Area code 304 covers Charleston and surrounding communities in West Virginia.
Updated 8 October 2026
Area code 304 is in West Virginia, shown here with Charleston marked.
Now in Charleston
Eastern Time · UTC−5, UTC−4 in summer
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Typical business hours, 9 to 5 Monday to Friday.
Typical business hours, 9 to 5 Monday to Friday, shown as the blue arc. A guide to when a real Charleston office is likely to answer. It says nothing about who called you.
Source: North American Numbering Plan Administrator, retrieved 8 October 2026.
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Is area code 304 a scam?
No. Area code 304 is a legitimate area code serving Charleston since 1947. Scammers spoof caller ID to display 304 numbers, which is why complaints exist against a code that is itself genuine.
Neighbour spoofing is the reason a local-looking number is not a guarantee. A caller anywhere in the world can display a 304 number, and the number they display may belong to a real business in Charleston that has nothing to do with the call.
The callerAnywhere in the worldSets the caller ID their equipment sends.
What is displayed(304) 579-8504May belong to a real Charleston business.
Your phoneLooks localA nearby code and prefix make you likelier to answer.
903Area code 304 had 903 different numbers reported for spam calls in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
35thArea code 304 ranks 35th of 331 US geographic area codes by spam complaint volume.
77%Of the 938 complaints about area code 304 in the 30 days to 8 October 2026, 77% were reported as a recorded message or robocall.
47%The most reported subject on area code 304 is reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans), appearing in 47% of its complaints in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
Why am I getting text messages from area code 304?
Texts from 304 numbers follow the same pattern as calls — mostly local businesses and services. Treat any text asking for payment or credentials as suspect regardless of the code.
The common patterns are a wrong-number opener that turns into conversation, an unsolicited job offer, and a crypto or investment tip. Do not reply, do not follow the link, and forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your carrier.
Pattern 1Wrong-number openerTurns into conversation.
Pattern 2Unsolicited job offerDo not reply, do not follow the link.
Pattern 3Crypto or investment tipTreat any payment ask as suspect.
Report it7726Forward the message. It spells SPAM on a keypad.
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Area codes that overlay 304
Area code 304 shares its geographic footprint with one other code: 681. Overlays are laid over an existing area rather than splitting it, so all local calls require the full ten-digit number.
Charleston is the capital of West Virginia and the administrative center of a state economy built on government, healthcare, energy, and chemicals. The Kanawha Valley has been a chemical manufacturing corridor for a century, and state government remains one of the largest employers in the city itself. Charleston Area Medical Center anchors the healthcare sector, while firms tied to natural gas, coal services, and legal work around the capitol fill out the commercial core. The city's population was 47,421 in 2024 with a median household income of $65,812, per DataUSA.
Who lives in the 304 region
The area is older and less transient than most American metros. Median age in Charleston was 43 in 2024, and 98% of residents are U.S. citizens, per DataUSA, a figure well above the national average. Homeownership sits at 63.3%, and most people drive alone to work with an average commute under 17 minutes. This is a settled market where personal reputation carries weight and business relationships often span decades. The poverty rate of 15.8% in 2024 also means price sensitivity is real across much of the customer base.
What a 304 number signals to a caller
Area code 304 has served West Virginia since 1947 and covered the entire state on its own until the 681 overlay arrived. That history matters for how calls are received. A 304 number reads as local nearly everywhere in the state, and callers describe residents as more likely to answer a number they recognize as in-state. For outside callers, business here is generally expected to be conducted with patience and directness. Cold formality tends to land worse than a plain explanation of who you are and why you are calling.
Area code 304 serves Charleston and surrounding communities in West Virginia. It is in the Eastern Time zone.
What state is area code 304 in?
Area code 304 is in West Virginia. It is not in Charleston, SC or Charleston, SC or Tyler — those are area codes 843 and 854 and 430.
Is area code 304 toll free?
No. Area code 304 is a geographic area code serving Charleston, West Virginia. The toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888, and a call to a 304 number is charged at your normal rate.
Why am I getting calls from 304?
Calls displaying a 304 number come from businesses and individuals in the Charleston area, and from anywhere at all when caller ID is spoofed to look local. 903 304 numbers were reported to the FTC in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
How do I block calls from area code 304?
Both iOS and Android can silence calls from unknown numbers, and every major US carrier offers free call-blocking. Blocking the whole of area code 304 is rarely worth it, because spoofed numbers change constantly and you would lose legitimate calls from Charleston.
843 (Charleston, SC) and 854 (Charleston, SC) serve a city of the same name in another state. Area code 304 is easily mistyped as 430 (Tyler). Tap one to see which digits move.