Hillsborough County Has A New Area Code

On Thursday, the State of Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) announced a new area code for Hillsborough County: 656.

The county’s new 656 area code covers the same geographic boundaries as the current 813 area code and was approved by the PSC in March. The purpose of the new area code is to extend the supply of telephone numbers in that area.

“Existing customers will keep their numbers, but as 813 area code numbers are exhausted, new customers, or customers adding additional lines, will receive the new area code,” the PSC wrote.

What does that mean for us? It means you’ll have to dial “8-1-3” plus the seven-digit number to make local calls going forward. A six-month permissive period means you have a chance to practice 10-digit dialing, too.

“656 is easy to remember, and customers will also find the approved overlay plan easy to implement,” PSC Chairman Gary Clark said. “Existing telephone numbers will not change, and the six-month permissive dialing period will allow time for customers to adjust to 10-digit dialing. It is critical that businesses and individuals have access to new phone numbers when they need them, especially during the current emergency.”

The demand for new telephone numbers has been growing rapidly, “resulting in a shortage of available numbers in many areas,” according to the Public Service Commission. That stems from factors such as population increases and cellular phones.

The 813 region is centered on Tampa and includes surrounding communities such as Brandon, Land O' Lakes, Oldsmar, Riverview, Thonotosassa, Town 'n' Country, Valrico and Zephyrhills.

With the implementation of the additional area code, the region isn’t expected to face the need for another area code for 37 years.