The 808 Area Code Explained — Hawaii Phone Numbers

Area code 808 covers Honolulu and surrounding areas in Hawaii. It was added to the North American Numbering Plan in 1957. For the full picture, see all Hawaii area codes.

Quick Facts: Area Code 808

State	Hawaii
Primary city	Honolulu
Cities also served	Honolulu, Hilo, Pearl City, Kailua, Waipahu, Kahului, Kaneohe, Lihue
Time zone	Hawaii-Aleutian (UTC-10 (no DST observed))
Year established	January 1, 1957
Original 1947 NPA?	No
Overlay codes	None
Currently in use?	Yes, actively assigned
Ten-digit dialing required?	Local seven-digit dialing may still apply

History of Area Code 808

Area code 808 was added to the North American Numbering Plan on January 1, 1957, joining a growing list of codes covering the continent.

Cities and Areas Served by 808

Area code 808 serves Entire state of Hawaii — all main islands including Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (Big Island), Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe — plus Wake Island in the western Pacific, including the following cities and communities:

• Honolulu
• Hilo
• Pearl City
• Kailua
• Waipahu
• Kahului
• Kaneohe
• Lihue

The Cultural Weight of a 808 Number

Area code 808 was assigned to Hawaii on August 8, 1957, approximately two years before Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state on August 21, 1959. That pre-statehood assignment was deliberate: the Bell System reserved codes in the 800 range for territories expected to achieve statehood, bringing Hawaii into the North American Numbering Plan alongside Alaska, the continental United States, and Canada. Because Hawaii’s permanent population has remained relatively modest — roughly 1.4 million residents spread across roughly 10,931 square miles of islands — the state has never required a second area code. No split or overlay has ever been introduced, making 808 one of the rare original single-code states. The code also covers Wake Island, a U.S. territory roughly 2,300 miles west of Honolulu. Ten-digit dialing became mandatory for 808 numbers on October 24, 2021, a requirement triggered by the FCC’s nationwide push to accommodate the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — not because number exhaustion threatened the code itself.

Few three-digit strings carry as much cultural freight as 808. On Oahu, Waikiki’s beachfront strip, Diamond Head crater, and the Pearl Harbor National Memorial define the code’s most-recognized geography; on Maui, the Road to Hana and Haleakala National Park; on the Big Island, the active Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The code appears in the title of Kanye West’s landmark 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak, which borrowed its name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine — itself one of the most influential instruments in hip-hop and electronic music since its 1980 release. Hawaii-born athletes have carried the digits internationally: Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner who grew up in Honolulu, wore a face mask honoring the 808 area code while playing at the University of Oregon. In film and television, productions set entirely within the 808 — including the long-running series Hawaii Five-0 and the 2011 Alexander Payne film The Descendants — have brought the code’s landscapes and communities to global audiences. Local businesses from Honolulu to Hilo routinely incorporate “808” into their names as an explicit marker of island identity, and the phrase “808 State” is commonly used as shorthand for Hawaii itself.

How to Get a Phone Number with Area Code 808

There are three ways to get a phone number with the 808 area code, each suited to a different need:

1. Buy from a premium-number specialist. Companies that hold curated inventories of specific area codes can sell you a 808 number directly, often with a one-time fee and ownership transferred to you (no recurring carrier fees). This is the option for picking a specific memorable number, or for getting an area code that most carriers won’t let you request. Browse our 808 inventory.
2. Sign up with a VoIP carrier. Voice-over-IP services (such as Google Voice, OpenPhone, Grasshopper, and many others) can typically provision a 808 number on request, especially for active overlay codes. You won’t usually get to pick the specific number, but you’ll get a working line in the area code. This is the cheapest option for anyone who doesn’t need a particular number.
3. Port an existing 808 number. If you already have a 808 phone number with another carrier, you can transfer it (port it) to a new service provider while keeping the number. This works for landlines, cell phones, and VoIP services, though landlines outside of Hawaii sometimes can’t accept inbound ports of 808 numbers due to 911 routing rules.

Looking for a 808 number? 212areacode.com offers premium 808 numbers for Honolulu, Hawaii — choose your number, port it to any carrier in 3–5 business days, and pay a one-time fee with no monthly charges. Browse available 808 numbers →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 808 area code still in use?
Yes. 808 is actively assigned to new phone lines in Entire state of Hawaii — all main islands including Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (Big Island), Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe — plus Wake Island in the western Pacific.

Can I get a 808 number if I don't live in Hawaii?
Yes. Phone numbers are no longer tied to a physical address. With VoIP service or a number broker, you can hold a 808 number from anywhere in the world. The number routes to whatever device or carrier you specify.

Is 808 a scam area code?
No. 808 is a legitimate, active area code for Entire state of Hawaii — all main islands including Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (Big Island), Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe — plus Wake Island in the western Pacific. Like any area code, scammers occasionally spoof 808 caller IDs, but the code itself is heavily used by real Hawaii businesses, government offices, and residents.

Does Hawaii have more than one area code?
No. Area code 808 is the sole area code for the entire state of Hawaii and has never been split or overlaid. NANPA monitors utilization, but no new code is currently anticipated.

When did Hawaii switch to ten-digit dialing?
Ten-digit dialing (808 + 7-digit number) became mandatory in Hawaii on October 24, 2021, as part of a nationwide FCC transition to reserve the 988 dialing code for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Does area code 808 serve any location outside Hawaii?
Yes. In addition to all main Hawaiian Islands, area code 808 also serves Wake Island, a U.S. territory located in the western Pacific Ocean.

Why is 808 so culturally significant beyond just being a phone code?
The Roland TR-808 drum machine, released in 1980, shares the same number and became one of the most influential instruments in hip-hop and electronic music. Kanye West’s 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak brought the number to a mainstream global audience, layering its telephony meaning with a broader musical identity.

Related Reading

• Why Use Area Codes For Local Calls?
• What States Have the Most Area Codes?
• Most Desirable Area Codes
• How Do Area Codes Work?

Looking for a different code? See the complete US area code directory.