979 Area Code: Bryan, Texas
Area code 979 serves Bryan, Angleton and Freeport, Texas in the Central time zone, in service since 2000. Consumers have filed 2,691 unwanted-call complaints against 2,124 different 979 numbers, 227 of them with the FTC in the last 30 days. Look up the exact number that called you below.
Area code 979 at a glance
- State
- Texas
- Main cities
- Bryan, Angleton, Freeport, Clute–Lake Jackson, Brenham, Bay City + 46 more
- Counties
- Brazos County, Brazoria County, Wharton County, Fayette County + 10 more
- Local time
- —Central
- In service since
- February 19, 2000
- Split from
- 409
- Local dialing
- 7 digits allowed
- Exchanges
- 55 rate centers, 413 prefixes
Sources: NANPA area code and central office code records (refreshed weekly); cities and counties matched from US Census Bureau and USGS place names.
Most-reported 979 numbers
Ranked by FTC Do Not Call complaints this month, then all-time FTC and FCC complaints. Only numbers with enough complaints for a full report page are listed. Click one for what it was reported for and where.
What calls from 979 numbers are about
882 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 979 numbers since Jul 24. The most common named subject is debt-relief pitches, at 19% of complaints (93% of those were recorded messages). Overall, 78% of callers who answered said the call was a robocall.
FTC complaint subjects
- Other / unspecified31135%
- Debt reduction17019%
- Medical & prescriptions10712%
- No subject given9411%
- Dropped call / no message819%
- Impostor (government, business, family)809%
- Warranties & protection plans172%
FCC complaints by call type, last 2 years
- Prerecorded Voice6948%
- Live Voice6444%
- Text Message118%
Live-voice calls are from a person; prerecorded calls are robocalls.
When 979 spam calls come in
31% of complaints that give a call time describe calls between 2pm and 5pm. 95% came Monday to Friday, most on Wednesdays, the pattern of call-center robocall campaigns that run on business hours. Times are as consumers reported them to the FTC.
By hour of the day
By day of the week
Is it getting worse?
220 FTC complaints about 979 numbers in the last four weeks, down 34% on the four weeks before. FCC complaints about 979 numbers peaked in 2015 (333); the FTC's daily Do Not Call data has carried most of the volume since mid-2026.
FTC complaints per week
FCC complaints per year
Years shown as '15 to '26; the current year is partial.
Who gets these calls
59% of the FTC complaints about 979 numbers came from Texas residents, but only 43% from people with 979 numbers themselves. The calls are mostly regional rather than aimed at 979 phones specifically.
Where complainants live
- Texas51659%
- California354%
- Florida314%
- New York243%
- Pennsylvania233%
What people with 979 numbers report
People whose own number starts with 979 filed 797 FTC complaints since Jul 24. 48% were about calls showing another 979 number. The most common named subject was impostor calls (people pretending to be a government agency, a business or family).
Area codes on the calls they reported
- 979 (same code)38248%
- 833 (toll-free)314%
- 346304%
- 281182%
- 832152%
Likely campaigns using 979 numbers
Groups of numbers that drew the same FTC complaint in the same pattern over the last 60 days. The grouping is statistical and doesn't identify who is calling.
Busiest 979 prefixes this month
FTC complaints in the last 30 days, grouped by the first six digits. When one prefix collects complaints about many different numbers, a campaign is usually cycling through that block. The carrier is who NANPA assigned the prefix to, not who made the calls.
| Prefix | Complaints | Numbers | Carrier | Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (979) 333-xxxxcampaign | 11 | 11 | Evolve Cellular, INC. | La Grange |
| (979) 607-xxxx | 9 | 8 | Peerless Network | El Campo |
| (979) 416-xxxx | 8 | 7 | Ip Horizon LLC | Bay City |
| (979) 871-xxxx | 7 | 7 | Southwestern Bell (AT&T) | Freeport |
| (979) 999-xxxx | 6 | 5 | Evolve Cellular, INC. | Garwood |
Carriers operating in 979
NANPA has assigned 413 979 prefixes (NPA-NXX central-office codes) across 55 rate centers: 27% to wireless carriers, 73% to landline and VoIP operators; 77% are pooled blocks shared by several carriers. 5 prefixes were assigned in the last 12 months (newest 2026-10-05). The carrier holding a prefix is who the number was issued through. It says nothing about who is calling, since caller ID is routinely spoofed.
