Area Code 838
New York
Area code 838 serves New York, primarily Albany, in the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. It is an overlay area code sharing territory with area code 518.
Published: Verified against NANPA and FCC records
Overlay Area Code
This area code shares its geographic footprint with an overlay code, so the same cities are served by two area codes. Because overlays leave existing numbers untouched, this region's relief planning favors adding codes over redrawing boundaries.
The codes serving this same region: area code 518 (Albany).
In service since: 19-Sep-2017
Demographics & Economics
- Total Population
- 1,925,757
- Population Density
- 106 people/sq miabove U.S. average (U.S.: 95 people/sq mi)
- Median Household Income
- $81,528near U.S. median (U.S.: $80,734)
- Poverty Rate
- 11.8%near U.S. average (U.S.: 12.5%)
- Unemployment Rate
- 4.6%below U.S. average (U.S.: 5.2%)
- Education Attainment
- Bachelor's Degree+36.8%near U.S. average (U.S.: 35.7%)High School or Lower29.9%
Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.
See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the income ranking and density ranking.
Time Zone
- Eastern Time (ET)
NANPA Relief Status
According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), this area code is not currently listed as exhausting within the next 36 months. No relief planning is in progress for this NPA.
Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses
Current Time
Prefix Utilization
Geographic Coverage
State
NY
Major Cities
- Albany
- Schenectady
- Troy
- Saratoga Springs
- Rotterdam
- Niskayuna
- Plattsburgh
- Amsterdam
- Cohoes
- Gloversville
- Glens Falls
- Latham
- East Glenville
- Roessleville
- Watervliet
- Loudonville
- West Glens Falls
- Rensselaer
- Glens Falls North
- Johnstown
- Colonie
- Westmere
- Hudson Falls
- Scotia
and 157 more cities
Demographics
The estimated population served by area code 838 is approximately 1,925,757. The population density is 106 people per square mile, which is higher than the national average of 95. The median household income is $81,528, which is near the national median of $80,734. Approximately 36.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 35.7%. This rate is near the national average. The poverty rate stands at 11.8%, which is near the national rate of 12.5%.
History
Area code 838 serves as an overlay for the same territory as area code 518. It was introduced in 2017 to provide additional phone number capacity for the region. It shares its territory with area code area code 518.
County Coverage
Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 838).
| County | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Albany, NY | 424,965 | 22.1% |
| Saratoga, NY | 306,712 | 15.9% |
| Schenectady, NY | 241,612 | 12.5% |
| Rensselaer, NY | 187,386 | 9.7% |
| Washington, NY | 112,205 | 5.8% |
| Fulton, NY | 93,107 | 4.8% |
| Clinton, NY | 84,688 | 4.4% |
| Warren, NY | 84,383 | 4.4% |
| Montgomery, NY | 79,610 | 4.1% |
| Columbia, NY | 71,483 | 3.7% |
| Greene, NY | 55,523 | 2.9% |
| Franklin, NY | 53,154 | 2.8% |
| Essex, NY | 47,469 | 2.5% |
| Schoharie, NY | 35,647 | 1.9% |
| Otsego, NY | 16,063 | 0.8% |
| St. Lawrence, NY | 8,929 | 0.5% |
| Hamilton, NY | 8,538 | 0.4% |
| Herkimer, NY | 6,131 | 0.3% |
| Dutchess, NY | 5,208 | 0.3% |
| Ulster, NY | 1,531 | 0.1% |
| Delaware, NY | 1,413 | 0.1% |
Area Code 838 Family Tree
Hover over nodes to see details. Click to navigate to individual area code pages. Use scroll to zoom, drag to pan.
Area code 838 was originally assigned in 19-Sep-2017 to serve NY.
Call Context
This area code covers a geographic region across NY, including Albany and surrounding communities.
Nearby Area Codes
Area codes geographically closest to 838.
Other Area Codes in New York
Area codes that also serve New York, linked for easy comparison.