Area codes 213 and 323

458/541 775 702 928 442/760 916 530 707 209 559 831 805 661 858 909 951 619 213 323 707 916 415 650 510 925 408 209 831 805 661 442/760 310/424 747/818 626 909 951 949 562 657/714
Map of California numbering plan areas (blue) and border states. Area code 213 is shown in red.

Area codes 213 and 323 are California telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan. They contain, roughly, the area of central Los Angeles. 213/323 also includes several gateway cities of the region, including Bell and Huntington Park. Before being reunited in an overlay in 2017, they were separate area codes, with 213 containing only downtown Los Angeles and its immediately adjoining neighborhoods, with 323 containing the rest of the area.

History

1998–2017: Separate areas

Area code 213 was one of the three original area codes assigned to California in 1947. Initially it covered the southern third of the state from the Central Coast to the Mexican border. The numbering plan area was extended to the north in 1950, merging the southern portion of the Central Valley, including Bakersfield, from area code 415.

As a result of southern California's rapid expansion during the second half of the 20th century, the plan area 213 was split on numerous occasions. The first area split became necessary in 1951, when most of the southern portion, including Orange County and San Diego, was assigned area code 714. In 1957, 213 was restricted to Los Angeles County, with most of the old 213's northern and western portion becoming area code 805. In 1984, the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley became area code 818, thus making Los Angeles one of the first major cities in the US to be split between two area codes (New York City was split between 212 and 718 the same year). In 1991, West Los Angeles and the South Bay became area code 310. The 213 area code was reduced even more in 1998, when practically all of the old 213 territory outside of downtown became area code 323. 213 only covered the downtown area its immediately adjoining neighborhoods such as Koreatown, Echo Park, and Chinatown. 323 covered most of the remainder of central Los Angeles, including Hollywood. 323 also included several gateway cities of the region, including Bell and Huntington Park. It completely surrounded 213 until the 2017 overlay.[1][2] The plan requires ten-digit dialling in the unified areas, and making the traditional 7-digit local dialling within the area code extinct.

Since 2017: Overlay codes

Despite Southern California's continued rapid growth and the proliferation of cell phones and pagers, 213 (in its standalone form) was not projected to be exhausted until 2050. As area code 323 was projected to be exhausted in 2017, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a plan that unifies the 213/323 boundary, converting them into overlay area codes for all of central Los Angeles, after July 31, 2017. This change brought 213 back to areas that had used it for more than half a century prior to 1998. Any available 213 numbers may be assigned in the 323 area and vice versa, making 10/11-digit dialing mandatory; until then, Los Angeles was the largest city in the nation where 7-digit dialing is still possible.[3][4][5]

An American hip-hop supergroup from Long Beach, California consisting of Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Nate Dogg was called 213, based on the area code.

Area code 213 is referenced in Warren G and Nate Dogg's song "Regulate", Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E.", the Electric Six song "I'm the Bomb", LL Cool J's song "Going Back to Cali", Whitney Houston's song "It's Not Right but It's Okay", and Eminem's "Shake That". It is also referenced in "Area Codes" by Ludacris featuring Nate Dogg.

The Los Angeles Clippers mascot, Chuck the Condor, has the jersey number 213.[6]

Cities

Cities in the 213 and 323 area codes.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cpuc.ca.gov Archived September 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ Nanpa.com
  3. ↑ Cpuc.ca.gov Archived September 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Nanpa.com
  5. ↑ http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M156/K071/156071980.PDF
  6. ↑ LA Clippers Introduce New MascottXX Chuck

California area codes: 209, 213, 310/424, 323, 408/669, 415/628, 442/760, 510, 530, 559, 562, 619, 626, 650, 657/714, 661, 707, 747/818, 805, 831, 858, 909, 916, 925, 949, 951
North: 747/818, 626
West: 310/424 213/323 East: 626
South: 310/424, 562

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