Area code 817 covers Fort Worth and surrounding communities in Texas.
Updated 8 October 2026
Area code 817 is in Texas, shown here with Fort Worth marked.
Now in Fort Worth
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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 Fort Worth 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 817 a scam?
No. Area code 817 is a legitimate area code serving Fort Worth since 1953. Scammers spoof caller ID to display 817 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 817 number, and the number they display may belong to a real business in Fort Worth that has nothing to do with the call.
The callerAnywhere in the worldSets the caller ID their equipment sends.
What is displayed(817) 476-9534May belong to a real Fort Worth business.
Your phoneLooks localA nearby code and prefix make you likelier to answer.
987Area code 817 had 987 different numbers reported for spam calls in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
18thArea code 817 ranks 18th of 331 US geographic area codes by spam complaint volume.
67%Of the 1,060 complaints about area code 817 in the 30 days to 8 October 2026, 67% were reported as a recorded message or robocall.
17%The most reported subject on area code 817 is medical & prescriptions, appearing in 17% of its complaints in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
Why am I getting text messages from area code 817?
Texts from 817 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 817
Area code 817 shares its geographic footprint with one other code: 682. Overlays are laid over an existing area rather than splitting it, so all local calls require the full ten-digit number.
Area code 817 covers Fort Worth, Texas and the western half of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and its economy is built on things that fly and things that move. Lockheed Martin assembles the F-35 in Fort Worth, Bell builds helicopters here, and American Airlines runs its global headquarters from the area near DFW Airport. BNSF Railway, one of the largest freight railroads in North America, is also headquartered in the city. Around those anchors sit aerospace suppliers, defense contractors, and a logistics sector that trades on the metroplex's position at the crossroads of the country. In 2024 Fort Worth's employed population was about 480,000, up 2.9 percent in a year, with median household income at $79,507, per DataUSA.
Who lives in the 817 region
Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing large cities in the country, now at roughly 963,000 residents. It is young, with a 2024 median age of 33.6, and mixed, with Hispanic residents at 34.6 percent of the population and Black residents the second largest group, per DataUSA. Homeownership runs at 57 percent, higher than Dallas, and the city keeps a family-town character even at its size.
What an 817 number signals to a caller
Callers describe Fort Worth business culture as courteous, unhurried, and allergic to being confused with Dallas. Relationships and straight talk carry more weight than polish, and the defense and aviation sectors bring their own procurement formality. Area code 817 has served the city since 1953, with 682 overlaid later, so an 817 number is generally read as the established local signal. Anyone dialling in should know the two halves of the metroplex are different markets and treat them that way.
Area code 817 serves Fort Worth and surrounding communities in Texas. It is in the Central Time zone.
What state is area code 817 in?
Area code 817 is in Texas. It is not in New York or Waltham — those are area codes 718 and 781.
Is area code 817 toll free?
No. Area code 817 is a geographic area code serving Fort Worth, Texas. The toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888, and a call to a 817 number is charged at your normal rate.
Why am I getting calls from 817?
Calls displaying a 817 number come from businesses and individuals in the Fort Worth area, and from anywhere at all when caller ID is spoofed to look local. 987 817 numbers were reported to the FTC in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
How do I block calls from area code 817?
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 817 is rarely worth it, because spoofed numbers change constantly and you would lose legitimate calls from Fort Worth.