Area code 708 serves a significant portion of the Illinois suburban landscape, specifically encompassing a large section to the west and south of Chicago. If you’re wondering “Where Is Area Code 708,” it primarily covers western and southern Cook County, along with eastern and southern Will County. This includes a diverse range of cities and communities, making it a densely populated and important region within Illinois.
To be more precise, area code 708 includes cities and communities such as Alsip, Beecher, Bellwood, Berwyn, Blue Island, Bridgeview, Broadview, Burbank, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Country Club Hills, Crest Hill, Crete, Dolton, Elmwood Park, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Forest Park, Glenwood, Harvey, Harwood Heights, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Homewood, Justice, La Grange, Lansing, Lyons, Markham, Matteson, Maywood, Melrose Park, Midlothian, Mokena, Norridge, Northlake, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Orland Park, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Richton Park, River Forest, River Grove, Riverdale, South Holland, Steger, Tinley Park, Westchester, Western Springs, and Worth. This extensive list demonstrates the wide geographical reach and the large population served by the 708 area code.
Due to the increasing demand for phone numbers in this region, the Illinois Commerce Commission has introduced a new area code to supplement the existing 708 code. This new area code is 464, and it operates as an “overlay.” An overlay means that instead of creating a new geographical area, the 464 area code is added to the same region already covered by 708. This ensures that current 708 number holders retain their existing area code, while new phone numbers issued in the region may be assigned the 464 area code.
The implementation of the 464 area code overlay is a proactive measure to ensure a continuous supply of telephone numbers for the growing needs of residents and businesses in the 708 region. The need for this overlay was initially approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission back in June 30, 1999. However, due to effective number conservation methods like number pooling and careful review of numbering requests, the actual implementation was delayed until now. The 464 area code will only be activated for assignment once all available prefixes within the 708 area code are exhausted, which was projected to begin in January 2022.
For those living and working in the 708 and 464 overlay region, it’s important to be aware of the dialing procedures. To ensure seamless connectivity within the overlay area, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates 10-digit dialing for all calls. This means that for every call you make, you must dial “1” followed by the 10-digit phone number (area code + seven-digit number). This 1+10-digit dialing is required for all calls within the 708/464 area, regardless of whether you are calling a 708 number or a 464 number. It’s crucial to note that this change in dialing procedure does not affect the cost of calls; a local call remains a local call, and a toll call remains a toll call.
The transition to mandatory 10-digit dialing in the 708 area was enforced starting between October 24, 2021, and January 8, 2022. This change was also partly driven by the nationwide implementation of the 988 dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. By adopting 10-digit dialing for local calls, it frees up the “988” prefix for this crucial national service.
In conclusion, area code 708 is located in the western and southern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, covering a wide range of communities in Cook and Will Counties. The introduction of the 464 area code as an overlay ensures the continued availability of phone numbers in this growing region. Residents and businesses in this area should remember to use 10-digit dialing for all calls to ensure successful connections within the 708/464 overlay zone.
