Area Code 872

Illinois

Area code 872 serves Illinois, primarily Chicago, in the Central Time (CT) time zone. It is an overlay area code sharing territory with area code 312.

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 312 (Chicago).

In service since: 07-Nov-2009

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population: 293,470
Population Density: 5,488 people/sq mi
above U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income: $81,797
near U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate: 13.3%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate: 6.9%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment: Bachelor's Degree+
41.9%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
28.4%

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

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

Chicago
Norridge
Riverdale
Harwood Heights

Area Code 872 geographic coverage map (light mode)

History

Area code 872 serves as an overlay for the same territory as area code 312. It was introduced in 2009 to provide additional phone number capacity for the region. It shares its territory with area code area code 312.

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 872 is approximately 293,470. The population density is 5,488 people per square mile, which is higher than the national average of 93. The median household income is $81,797, which is near the national median of $75,144. Approximately 41.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 33.7%. This rate is higher than the national average. The poverty rate stands at 13.3%, which is higher than the national rate of 11.5%.