Area code 973 covers Newark and surrounding communities in New Jersey.
Updated 8 October 2026
Area code 973 is in New Jersey, shown here with Newark marked.
Now in Newark
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 Newark 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 973 a scam?
No. Area code 973 is a legitimate area code serving Newark since 1997. Scammers spoof caller ID to display 973 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 973 number, and the number they display may belong to a real business in Newark that has nothing to do with the call.
The callerAnywhere in the worldSets the caller ID their equipment sends.
What is displayed(973) 291-9339May belong to a real Newark business.
Your phoneLooks localA nearby code and prefix make you likelier to answer.
442Area code 973 had 442 different numbers reported for spam calls in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
190thArea code 973 ranks 190th of 331 US geographic area codes by spam complaint volume.
64%Of the 471 complaints about area code 973 in the 30 days to 8 October 2026, 64% were reported as a recorded message or robocall.
10%The most reported subject on area code 973 is reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans), appearing in 10% of its complaints in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
Why am I getting text messages from area code 973?
Texts from 973 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 973
Area code 973 shares its geographic footprint with one other code: 862. Overlays are laid over an existing area rather than splitting it, so all local calls require the full ten-digit number.
Area code 973 has covered Newark and northern New Jersey since 1997, and it remains the code most associated with the state's largest city. Newark counted 311,549 residents at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 324,000, and its economy moves goods at a scale few American cities match. Port Newark-Elizabeth is one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast, Newark Liberty International Airport handles tens of millions of passengers a year, and the logistics, warehousing, and freight businesses around them employ a large share of the region. Downtown adds insurance and finance, with Prudential Financial headquartered in the city, plus universities including Rutgers-Newark and NJIT.
Who lives in the 973 region
Newark is one of the most international cities in the region. About 35.7% of residents were born outside the country, per 2024 Data USA figures, and the city is majority Black with large Hispanic and Portuguese-speaking communities, the latter concentrated in the Ironbound district. Spanish and Portuguese are the most common languages after English, and many neighborhood businesses operate comfortably in all three. Median household income was $52,060 in 2024, and most households get by with one car or none, relying on transit into Manhattan and around the city.
What a 973 number signals to a caller
Business here is fast and unsentimental. Callers describe short phone conversations, quick decisions, and little patience for scripted pitches. A number in area code 973 carries real local identity in Newark, New Jersey, where residents distinguish sharply between local numbers and the 862 overlay, and an out-of-state number faces a harder road to a picked-up call.
Area code 973 serves Newark and surrounding communities in New Jersey. It is in the Eastern Time zone.
What state is area code 973 in?
Area code 973 is in New Jersey. It is not in Newark, OH or Dayton — those are area codes 220 and 937.
Is area code 973 toll free?
No. Area code 973 is a geographic area code serving Newark, New Jersey. The toll-free codes are 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888, and a call to a 973 number is charged at your normal rate.
Why am I getting calls from 973?
Calls displaying a 973 number come from businesses and individuals in the Newark area, and from anywhere at all when caller ID is spoofed to look local. 442 973 numbers were reported to the FTC in the 30 days to 8 October 2026.
How do I block calls from area code 973?
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 973 is rarely worth it, because spoofed numbers change constantly and you would lose legitimate calls from Newark.