What is the 984 Area Code? Time Zone and Location
- The 984 area code is located in North Carolina, covering Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Goldsboro, and Chapel Hill.
- It is an overlay area code, part of the 919/984 overlay complex.
- The most populous cities in area code 984 are Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, and Goldsboro.
- Area code 984 operates in the Eastern Time Zone (GMT −05:00).
- Area code 984 was put into service on April 30, 2012 and was the 361st area code in service.
- It was created to relieve pressure on the 919 area code as numbers in 919 were being exhausted.
- 10-digit dialing required for all calls within the overlay region.
If you also serve Atlantic provinces, review our 902 area code guide for Nova Scotia and PEI.
984 Area Code Quick Facts
| Area Code | 984 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State / Region | North Carolina (central region coverage) |
| Area Code Type | Overlay area code (shares region with other codes) |
| Overlay Codes | 919 |
| Major Cities Covered | Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, Goldsboro, Cary, Sanford, Clayton, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina |
| Primary City Association | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Geographic Coverage | 42 cities across 12 counties in central North Carolina |
| Time Zone | Eastern Time Zone (ET) |
| Standard Time Offset | UTC −5 hours |
| Daylight Saving Time | UTC −4 hours (EDT) |
| DST Period (2026 Example) | March → November |
| Introduced / Activation Date | April 30, 2012 |
| Reason for Creation | Created to relieve exhaustion of available numbers in the 919 area code |
| Dialing Requirement | 10-digit dialing mandatory (due to overlay system) |
| Coverage Nature | No geographic split — same region shares multiple codes |
| Population Coverage | Combined with overlay 919, serves a population of 2,549,486 |
| Nearby / Related Area Codes | 252 (eastern NC), 336 (Greensboro), 704/980 (Charlotte), 743 (Greensboro overlay), 910 (southern NC), 919 (Raleigh overlay) |
| Telecom System | North American Numbering Plan (NANP) |
| Example Phone Format | (984) XXX-XXXX |
| Usage Type | Mobile, landline, VoIP numbers |
| Business Use | Common for local presence in the Research Triangle (Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill metro) |
| Number Availability | Currently uses 281 prefixes assigned from 984-200-XXXX through 984-999-XXXX |
| Area Code Status | Active and widely used |
| Notable Geography | Covers the Research Triangle area, home to major universities and Research Triangle Park |
Is the 984 Area Code a Scam?
| Spam/Scam Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Spam Ranking | Ranked #217 for spam complaints nationally |
| Spam Share | Accounts for approximately 0.19% of all spam complaints |
| Most Common Scam Type | Live voice complaints, making up 43.46% of total reports |
| Top Scam Categories | Health insurance (7.85%), auto warranty (7.85%), Medicare/Medicaid (5.76%), and mortgage loans (4.71%) |
| Top Reported Cities | Raleigh (11.3% of complaints), Durham (6.01%), Charlotte (2.15%), Cary (1.08%), and Greensboro (0.83%) |
| Common Labels | Robocaller, spam texter, phishing attempts |
| Spoofing Risk | Scammers fake their caller ID to display local or familiar North Carolina numbers to increase answer rates |
| Typical Strategy | Neighbor spoofing — appearing as a local Raleigh or Durham number to build trust |
| Common Scam Pattern | Fake legal threats and fraudulent police donation drives, using warrants or guilt to pressure victims |
| Text Scam Pattern | Unsolicited texts asking recipients to reply "Y" or "YES" to confirm accounts — a phishing attempt to verify active numbers or enroll users in paid services |
| Key Risk Indicator | Urgent requests for payment, personal info, or account confirmation from unrecognized numbers |
| Safety Tip | Never reply to unsolicited texts or share personal/financial information with unknown callers |
What Are the Business Benefits of the 984 Area Code?
| Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Local Presence | Helps businesses appear local in the high-growth Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill metro (boosts trust) |
| Customer Trust Factor | Local numbers increase answer rates vs. unknown out-of-state numbers |
| Coverage Advantage | One number targets the entire Research Triangle region — one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the US |
| VoIP Compatibility | Easily available for SaaS platforms, call centers, and remote teams |
| Scalability | Covers roughly 2.58 million unique phone numbers across the region |
| Marketing Use | Ideal for local SEO, digital ads, and customer outreach in the Triangle area |
| Startup Friendly | Well-suited for tech startups and research-driven businesses, given proximity to UNC, Duke, and NC State |
| Call Routing Flexibility | Can route calls globally while appearing local to North Carolina customers |
| Use Case Examples | AI receptionist, support lines, sales calls, healthcare practices, university-affiliated services |
