<P> Area codes 704 and 980 cover Charlotte and all or part of 12 surrounding counties in south - central North Carolina . Other major cities in the service area are Gastonia, Kannapolis, Concord, Mooresville, Salisbury, Statesville, and Shelby . The South Carolina side of the Charlotte metropolitan area is part of area code 803 . </P> <P> The main area code, 704, is one of the original 86 Numbering Plan Areas assigned in 1947 . At that time it covered the entire state of North Carolina . In 1954, Winston - Salem and points east were split off to create area code 919, leaving 704 to cover the western third of the state from Charlotte to the Blue Ridge Mountains . </P>

What is the area code for charlotte nc