ATLANTA (AP) – Metro Atlanta is getting its fifth area code beginning March 15, with phone companies beginning to issue numbers that begin with 943.
That area code will join 404, 770, 678 and 470 across a broad swath of northern Georgia stretching from Gainesville to Cedartown to Griffin to Winder.
The remainder of Georgia has five other area codes.
The Georgia Public Service Commission approved the additional area code in 2020, after administrators warned that metro Atlanta was running out of numbers in the four existing area codes. Numbers had been projected to run out in the middle of 2023, but the timeline was moved up as demand for phone numbers continued. Each area code can provide about 7.9 million phone numbers, but many people now have more than one number.
Customers will not change their number or existing area code and customers in the Atlanta region will continue to dial 10 digits with all numbers. The local calling area will not change.