North American NumbersNorth central & northeastern Massachusetts (Lowell)
Area code 978 serves north central and northeastern Massachusetts, including the Merrimack Valley and North Shore. It was split from 508 in 1997 and is now overlaid by 351.
Status, dates and counts are read from NumberResearch (NANPA / CNAC / FCC records). Assignment records show initial assignees, not the carrier serving a number today.
Where 978 is
North central and northeastern Massachusetts (LATA 128); bordered by New Hampshire to the north, 413 to the west, 339/781 to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast..
Communities served wholly or partly by 978:
Some 1990s mobile numbers retained 508 after the split.
How it relates to other codes
The codes 978 was split from, spawned, or shares its area with. A split divides the map and changes some numbers; an overlay shares the same ground and changes none — what's the difference?
How 978 got here
How full it is
Prefix-assignment counts describe allocation to carriers, not how many individual numbers are in use. Full technical records: NumberResearch ↗.
Place, relationships and history above are compiled by North American Numbers from the sources listed and last checked 2026-09-18. A check date is not an expert review — see how this is made. Flag an error.