Brace Yourself, Michigan Is About To Get a New Area Code
Being of a certain age I'm old enough to remember a time when the (616) area code included Kalamazoo and Allegan, and wasn't just for Grand Rapids.
I'm that old!
For the record, that was July 13th, 2002 when the (269) area code first became effective.
Now, I'm not going to even pretend to be smart enough to understand how phone numbers and area codes work, but apparently Michigan needs a new one!
How Many Areas Does Michigan Have?
Michigan originally started with three area codes in 1947:
- (313) - For Detroit and eastern Michigan
- (517) - For Lansing and central Michigan.
- (616) - For Grand Rapids, western Michigan and upper Michigan.
Today, Michigan utilizes 12 different area codes but the state's largest metropolitan area is about to run out! Per MLive the Michigan Public Service Commission claims one region is about to run out of available numbers and it could happen as early as 2025. So what's the plan?
Welcome to the 679!
The original area code of Detroit the (313) is in danger because there are too many people and not enough numbers. Sources say the original (313) area code has been split or "overlaid" five times now, meaning the Detroit area is home to six of Michigan's twelve total area codes.
In Detroit you'll find area codes: 313, 248, 586, 734, 947, and soon 679.
When Will It Start?
The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) says Michigan can expect to start seeing 679 numbers being issued to phone users in the Metro Detroit area in November 2025.
Don't worry! Anyone with an existing (313) number will get to keep it and this change will only affect new numbers.
However, don't let your guard down just yet as Telecom Michigan expects 10 new area codes to be required in Michigan over the next 60 years-- at least someone is thinking ahead!