Area Code 861

Illinois

Area code 861 serves Illinois, primarily Peoria, in the Central Time (CT) time zone. It is an overlay area code sharing territory with area code 309.

Overlay Area Code

This area code is part of an overlay region, meaning the same geographic area is served by multiple area codes. Overlay codes were introduced to meet growing demand for phone numbers without requiring existing customers to change their numbers.

This area code shares its geographic region with: area code 309 (Peoria).

In service since: 24-Feb-2023

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population: 1,156,724
Population Density: 72 people/sq mi
below U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income: $66,768
below U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate: 12.6%
near U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment: Bachelor's Degree+
29.5%
below U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
33.2%

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 Statistics dashboard.

Time Zone

Central Time (CT)

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

Central Time (CT)

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

Major Cities

Peoria
Bloomington
Normal
Moline
Rock Island
Pekin
Galesburg
East Peoria
East Moline
Morton
Washington
Macomb
Canton
Kewanee
Monmouth
Silvis
Geneseo
Chillicothe
Bartonville
Peoria Heights
Colona
Eureka
Milan
Creve Coeur

and 196 more cities

Area Code 861 geographic coverage map (light mode)

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 861 is approximately 1,156,724. The population density is 72 people per square mile, which is lower than the national average of 93. The median household income is $66,768, which is lower than the national median of $75,144. Approximately 29.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 33.7%. This rate is lower than the national average. The poverty rate stands at 12.6%, which is near the national rate of 11.5%.

History

Area code 861 serves as an overlay for the same territory as area code 309. It was introduced in 2023 to provide additional phone number capacity for the region. It shares its territory with area code area code 309.

County Coverage

Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 861).

County	Population	Share
Peoria, IL	185,129	16.0%
McLean, IL	178,063	15.4%
Rock Island, IL	151,635	13.1%
Tazewell, IL	147,084	12.7%
Woodford, IL	65,013	5.6%
Knox, IL	60,366	5.2%
Henry, IL	58,455	5.1%
Warren, IL	52,892	4.6%
Fulton, IL	42,014	3.6%
Mercer, IL	32,500	2.8%
McDonough, IL	29,690	2.6%
Stark, IL	26,843	2.3%
Marshall, IL	26,643	2.3%
Whiteside, IL	21,625	1.9%
Henderson, IL	19,408	1.7%
Bureau, IL	19,348	1.7%
De Witt, IL	12,645	1.1%
Mason, IL	11,828	1.0%
Hancock, IL	4,842	0.4%
Schuyler, IL	3,148	0.3%
Piatt, IL	2,577	0.2%
Logan, IL	2,444	0.2%
Livingston, IL	2,051	0.2%
Ford, IL	481	0.0%