, visit the New York area codes page.