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Rate centers | Newest assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Bell (AT&T) | Incumbent landline (ILEC) | 58(14%) | 17 | 2015-09-23 |
| Frontier Communications | Incumbent landline (ILEC) | 54(13%) | 18 | 2013-03-01 |
| AT&T Mobility (New Cingular Wireless PCS) | Wireless | 47(11%) | 19 | 2025-06-06 |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 30(7%) | 18 | 2013-07-30 |
| Aerial Communications, INC. | Wireless | 29(7%) | 12 | 2024-09-18 |
| Texas Communications, INC. | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 24(6%) | 23 | 2004-06-03 |
| Onvoy (Sinch) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 16(4%) | 12 | 2026-07-21 |
| Peerless Network | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 13(3%) | 12 | 2026-10-05 |
| Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) | Wireless | 12(3%) | 8 | 2023-10-13 |
| Fractel, LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 12(3%) | 10 | 2021-07-30 |
| Grande Communications Networks, INC. | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 11(3%) | 11 | — |
| Evolve Cellular, INC. | Wireless | 8(2%) | 8 | 2016-04-08 |
Largest rate centers (exchanges) by prefixes: Bryan (87), Angleton (28), Clute–Lake Jackson (20), Freeport (20), Brenham (19), Bay City (17), El Campo (14), La Grange (11), Columbus (10), Sealy (10). Source: NANPA Central Office Code Utilized Assignments (public, refreshed weekly).
What to do about calls from 979 numbers
Before you call back
- Debt reduction is the top named complaint here. Don't pay upfront fees for debt relief; the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule bans them. Talk to your lender or a nonprofit credit counselor instead. Read about debt-relief robocalls.
- Look up the full number above. A missed call from 979 with no voicemail is usually a robocall; anyone who needs you will leave a message.
- Block repeat callers: iPhone, Android, or your carrier's free filter (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile).
Report it in Texas
- Unwanted sales calls and robocalls: donotcall.gov (FTC). Scams and fraud: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Spoofing, texts and call-blocking problems: FCC consumer complaints.
- State complaints: Texas Attorney General.
- Texas is one of the states that maintains its own Do Not Call registry alongside the federal National Do Not Call Registry, so telemarketers calling Texas numbers are expected to check both lists. Registering on the federal list at donotcall.gov is free and never expires; the state list is administered separately and may have its own registration process and renewal period.
Your FTC and FCC reports are published (without your name or number) in the datasets this page is built from. How to report unwanted calls.
Area code 979: questions answered from the data
Where is area code 979?
Area code 979 serves Bryan, Angleton and Freeport, Texas, covering Brazos County, Brazoria County and Wharton County and 11 more counties. It has been in service since February 19, 2000. It was split from area code 409.
What time zone is area code 979 in?
Area code 979 is in the Central time zone (UTC−6, or UTC−5 during daylight saving time). The current local time is shown at the top of this page.
What are calls from 979 numbers usually about?
Since Jul 24, consumers filed 882 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 979 numbers. The most common named subject was debt-relief pitches: 19% of complaints, 93% of them recorded messages. Across all subjects, 78% of callers who answered the question said the call was a robocall.
When do 979 spam calls happen?
31% of the complaints that give a call time describe calls between 2pm and 5pm, and 95% came on weekdays, most often on Wednesday. Times are as consumers reported them.
Are calls from 979 numbers really local?
Not necessarily. 59% of the FTC complaints about 979 numbers came from Texas residents, but only 43% from people with 979 numbers themselves. The calls are mostly regional rather than aimed at 979 phones specifically.
Are 979 robocalls increasing?
In the four weeks to Oct 20, consumers filed 220 FTC complaints about 979 numbers, 34% fewer than the four weeks before.
How do I report a 979 scam call in Texas?
Report unwanted sales calls and robocalls to the FTC at donotcall.gov, and scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FCC takes complaints at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. In Texas, the Texas Attorney General also handles consumer complaints about scam calls. Reports feed the public data this page is built from.
Other Texas area codes
Sources: FTC Do Not Call complaints (unverified consumer reports), published every weekday and available here from Jul 24; FCC Consumer Complaint Data, public record, imported nightly; NANPA numbering records. A number appearing here means consumers reported calls that displayed it. Caller ID can be spoofed.