Area code 843 covers Charleston and surrounding communities in South Carolina.
Updated 8 October 2026
Area code 843 is in South Carolina, 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.
1947The original 86 area codes. All of South Carolina is 803.
1995–20152 more codes enter service as the state fills up.
1998Area code 843 enters service for Charleston.
2020839 (Columbia) enters service.
Today5 codes, 2 of them overlays.
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Where is area code 843?
Area code 843 is in Charleston, South Carolina, covering Charleston and surrounding communities in South Carolina. All 843 numbers are on Eastern Time.
Source: North American Numbering Plan Administrator, retrieved 8 October 2026.
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Is area code 843 a scam?
No. Area code 843 is a legitimate area code serving Charleston since 1998. Scammers spoof caller ID to display 843 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 843 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(843) 994-7424May belong to a real Charleston business.
Your phoneLooks localA nearby code and prefix make you likelier to answer.
451Area code 843 had 451 different numbers reported for spam calls in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
186thArea code 843 ranks 186th of 331 US geographic area codes by spam complaint volume.
67%Of the 482 complaints about area code 843 in the 30 days to 8 October 2026, 67% were reported as a recorded message or robocall.
18%The most reported subject on area code 843 is reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans), appearing in 18% of its complaints in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
Why am I getting text messages from area code 843?
Texts from 843 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 843
Area code 843 shares its geographic footprint with one other code: 854. Overlays are laid over an existing area rather than splitting it, so all local calls require the full ten-digit number.
Charleston has quietly become one of the South's more diversified port economies. The Port of Charleston ranks among the busiest container ports on the East Coast, Boeing assembles the 787 in North Charleston, and Volvo and Mercedes-Benz Vans operate plants in the metro. Layered on top is a tourism industry that draws millions to the historic peninsula each year and a growing software cluster that locals call Silicon Harbor. Median household income reached $92,414 in 2024, with an employed population of 84,432 (DataUSA).
Who lives in the 843 region
The people of area code 843 are a mix of deep-rooted Lowcountry families, military personnel tied to Joint Base Charleston, and a heavy inflow of transplants. The city grew to about 154,000 residents by 2024 with a median age of 36.6 (DataUSA), young for a city with this much history. The cost of arrival shows in housing: median property value hit $509,700 in 2024, among the highest in the state.
What an 843 number signals to a caller
Area code 843 has covered coastal South Carolina since 1998, spanning Charleston, South Carolina up through Myrtle Beach and down to Hilton Head. Business here still runs on Southern courtesy: introductions matter, abruptness costs you, and callers describe conversations that open with pleasantries before getting to terms. A regional number signals you understand the market, and taking time to build the relationship before asking for the sale is generally expected, even in the port and manufacturing sectors where the deals are anything but small.
Area code 843 serves Charleston and surrounding communities in South Carolina. It is in the Eastern Time zone.
What state is area code 843 in?
Area code 843 is in South Carolina. It is not in Charleston, WV or Charleston, WV — those are area codes 304 and 681.
Is area code 843 toll free?
No. Area code 843 is a geographic area code serving Charleston, South Carolina. The toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888, and a call to a 843 number is charged at your normal rate.
Why am I getting calls from 843?
Calls displaying a 843 number come from businesses and individuals in the Charleston area, and from anywhere at all when caller ID is spoofed to look local. 451 843 numbers were reported to the FTC in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
How do I block calls from area code 843?
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 843 is rarely worth it, because spoofed numbers change constantly and you would lose legitimate calls from Charleston.