LincMad's Area Code Split Dates
Last updated February 22, 2007
Older splits (permissive before 2003-01-01) --
see oldnews.html;
Note: all dates are now in year-month-day format, so 2009-04-02 = April 2, 2009.
Dates given in the form 2009-Q2 are 2nd Quarter of 2009, for example.
| Old |
New |
Area Affected |
Permissive |
Mandatory |
Test Number |
| 915 |
325 |
TX: Abilene, San Angelo |
2003-04-05 |
2003-10-04 |
325-303-3333 |
| 915 |
432 |
TX: Midland, Odessa; (El Paso keeps 915) |
2003-04-05 |
2003-10-04 |
432-304-3333 |
| 903 |
430 |
TX: Tyler, northeast
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
2003-04-28 |
430-301-3333 |
| 909 |
951 |
CA: Riverside and western Riverside County
| 2004-07-17 |
2004-10-30 |
951-800-0951 |
| 601 |
769 |
MS: Jackson, central
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
2005-04-18 |
769-769-1111 |
| 706 |
762 |
GA: northern Georgia except Atlanta metro area
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
2006-05-16 |
762-222-7777 |
| 310 |
424 |
CA: San Pedro, Torrance, Santa Monica, Malibu,
incl. Avalon (Santa Catalina Island)
(emergency split revived by CPUC, postponed indefinitely,
finally implemented as an OVERLAY in 2006.) |
NONE |
2006-08-26 |
424-424-0424 |
| 519 |
226 |
ON: southwestern peninsula, London, Windsor
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
2006-10-28 |
226-510-TEST
226-610-TEST
$226-610-BILL
226-810-TEST |
| 514 |
438 |
QC: Montréal
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
2006-10-28 |
438-510-TEST
438-610-TEST
$438-610-BILL
438-810-TEST |
| 815 |
779 |
IL: Rockford, Joliet
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
2007-03-17 |
779-779-0000 |
| 505 |
575 |
NM: Las Cruces, Roswell, Taos
(not Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Farmington) |
2007-10-07 |
2008-10-05 |
575-600-1234
575-580-0575
575-295-0000 |
| 630 |
331 |
IL: Aurora, Hinsdale
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
t.b.a. |
331-330-0331 |
| 618 |
730 |
IL: East St. Louis, southern
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
t.b.a. |
t.b.a. |
| 217 |
447 |
IL: Champaign, Springfield
(OVERLAY) |
NONE |
t.b.a. |
t.b.a. |
black - new area code is already mandatory (use only the new area code)
blue - new area code in permissive status (use
either old or new)
green - new area code not yet in use (use old area
code until permissive date)
red - special notations
"Permissive" refers to the date at which it becomes possible
to use either the old or the new area code. You should begin using the new
number as soon as possible after the permissive date.
"Mandatory" refers to the date at which it becomes necessary
to use the new area code. If you dial the old area code after the mandatory
date, you will reach an error recording, or worse, a wrong number.
An overlay is
a new area code that occupies the same geographic territory as the existing area
code. Existing numbers are not changed, but new prefixes are assigned from the
new area code.
A realignment
is the assignment of prefixes at the border of one area code to an existing
adjacent area code. Only the indicated area is affected; other numbers in either
area code are unchanged.
The Test Number is a special number (usually, though not always, not
charged) that allows you to test whether all the links in the chain from you to
a new area code are operating correctly. In order for you to reach a new area
code, your premises equipment (office PBX, for example) must allow you to dial
it. Then the telco central office must accept the new area code as valid and
route it correctly. If the new area code is outside your LATA, your chosen
long-distance carrier must also route the call correctly. Calling one of these
numbers will usually reach a simple recording saying something like, "You
have successfully completed a call to area code XXX."
Note that some test numbers are billable
numbers, possibly at international rates. However, most test numbers in
the U.S. and Canada will not bill.
Where possible, a test number that is known to
bill is marked with a "$" before the number.
Note that the test number for a new area code is usually disconnected
within a few months after the mandatory date. If you dial one of the older test
numbers shown here, you may reach an ordinary subscriber.
Editorial commentary and
explanatory notes about area code splits have now been moved off onto a
separate page.
Don't see a split listed here that used to be? Splits and overlays that have
been cancelled or indefinitely postponed may no longer be shown.
More details about area code splits and overlays can be found on the
AreaCode-Info pages,
maintained by John Cropper and
Eric Morson.
There is also an excellent listing of
state/provincial regulatory agencies
provided by the state of New York.
Return to top of this page
Go to "old news" page (older splits)
Go to postponed splits and overlays
Return to LincMad's Telephone Area Code page
Got an old number and don't know the new area code?
Try the cumulative listing of area code splits,
numerically by original area code.
©2007 Linc Madison,
a.k.a. LincMad Consulting, all rights reserved. URL: <http://www.LincMad.com>
Comments to contact a-t
lincmad d-o-t com
Content last updated 2007-02-22; HTML updated 2007-02-22. LincMad.com received over a million visits from 1997 until the counter broke.
Check out my political blog (not for the faint of heart),
The Third Path at
LincMad.blogspot.com.