Hubbry Logo
Area codes 618 and 730Area codes 618 and 730Main
Open search
Area codes 618 and 730
Community hub
Area codes 618 and 730
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Area codes 618 and 730
Area codes 618 and 730
Area codes 618 and 730
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia
The numbering plan areas and area codes of Illinois

Area codes 618 and 730 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for southern Illinois. The numbering plan area (NPA) comprises one hundred and twenty-six municipalities, such as Carbondale, Cairo, Belleville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Marion, O'Fallon, Alton, Mt. Vernon, Centralia, Herrin, Salem, Metropolis, Fairview Heights, Collinsville, and Granite City. Area code 618 was one of the original North American area codes created in 1947, and 730 was added to the plan area to form an overlay complex to satisfy the need for more telephone numbers in the region. The current population of the 618/730 area code is 1,288,816 people.[1] It encompasses approximately 15,458 square mile (9,893,120 acres); and has a population density of 83.38 people per square mile.

History

[edit]

When the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) organized the nation's telephone networks in 1947 under a new nationwide telephone numbering plan, Illinois was divided into four numbering plan areas to accommodate large number of central offices that were necessary for the state's dense population and toll call routing infrastructure.[2]

Area code 618 was assigned to a numbering plan area in southern Illinois, including the population centers of East St. Louis and Carbondale. In 1954, most of Metro East of St. Louis switched from area code 217 to 618.

Projections in 2021 by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, indicated central office code exhaustion by 2025.[3] Periodic proposals were made for code relief, and area code 730 was designated for an overlay complex. Implementation was completed with an in-service date of July 7, 2023, resulting in all Illinois area codes being overlay codes.[4]

Prior to October 2021, area code 618 had telephone numbers assigned for the central office code 988. In 2020, 988 was designated nationwide as a dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which created a conflict for exchanges that permit seven-digit dialing. This area code was therefore scheduled to transition to ten-digit dialing by October 24, 2021.[5]

Cities in the service area

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Area codes 618 and 730

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Area codes 618 and 730 are telephone area codes in the (NANP) that serve the southern portion of , covering all or parts of 37 counties including major communities such as Alton, Belleville, Carbondale, East St. Louis, and Marion. Area code 618 was established on January 1, 1947, as one of the original 86 area codes created by under the NANP to facilitate across the and . It originally encompassed the entire southern third of , including cities like East St. Louis and extending to the state's borders with and . By the early , the rapid growth in demand—driven by increases, additional mobile devices, and new services—led to the near exhaustion of available prefixes in the 618 region, prompting the need for relief. The Illinois Commerce Commission approved the creation of area code 730 as an overlay for 618 on June 30, 2023, with the new code entering service on July 7, 2023. Under the overlay plan, 730 serves the identical geographic area as 618 without requiring existing customers to change their phone numbers; instead, new service requests or additional lines are assigned 730 numbers as available central office codes are depleted. This implementation mandates 10-digit dialing (area code plus seven-digit number) for all local calls within the region to distinguish between the two codes, though emergency services like 911 and abbreviated codes such as 211 remain unaffected. The change does not alter call rates, coverage areas, or the classification of local versus long-distance calls.

Overview

Geographic Coverage

Area codes 618 and 730 serve , encompassing the region—the Illinois portion of the metropolitan area—and extending through rural southern counties to the along the border with . The region is bounded to the north by area code 217, to the south by area code 270 in , to the west by across the in , and to the east by area code 812 in . This territory spans a total land area of approximately 15,458 square miles. The entire region operates within the , observing UTC−6 during standard time and UTC−5 during . In an overlay configuration, area codes 618 and 730 share the identical geographic footprint, with no splits or distinctions based on location.

