Region getting new area code in March

PHILADELPHIA » Philadelphia and its surroundings will be getting a new area code, but not right away.

Officials say that beginning in March, 445 will be added to the same region served by the current 215 and 267 area codes. That includes parts of Berks, Montgomery, Bucks and Lehigh counties.

The 444 code will be assigned to new numbers. Current phone numbers and the price of calls in the coverage area will remain the same. Calls considered local will remain local calls.

The Public Utilities Commission says, however, the change won’t begin until March. Spokesman Nils Hagen-Frederiksen says the earliest date any 445 number could go into service is March 3.

There are currently four area codes in Southeastern Pennsylvania: 215, 267, 484 and 610. The projected exhaust date for the 215/267 area codes is the fourth quarter of 2019.