805 Area Code: Central Coast, CA

Area code 805 serves California Central Coast, covering Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties along with portions of Monterey and Kern counties. It shares its coverage area with overlay code 820. If you need a local presence on the Central Coast, you can get an 805 phone number through Telnyx.

What area does 805 cover?

The 805 area code covers the Central California coast from Ventura County north to San Luis Obispo County.

The region also includes Goleta, Lompoc, Atascadero, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Fillmore, and Carpinteria. For complete coverage details, see the NANPA area code map.

805 area code time zone

Area code 805 is in the Pacific Time Zone (PT). During standard time, this is UTC-8 (PST). During daylight saving time, it shifts to UTC-7 (PDT).

History of the 805 area code

The 805 area code is one of California original area codes, established in 1957 when it split from 213. Originally, 805 covered a vast region including much of Southern California outside Los Angeles.

Over the decades, 805 was reduced through multiple splits:

• 1951 — Created from 213, covering most of SoCal outside LA
• 1997 — 661 split off to serve Bakersfield and Kern County
• 1999 — Further boundary adjustments
• 2018 — 820 added as an overlay

Today, 805 and 820 serve the same geographic area. New phone lines may be assigned either area code, and 10-digit dialing is required for all local calls. For regulatory details, visit the California Public Utilities Commission.

Why the 805 region matters for business

The Central Coast has a diverse economy built on agriculture, tourism, aerospace, and technology:

Agriculture

• Strawberry capital of the world (Oxnard)
• Central Coast wine country (Paso Robles, Santa Barbara)
• Avocados, citrus, and vegetables
• Major agricultural processing

Aerospace & Defense

• Naval Base Ventura County
• Vandenberg Space Force Base
• Defense contractors and suppliers
• Space launch operations

Tourism & Hospitality

• Santa Barbara — American Riviera
• Wine country tourism
• Beach communities
• Channel Islands National Park

Education & Research

• UC Santa Barbara
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• CSU Channel Islands
• Research and biotech

A local 805 number helps businesses build trust with customers in this region. Calls from local area codes have higher answer rates than unfamiliar or toll-free numbers.

Get an 805 phone number

Telnyx offers local phone numbers in the 805 area code. You get:

• Instant provisioning — activate numbers in minutes, not days
• Flexible pricing — pay only for what you use
• Voice, SMS, and MMS — full communication capabilities
• API access — programmatic number management
• Number portability — bring your existing 805 numbers to Telnyx

Browse available 805 numbers or contact sales to discuss your needs.

Neighboring area codes

Frequently asked questions

What area code is 805? Area code 805 serves California Central Coast, including Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

What time zone is 805? Pacific Time (PT) — UTC-8 standard, UTC-7 during daylight saving.

Is 805 the same as 820? Yes, 820 is an overlay that covers the same geographic area as 805. Both area codes serve the Central Coast region.

Do I need to dial the area code for local calls? Yes. Since the 820 overlay was introduced in 2018, all calls require 10-digit dialing (area code + 7-digit number).