New 730 area code will overlay 618 in July

It can't be put off any more. A new telephone area code is officially coming to southern Illinois next July.

According to the Illinois Commerce Commission, the new 730 area code will “overlay” the existing 618 area code because the commission ran out of available prefixes for assignment in the region.

The 618 area code covers all or parts of 37 counties in Illinois from Metropolis to Mt. Vernon.

Starting July 7, customers in the 618 area code overlay region may be assigned a number in the new 730 area code when they request new service or an additional line.

According to the ICC, the 618 area code is one of 86 original area codes in the United States assigned by Bell Laboratories in 1947.

In 2006 the ICC approved the addition of area code 730, but conservation efforts forestalled the need for the new area code until now.

While many individual 618 telephone numbers remain unassigned, an area code is deemed to be “exhausted” when the last available prefix has been assigned.