If you searched for the 650 area code, the practical answer is this: 650 is the Peninsula and Silicon Valley-adjacent area code for much of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County in California.
It is a real geographic area code, not a toll-free prefix and not a scam code. In everyday terms, it covers places like San Mateo, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, South San Francisco, Menlo Park, and nearby communities.
The reason this area code matters is not just location. For most users, the real questions are:
Is a 650 call local Bay Area or potentially spoofed?
Does 650 mean San Jose or San Francisco?
How do you dial a 650 number correctly now?
Is a 650 number useful for business credibility in Silicon Valley and the Peninsula?
That is what this guide answers.
What is the 650 area code?
The 650 area code is a California geographic area code within the North American Numbering Plan.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission, California currently has 40 area codes, and 650 remains a standalone code in the state list rather than an active overlay pair like 408/669, 415/628, or 510/341.
That is a useful distinction because many Bay Area callers assume every major area now has two overlapping codes. 650 is different. It still identifies one specific Peninsula-centered region.
Where is the 650 area code located?
The most useful way to think about 650 is this:
San Mateo County is the core of the area
the code also reaches into the northern part of Santa Clara County
it sits between San Francisco and San Jose, covering much of the Peninsula corridor
The CPUC’s 650 area code report describes it as serving San Mateo County and northern portions of Santa Clara County north from Mountain View.
Major cities and communities in 650
The cities most commonly associated with 650 include:
San Mateo
Redwood City
Palo Alto
Mountain View
South San Francisco
Menlo Park
San Bruno
Burlingame
Pacifica
Half Moon Bay
Millbrae
San Carlos
Belmont
East Palo Alto
Los Altos
Many directory-style pages stop here and dump a list of cities. The more useful local shorthand is this:
650 is the number people associate with the Peninsula business corridor, the Stanford/Palo Alto side of Silicon Valley, and much of the SFO-to-South Bay strip outside San Francisco proper.
Does 650 mean San Francisco or San Jose?
This is one of the most common user confusions.
650 is not the main code people associate with San Francisco proper, and it is not the core San Jose code either.
A simple Bay Area cheat sheet:
415/628 is the better-known San Francisco pair
408/669 is the better-known San Jose pair
650 is the Peninsula code between them
That is why a 650 number often reads as more Palo Alto / San Mateo / Redwood City / Menlo Park than strictly San Francisco or San Jose.
This is where many ranking pages are already getting stale.
The CPUC says 650 is one of the California area codes affected by the FCC’s 988 routing order, which means callers in the region must use 1 + 10-digit dialing.
That means the safe dialing format is:
1 + 650 + 7-digit number from within the US and Canada
+1 650 + 7-digit number from outside the US
Example formats
1-650-555-0123
+1-650-555-0123
If you are calling from abroad, start with your international access method and then use the US country code +1. Our US country code guide explains that format in more detail.
What time zone is the 650 area code in?
The 650 area code is in the Pacific Time Zone.
That means it follows:
Pacific Standard Time (PST) in winter
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) when daylight saving time is in effect
If you are calling a 650 number from outside California, remember that the region runs on the same time base as San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
The history of the 650 area code
The 650 code was created in August 1997 when it split from the historic 415 area code.
That history matters because it explains why 650 still feels like a recognizable regional identity rather than just a number pool. The Peninsula’s growth in population, business demand, mobile lines, and telecom competition created the need for its own code.
The CPUC’s historical report also shows something many articles skip: even after 650 was created, officials expected number pressure to continue. Overlay plans were discussed later, but number conservation efforts extended the life of the code.
That is one reason 650 still stands alone today while nearby Bay Area regions now use overlays.
Is the 650 area code legitimate?
Yes. 650 is a completely legitimate California area code.
But that does not mean every 650 call is trustworthy.
The FTC warns that scammers can spoof caller ID, which means a number on your screen can look local even when the real caller is somewhere else.
So the right rule is:
trust 650 as a real area code
do not trust a caller just because the number starts with 650
Common 650-area spoofing situations
Because 650 is associated with the Bay Area, tech companies, and affluent communities, spoofed 650 calls often try to sound like:
a bank fraud department
a payroll or IT help desk
a delivery or account-security call
a local medical office or insurance line
a “neighbor spoofed” local number you are more likely to answer
If the caller pressures you, asks for one-time codes, requests unusual payment, or refuses to let you verify independently, treat it as suspicious.
For the caller-ID side of that problem, our anonymous calls guide is a useful follow-up.
Should you get a 650 number for business?
For the right business, yes.
A 650 number can signal that you are connected to:
the Peninsula
the Palo Alto / Menlo Park / Redwood City corridor
the San Mateo County market
the Silicon Valley-adjacent business community
That can be useful if your customers, partners, or clients are local to that region and you want a number that feels more Peninsula-specific than a generic national line.
This is especially relevant for:
local professional services
real estate and property businesses
consultants and agencies serving Bay Area companies
startups or small teams that want regional credibility without opening a physical office
If that is your goal, a virtual phone number is often the practical way to do it.
Where BubblyPhone fits
BubblyPhone is not an area-code lookup tool, but it does fit two common 650-related use cases.
1. Calling 650 numbers from abroad or while traveling
If you need to call a Palo Alto, San Mateo, or Redwood City number from outside the US, BubblyPhone gives you a browser-based option without forcing another monthly phone subscription. You top up credit when you need it, your credit does not expire, and you are not stuck paying for a quiet month the same way you would with a fixed plan.
2. Building a local-presence setup
If your goal is a Bay Area business presence, the more relevant BubblyPhone-adjacent topic is choosing the right kind of local or virtual number strategy rather than obsessing over the code alone. That is why Virtual Phone Number is the best internal next step.
There is not just one city. The area code is most closely associated with San Mateo, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and other Peninsula communities.
Is 650 a San Jose area code?
Not primarily. San Jose is more strongly associated with 408/669. Area code 650 is more closely associated with the Peninsula and northern Santa Clara County.
Is 650 a California area code?
Yes. It is a legitimate California geographic area code.
Do I need to dial the area code for local 650 calls?
Yes. The CPUC says 650 is one of the California area codes affected by the 988 dialing change, so the safe format is 1 + area code + number.
Is a 650 number a scam?
No. The area code itself is legitimate. But scammers can spoof any area code, including 650.
Is 650 a good area code for business?
It can be, especially if you want your number to feel connected to the Peninsula, Palo Alto, San Mateo, or the Silicon Valley-adjacent market.
Final take
The 650 area code is one of the clearer regional identity codes in the Bay Area.
It tells people “Peninsula” more than “San Francisco” or “San Jose,” it remains a standalone California code, and in 2026 the dialing detail that matters most is the current 1 + 10-digit format tied to the 988 rule.
If you are evaluating a 650 call, focus on caller behavior rather than the prefix alone. If you are choosing a 650 number, think of it as a Peninsula and Silicon Valley-credibility signal rather than just a telecom label.
