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760 Area Code to NOT Occur in Carlsbad and North County San Diego

By Jeff Dowler, CRS

Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty of California, Inc. CA DRE #01490977

October 18, 2008 02:51 PM

It's now official.

What was feared by many, and hoped for by some, has now been decided.

The proposal was to split the 760 area code in California, which includes a large portion of North San Diego County and many communities to the north and east. The concern was that changing the area code from 760 to 442 in a large area (including Carlsbad and nearby communities) would cost business owners millions.

760 versus 442

The new plan, an overlay, has now been voted on and the results are in.

There will NOT be a 760/442 area code split. Those with the 760 area code will retain it but new customers will be assigned the 442 area code.

The other change, a little bothersome but having gotten used to it back East, is that folks will now have to dial ten digits (760 - XXX-XXXX) instead of the usual 7. In my mind a minor inconvenience in order to avoid the significant cost of making changes in the area for all the small businesses.

The new MANDATORY dialing (10 versus 7 digits) begins October 24, 2009.

The new overlay becomes effective November 21, 2009.

For more details check out the Keep 760 website.

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George Souto

George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT

Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Jeff we went to two area codes back about ten years ago, and it is a pain in the donkey, especially when it is unclear if the phone number is in a 203 or 860 area. Usually I guess wrong, so I not only end up having to dial the number twice, but one of those time includes extra digits.

Oct 18, 2008 02:56 PM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Hi Jeff, When I read about this, I wondered if you would write about it. The real negative is having to dial 10 digits where the other way you would only have to dial 10 digits with the other area code. I guess people don't get it.

It is my understanding that this whole mess could have been avoided if the designated new area code was exclusive for cell phone use and left the 760 for residential.

Oct 18, 2008 03:49 PM

Susie Blackmon

Ocala, FL

Ocala, Horses, Western Wear, Horse Farms, Marketing

We have numbers here that are long distance but you don't know it until you get 'the message.' Friends of mine have a cell number that requires the area code, and a home number that doesn't.

Oct 18, 2008 10:21 PM

Lenn Harley

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA

Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Goodness, we've had the 10 digit dial since about 1990 or earlier.

One thing for sure, my 800# has been worth the money. I've had one since 1995 although they did change it on me once.

Oct 18, 2008 11:17 PM

Jeff Dowler, CRS

eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA

The Southern California Relocation Dude

George - same thing when I lived in Boston, but there we ended up with 3. I had one for home, one for work and one for cell. But you get used to it.

Susie - well that sounds confusing

William - I guess the 10 digits is not a big deal since I had to do this for some years in Boston. It just took a little time to remember to dial all 10 when in your own area code, but a heckuva lots easier that learning and using a new area code. I would not want to have a different ara code for my cell than my home phone. I think we still would have had troulbe eventually with the population growth.

Lenn - well we did not go that far back in Boston but close. WHen I first moved to my small town in the Boston area we only had to dial the last 4 digits since everyone in town had the same exchange (less than 5000 folks).

Jeff

Oct 19, 2008 03:13 AM

Anonymous

Emily Manley

Maybe if San Diego were to stop the endless building, which clogs our freeways, and sewer systems, and depletes our water...then there would not be the need for another Area Code!

Dec 04, 2008 09:19 AM

Emily - I wish it were that simple. What about all the folks who have cell phones? OR more than one cell homes? And multiple phone lines? And people moving to other areas besides San Diego? The 760 area code goes all the way up to Barstow so it is not simply a San Diego issue.

Yep, we are growing alot, but relative to some places like Las Vegas and Phoeniz, our building growth does not compare. Zip code changes are occuring, and have occurred in many parts of the country.

I appreciate your feelings about the growth and its impact on traffic, pollution, our sewers, water and other issues. These are complex matters indeed and I suspect there is more the city could do to plan accordingly.

Dec 04, 2008 01:57 PM

760 Area Code to NOT Occur in Carlsbad and North County San Diego

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