Massachusetts · Eastern time
781 area code The ring around Boston.
781 is the area code for the suburbs that circle Boston, from Lynn on the North Shore through Waltham and the Route 128 towns to Braintree and the South Shore. It shares every one of those towns with its overlay, 339. Here is where it reaches, what 339 means for you, and how a small team gets a 781 number ringing in about five minutes.
Start with $15. No contract, no seat minimum.
- Area code
- 781
- Overlay
- 339 since May 2001
- In service
- Since 1997 split from 617
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Local calls
- 10 digits since 339 arrived
Where it is
Where the 781 area code is
Picture Boston with a belt around it. The city and Cambridge kept 617 when the code was split in 1997, and the belt became 781. It runs through parts of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties, and roughly falls into four stretches.
North Shore
Up the coast from Revere
- Lynn
- Revere
- Saugus
- Swampscott
- Marblehead
- Nahant
- Lynnfield
Route 128 and the inner north
Office parks and commuter towns
- Waltham
- Woburn
- Lexington
- Burlington
- Medford
- Malden
- Arlington
- Melrose
- Stoneham
- Wakefield
- Reading
- Winchester
- Bedford
- Lincoln
- Weston
The southwest suburbs
Along the southern half of 128
- Needham
- Wellesley
- Dedham
- Norwood
- Westwood
- Canton
- Sharon
- Stoughton
- Randolph
- Holbrook
South Shore
From Braintree down the coast
- Braintree
- Weymouth
- Hingham
- Hull
- Cohasset
- Scituate
- Norwell
- Hanover
- Rockland
- Abington
- Whitman
- Hanson
- Pembroke
- Marshfield
- Duxbury
- Kingston
- Halifax
- Plympton
Got a call from a 781 number? The area code tells you where the number was first issued, not where the caller is sitting. People keep their numbers when they move, and internet-based numbers work from anywhere, so a 781 call can come from Waltham or from much farther away.
The overlay
781 or 339? Same towns.
781 was cut out of 617 on September 1, 1997, and became mandatory on February 1, 1998. Four years later the suburbs needed more numbers again. Instead of splitting the ring a second time, 339 was laid over the same towns on May 2, 2001, so nobody had to change a number.
The catch is dialing. Since 339 arrived, every call in the area takes all ten digits, even next door. For a business it means a 339 number is exactly as local as a 781, and customers dial both the same way.
Local
Just as local
In practice
What a 781 number does for a small team
A local number is the easy part. What matters is what happens when it rings. Here is one ordinary day for a three-person plumbing outfit working out of Woburn, with one 781 number on the truck and the website.
- 8:00 am
The number points at a ring group, so all three phones ring at once: the owner's app on his cell, the office manager's browser tab, and the apprentice's app. Whoever has a hand open answers.
- 10:30 am
Everyone is under a sink. With the queue on, the caller hears hold music instead of endless ringing, and the first person to finish takes the call.
- 10:34 am
A customer leaves a message on the team voicemail. It arrives by email with the recording and a written transcript, so the office manager reads “burst pipe in Medford, call back” without pressing play.
- 5:00 pm
The schedule flips the line to after-hours: a greeting, then an emergency option that forwards to the owner's cell. Holidays are set once on the calendar.
- Any time
Every call shows up in one shared list, and nobody's personal cell number ever reaches a customer.
No Massachusetts address needed
Get a 781 number from anywhere
A Tonet number is not tied to a street address or a landline. A shop in Braintree can have one, and so can a team that serves the Boston suburbs from another state.
Create your account
It takes a couple of minutes. Sign up with your email or with Google.
Add $15
Your first deposit becomes your balance. For one person it lasts about a month.
Pick your number
Search 781 or 339 in the dashboard and choose one. It rings right away in the app, in a browser tab or on a desk phone.
Pick a new number
The five-minute route. Take a 781 or a 339, whichever you like the look of. Both read as local to every town on this page.
Bring the number you already use
Porting your number in costs nothing. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days. Some carriers take longer, up to a few weeks, and the releasing carrier controls the timing, so no date is guaranteed. Your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch, with no downtime.
US dollars · billed by the day
What a 781 business number costs
Two plans with the same features. The only difference is how you pay for calls and texts.
$10 per user, per month
- Calls 1¢ a minute
- Texts 3¢ each
- Best for A quiet line
$15 per user, per month
- US calls Included
- US texts Included
- Best for A busy line
Each phone number is $2.50 a month. You pay only for the days a user is active. No contract, no setup fee, no seat minimum. Unlimited is subject to a fair-use policy.
Start with $15Included on both plans
What comes with the number
One number, the whole team
Point your 781 line at a ring group and every phone rings. Turn on the queue and callers wait with hold music until someone picks up.
An auto attendant
Record your own greeting. Press 1 for a quote, 2 for service. Or skip it and let the phones ring.
Schedules and holidays
Business hours, after hours and days off, each with its own route. Set them once and the line follows them.
Recording and transcripts
Turn on recording for a number and each recorded call is written out, with a short AI summary, so you can search it later.
Texting from your number
Customers can text the business line. Receiving works right away. Sending needs a one-time carrier registration, which you file from the dashboard.
App, browser or desk phone
Answer on your iPhone or Android, in a browser tab, or on a SIP desk phone. Your personal number stays private.
Questions
781 area code, answered
Where is the 781 area code?
781 covers the suburbs that ring Boston in eastern Massachusetts: the North Shore around Lynn, the Route 128 towns such as Waltham, Lexington, Woburn and Needham, and the South Shore from Braintree and Weymouth down to Duxbury and Kingston. It does not cover the city of Boston itself, which is 617 and 857. It is in the Eastern time zone.
What is the 339 area code?
339 is the overlay for 781. It was switched on in May 2001 and covers exactly the same towns. A 339 number is just as local as a 781 number, and calls between the two are local calls.
Do I have to dial the area code for local calls in 781?
Yes. Since 339 was added in 2001, every call in the area takes all ten digits, including calls to a neighbor on the same street.
Is 781 a Boston number?
It is a Boston-area number, but not the city itself. 781 was split off from 617 in 1997, so 617 kept Boston, Cambridge and the core, and 781 took the suburban ring around it. People in the region read a 781 number as local to the suburbs.
Who is calling me from a 781 number?
The area code only tells you where the number was first issued. People and businesses keep their numbers when they move, and internet-based numbers can be used from anywhere, so a 781 caller could be a neighbor in Waltham or someone far away. If you do not recognize the number and it is not a business you deal with, let it go to voicemail.
Can I get a 781 number if my business is not in Massachusetts?
Yes. A Tonet number is not tied to a street address, so you can pick a 781 or 339 number from anywhere and have it ring your team in the app, a browser tab or a desk phone.
Can I keep my existing 781 number?
Yes. Porting your current number to Tonet costs nothing. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days. Some carriers take longer, up to a few weeks, and the releasing carrier controls the timing, so no date is guaranteed. Your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch, with no downtime.
How much does a 781 business number cost?
Each number is $2.50 a month. Users are $10 a month on Pay As You Go, plus 1 cent a minute and 3 cents a text, or $15 a month on Unlimited for US calls and texts under a fair-use policy. Everything is billed by the day from a prepaid balance, with no contract and no setup fee. A $15 deposit gets you started.
Area code dates, counties and towns: Area codes 781 and 339, Wikipedia.
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Pick a 781 or 339 number and start taking calls today.
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