| State | New York, Nassau County |
|---|---|
| Timezone | Eastern Time (ET) |
| Is Area Code 516 Toll Free? | No |
| Major Cities | Brentwood, Hempstead, Levittown, Freeport, Hicksville, Valley Stream, East Meadow, Elmont, Long Beach, Franklin Square |
It is quite alarming to receive a call from unfamiliar number and area code. We asked ourselves why are they calling? who could the caller be? and how did they get my number? Area code 516 is a unique area code that is widely used in North America. And to know more about this area code, we discussed some of the most commonly asked questions below.
Where is area code 516?
Area code 516 is the dialling code for Nassau County in Long Island New York.
Its location means it is in the Eastern Timezone. Each area code is a three-digit code added to the start of a phone number that often represents a specific location. The 516 area code was created and put into service in 1951 and operates within the U.S. state of New York. Nassau County used to share the 914 area code with the Lower Hudson Valley and Suffolk County but was split on January 1st 1951. After nearly 50 years another split was deemed necessary so in 1999 area code 631 was created which reduced the area that the area code 516 covered. The 516 area code now covers less land area in long island, focusing on Nassau County.
Nassau County residents may receive a new area code soon. The 363 prefix is being introduced in the second quarter of 2023. New area codes are generally introduced when the list of available numbers is exhausted.
The area code 516 is located in Eastern time zone and is serving major cities, localities and communities like Baldwin, Bayville, Bellmore, Bethpage, Cedarhurst, East Meadow, Elmont, Farmingdale, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Freeport, Garden City, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Hewlett, Hicksville, Inwood, Jericho, Levittown, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Massapequa, Merrick, Mineola, North Bellmore, Oceanside, Plainview, Port Washington, Port Washington North, Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, Seaford, Syosett, Uniondale, Valley Stream, Wantagh, Westbury, Woodbury, Woodmere and more.
It is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), an integrated telephone numbering plan serving many countries in North America, including parts of the Caribbean and Canada. However, Mexico is not part of the plan. Each 10-digit number generally consists of a 3-digit area code and 7-digit number.
Is area code 516 a scam?
Scammers know that people associate the 516 area code with Nassau County and sometimes use that trust to scam people. People can use nefarious means to get a 516 dialling code so they can pretend to be from New York. There are a lot of 518 users in the state where it is serving that is why the said area code is vulnerable to scammers. Some of these scammers will claim that they are from a certain company and will ask your personal information.
If this will happen to you, do not let anyone pressure you into giving away any personal information. If ever they will mention a company or business name, run a quick search on the internet to validate the information. If you don't find any information about them, it's a red flag that you need to drop the call immediately and block the number because it's a scam. A policy of not giving out information over the phone can reduce the number of scams you fall into.
How do I block calls from area code 516?
To avoid receiving unwanted calls, you can block the phone number. There are different ways of doing so if you have an iPhone or an Android. Here is how to block them on each device:
iPhone
- Open recent call logs
- Click the encircled "i" after the number
- Tap on "block this caller"
Android
- Go to your recent call logs
- Tap on "details"
- Tap on "block number"
Is area code 516 toll free?
Area code 516 is apparently not a toll free number. Both local and international calls performed with this code applies certain charge on your phone bill. Note that international calls or long distance call are much more expensive than local calls. Rates of these calls depend on the company that provides you with telecommunications services.
In conclusion
Never get easily trapped from callers that pretend to be a representative from a certain company. Always validate their identities by running a quick background check on the internet. Never share your information to anyone.