Demographic Information

The service area of area codes 618 and 730 encompasses a total population of 1,288,816 as recorded in the 2020 U.S. Census. This figure reflects the human scale driving telecommunications needs across , where the region spans approximately 15,458 s with a of 83.38 people per . The features a pronounced urban-rural mix, with dense concentrations in the region—suburbs of such as Belleville and East St. Louis—contrasting sharply with low-density rural areas in the southern portions of the service area. This distribution underscores varying settlement patterns, where urban hubs support higher economic and residential activity compared to agricultural and sparsely populated southern locales. The concentration of growth in urban centers like Belleville and East St. Louis has fueled increasing demand for telephone numbers, contributing to the projected exhaustion of area code 618 and necessitating the 2023 overlay with 730. Since the overlay's , no significant population shifts have occurred in the region to alter code usage patterns as of 2025, with overall stability or minor declines observed in key counties.

History

Creation of Area Code 618

Area code 618 was established on January 1, 1947, as one of the original 86 numbering plan areas (NPAs) in the inaugural (NANP), developed by and the to standardize long-distance telephone numbering across the and . This plan divided the continent into geographic regions to facilitate direct-dialed calling, with area codes assigned based on population density and rotary dial efficiency, prioritizing low middle digits for larger areas. As an original code, 618 was among the foundational NPAs that avoided later reassignments or relief planning in its early decades, unlike many codes introduced post-1947. Initially, area code 618 covered , encompassing rural counties and industrial centers south of , such as Carbondale and , while the Metro East region—including East St. Louis—was assigned to area code 217, which served including Springfield. This division reflected the NANP's early emphasis on state-based boundaries, with split into four codes: 312 for Chicago, 217 for central areas, 618 for the south, and 815 for the north. The assignment aimed to distribute telephone traffic evenly, though 's mix of , , and influenced 618's role in connecting dispersed communities. In 1954, boundaries between area codes 217 and 618 were adjusted to transfer most of the from 217 to 618, balancing numbering resources and acknowledging the region's economic and cultural ties to the metropolitan area across the . This remapping was one of the first post-NANP modifications in , prompted by growing telephone demand in the St. Louis suburbs and the need to prevent overload in 217. The change streamlined local calling patterns without requiring splits, preserving 618's integrity for decades. Throughout its early history, area code 618 primarily served rural farmlands, districts, and emerging industrial hubs in , supporting a population that relied on and rather than . Unlike busier codes that underwent splits in the and , 618 experienced no further boundary changes until the introduction of overlay area code 730 in 2023 to address central office code exhaustion. This stability underscored its role as a longstanding original NPA in a region of steady but modest growth.

Addition of Area Code 730

Planning for relief of area code 618 began in 2000, when a petition was filed to reserve 730 as an overlay. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved the introduction of area code 730 as an all-services overlay on January 4, 2006, in Docket No. 00-0677, covering the identical territory as 618. However, implementation was delayed due to ongoing number conservation efforts. Due to the rapid growth in mobile and VoIP services, a 2021 analysis by the Administrator () projected that area code 618 would exhaust its available central office codes by mid-2025. This depletion necessitated relief planning to ensure continued availability of telephone numbers across the region without interrupting service. An overlay was selected over a geographic split to minimize disruption in the expansive 15,000+ square mile area, preserving existing numbering and avoiding the need to reassign numbers in rural and urban communities alike. On December 7, 2022, the ICC announced that implementation would begin on July 7, 2023, with new telephone numbers and additional lines assigned from the 730 pool, while all existing 618 numbers remained unchanged and unaffected. To facilitate this transition and accommodate the nationwide rollout of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, mandatory for all local calls within the 618/730 region was required starting October 24, 2021; this change did not alter emergency dialing procedures. As of 2025, the assignment of 730 numbers has proceeded gradually, with providers distributing them as demand arises, and no significant issues have been reported in the coexistence of the two codes. This overlay has effectively extended numbering resources, supporting ongoing population and connectivity pressures in without the logistical challenges of a split.

Service Area

Counties Included

Area codes 618 and 730 serve all or part of 37 counties in southern Illinois. The following counties are fully covered: Alexander, Bond, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, St. Clair, Saline, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson. Partial coverage extends to counties such as Calhoun, Greene, and Jersey, where only specific portions fall within the numbering plan area. Additionally, northern edges of some counties, including parts of Madison and St. Clair, may border or overlap with area code 217 boundaries. These counties collectively span the region from the in the west to the in the east, supporting diverse local economies centered on , , and related industries.

