Illinois officials say that a new area code will be coming to the southern portion of the state, affecting more than 35 counties beginning in the new year.
According to a press release from the Illinois Commerce Commission, the area impacted by the new number currently uses the 618 area code, covering virtually the entire southern-third of the state from the border with Missouri to the border with Indiana.
Officials say that the available supply of phone numbers with the existing area code will soon be “exhausted,” meaning that any new lines added in the region will instead be given an area code of 730.
Those numbers will begin to appear on July 7, 2023.
In all, parts of 37 counties will be impacted, with affected communities including Alton, Carbondale, East St. Louis, Edwardsville and Marion.
Officials say that the prices of calls and coverage areas will remain unchanged with the overlaid area code, and that current phone numbers will not change.
Several new area codes have been added statewide in recent years. Earlier this year, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the implementation of the 464 area code to overlay the existing 708 area code region in northeastern Illinois.
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Late last year, the ICC also added a new 861 area code, overlaying the existing 309 area code in the western portion of the state.
Similar “overlays” have occurred in the 815 and 847 area codes in the Chicago area, according to officials.
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More information on the new area code can be found on the ICC’s website.
