Buy a Local Phone Number – Area Code 978 (Lowell, Massachusetts)

Numbering in northeastern Massachusetts shifted in the late 1990s when area code 978 was carved from 508 to accommodate rapid growth along the I-495 corridor and the Merrimack Valley. It covers communities such as Lowell, Lawrence, Fitchburg, and Andover; the overlay 351 was added in the early 2000s, making ten-digit dialing standard. The change reflected suburban expansion from Boston and cross-border development near southern New Hampshire, as former mill towns diversified their economies.

Lowell anchors the region’s identity: a canal-powered textile center turned innovation hub, home to Lowell National Historical Park and UMass Lowell. Successive immigrant waves—Irish and French Canadian to a substantial Cambodian community—shape neighborhood businesses and festivals, notably the long-running Lowell Folk Festival. The area’s industrial base has evolved toward advanced manufacturing, defense electronics, and biomanufacturing, while legacy firms in plastics and paper remain influential.

• Defense and electronics along the Route 3/I-495 belt, including major contractors in Tewksbury and Andover
• Biomanufacturing and logistics concentrated at Devens and nearby corridors
• Plastics and precision machining centered in Leominster and surrounding towns
• Higher education and applied research led by UMass Lowell and regional colleges
• Cultural tourism and creative reuse of mill complexes supporting small enterprises and studios