Principal Municipalities

The principal municipalities served by area codes 618 and 730 are concentrated in , particularly in the region adjacent to , , and in the southernmost counties along the and Rivers. These communities vary from densely populated urban centers to smaller rural towns, reflecting the diverse telephony demands of the region, where high-growth suburbs require substantial numbering resources while remote areas maintain lower usage volumes. Among the largest cities with populations exceeding 20,000, Belleville in St. Clair County stands as the most populous at approximately 40,726 residents as of 2023, serving as a key commercial and administrative hub that has driven significant demand for telephone numbers due to its proximity to and regional employment centers. O'Fallon, also in St. Clair County, has around 32,169 residents in 2024 and functions as a growing , contributing to the area's expanding infrastructure needs through family-oriented development and commuting patterns to . In Madison County, Granite City (population 26,854 in 2024) supports industrial activities along the , necessitating robust local calling capacity for manufacturing and logistics operations. Edwardsville (26,715 residents in 2024), the Madison County seat, hosts , boosting telephony usage for educational and student-related communications. Alton (24,967 residents in 2024) in Madison County is a historic river port with tourism and healthcare sectors that rely on area code connectivity for regional services. Collinsville (23,766 residents in 2024), another Madison County city, features agricultural and retail economies that sustain steady local phone traffic. Further south, Carbondale in Jackson County (22,223 residents in 2024) centers on , where academic and research activities have historically increased numbering requirements in the area. Smaller but significant municipalities include East St. Louis in St. Clair County (17,808 residents in 2024), a historic industrial city that, despite population decline, maintains vital transportation and port facilities demanding reliable telephony for cross-state operations. Marion in Williamson County (17,021 residents in 2024) acts as a regional retail and healthcare center in the downstate area. Other notable communities encompass Fairview Heights and in St. Clair County, Godfrey in Madison County, Centralia and in Jefferson County (14,162 residents in 2024), Herrin in Williamson County, Columbia in Monroe County, Salem in Marion County, in Massac County, and in Alexander County, the latter representing a low-density rural outpost with historical significance along the river confluence. Urban hubs in the , such as Belleville and O'Fallon, exemplify high-density areas where population growth and economic ties to have accelerated telephone number exhaustion, prompting the 730 overlay to accommodate expanded and residential lines. In contrast, rural towns like illustrate lower-density settings with minimal telephony pressure, primarily supporting agriculture and limited local services.

References

  1. https://www.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/illinois/iisnewsattachments/26655-new-730-area-code-coming-to-the-illinois-618-area-code-region.pdf
  2. https://www.allareacodes.com/618
  3. https://www.sent.dm/resources/understanding-area-code-618
  4. https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2023-01-04/metro-east-new-730-area-code-july-2023
  5. https://www.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/illinois/iisnewsattachments/25770-the-new-730-area-code-is-coming-to-southern-illinois.pdf
  6. https://www.zipdatamaps.com/area-code-618
  7. https://www.goodcall.com/business-phone-number/618-area-code
  8. https://krispcall.com/local-phone-number/618-area-code/
  9. https://www.zip-codes.com/area-code/area-code-618.asp
  10. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html
  11. https://www.lincmad.com/table1947.html
  12. https://www.allareacodes.com/illinois_area_codes.htm
  13. https://store.outrightcrm.com/blog/what-is-217-area-code/
  14. https://www.thebengilpost.com/10-digit-dialing-for-618-area-code-begins-october-24
  15. https://www.allareacodes.com/730
  16. https://www.kfvs12.com/2023/07/07/new-730-area-code-launches-southern-ill/
  17. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bellevillecityillinois/PST045224
  18. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1755249
  19. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1730926
  20. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1722697
  21. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1701114
  22. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1715599
  23. https://www.explorecarbondale.com/272/Demographic-Information
  24. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1722255
  25. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1746916
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.