Area codes 713, 281, 832, and 346 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) forming an overlay complex for Houston, Texas and its environs. Area code 713 is one of the original four area codes established for Texas in 1947.

History

When the North American Numbering Plan was established in 1947, Texas was divided into four numbering plan areas (NPAs), roughly outlining four quadrants in the state. Area code 713 was assigned to the southeastern part, from the Sabine River to the Brazos Valley.

On March 19, 1983, the numbering plan area was divided for the first time. The immediate Houston area retained area code 713, while the northern, eastern and western portions became area code 409.

On November 2, 1996, area code 713 was split again, with most of Houston's suburbs switching to area code 281. The dividing line roughly followed Beltway 8. Generally, the majority of Houston itself and most of the suburbs inside the beltway kept area code 713, while 281 served everything outside the beltway. However, area code 713 was retained by all cellphone customers in the Houston area.

Although this was intended as a long-term solution, the rapid growth in demand for telephone services from the proliferation of pagers and cell phones required additional numbering resources within two years in both numbering plan areas. On January 16, 1999, the 713/281 boundary was removed, creating an overlay for the combined area, while simultaneously adding a third area code to the entire region, area code 832. As a result, ten-digit dialing became required for all calls in the Houston area.

On May 9, 2013, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) announced the addition of yet another code, area code 346, to the Houston overlay as of July 1, 2014. ^[1] This had the effect of allocating over 31 million telephone numbers to a service territory of eight million people. Exhaust projections of 2022 forecast that the Houston area will need a fifth area code by late 2025. ^[2] Area code 621 has been reserved as additional overlay code; the PUC approved its implementation in 2023 to begin in January 2025. ^[3]

Service area

Counties served by these area codes:

Towns and cities served by these area codes:

See also

• List of Texas area codes

References

Further reading

• Hlavaty, Craig (May 9, 2013). "Wait, area code pride is still a thing?". The Texican (blog). Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2018.

External links

• NANPA area code map of Texas