Central Illinois is just two months away from getting an additional area code.
The new 447 area code will “overlay” the existing 217 beginning March 29, 2021.
As one of the original eighty-six area codes in the United States, 217 covers 36 counties including communities such as Springfield, Champaign, Urbana, Decatur, Danville, Quincy, and Rantoul.
Current phone customers will retain the original area code.
New telephone customers for local phone service, cellular, paging services, and alarms, assigned in the same area may receive telephone numbers in the new overlay area code beginning March 29.
Beginning Feb. 27 all local calls made within the 217 area code will have to be placed using the 10-digit telephone number (area code, plus the seven-digit telephone number).
This requirement does not affect the cost of the call. A local call will remain a local call, and a toll call will remain a toll call, regardless of the number of digits that are dialed to complete it.
While 447 telephone numbers will begin to appear in 2021, there will continue to be an ongoing supply of available 217 telephone numbers in most areas.
