<P> Area code 803 is the area code for most of central South Carolina . It is anchored by Columbia, the state capital . It also includes most of the South Carolina portions of the Charlotte (North Carolina) and Augusta (Georgia) metropolitan areas . </P> <P> 803 is one of the original 86 North American Numbering Plan area codes assigned in 1947 . </P> <P> Until 1995, it served the entire state of South Carolina . In 1995, the Upstate was split off as area code 864 . This was intended as a long - term solution, but within two years 803 was close to exhaustion once again due to rapid growth in Columbia and the coastal region, as well as the proliferation of cell phones, pagers and fax machines . Additionally, portions of the area code are part of the Charlotte and Augusta LATAs, and several numbers in Charlotte's 704 / 980 and Augusta's 706 / 762 aren't available for use (see map). To solve this problem, in 1998 the coastal region became area code 843 . </P> <P> 803 is expected to exhaust by late 2020, by which time another split or an overlay will be necessary . </P>

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