SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Commerce Commission has announced a new area code for southern Illinois will start this weekend.

The new 730 area code will "overlay" the existing 618 area code to address the depletion of prefixes available for assignment within the region. The first prefix in the new area code will not be introduced until after July 7, 2023.

The 618 area code covers all or parts of 37 counties in Illinois and includes communities such as Alton, Belleville, Cairo, Carbondale, Centralia, E. St. Louis, Edwardsville and Marion. The 618 area code is one of the original, eighty-six area codes in the United States.

People receiving the 730 area code will be required to dial 10 digits (the area code and phone number) for all local calls, just as customers with telephone numbers from the 618 area code do today.

While many individual 618 telephone numbers remain unassigned, an area code is deemed to be "exhausted" when the last available prefix has been assigned. While 730 telephone numbers will begin to appear in the second half of 2023, there will continue to be an ongoing supply of available 618 telephone numbers in most areas.

How Does This Impact You?

Southern Illinoisans should know the following key facts about the 618/730 area code overlay:

  •  Telephone numbers, including current area code, will not change.
  •  The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
  •  What is a local call now will remain a local call.
  •  Customers in the overlay region will continue to dial 10 digits for local calls within and between the overlay area codes, and 1+10 digits for long distance calls.
  •  Customers can still dial just three digits to reach 911 and 988, as well as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811 if those are currently available in their community.

Customers should ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment recognize the new 730 area code as a valid area code and should continue to store or program telephone numbers as 10-digit numbers.

For more information, please contact your local telephone service provider or visit the Illinois Commission website at https://www.icc.illinois.gov/programs/Area-Codes.