Hudson Valley in need of new area code

Many Hudson Valley residents love their local 845 area code. It’s plastered on shirts and a Snapchat filter. But soon a new three-digit code will be introduced to accommodate a growing demand for phone numbers.

The state Public Service Commission on Thursday approved and ordered a plan to overlay an additional area code for all or portions of the following 10 counties: Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

The new area code is expected to be activated before the third quarter of 2023, six months prior to when numbers using the current 845 area code are expected to run out. Residents getting a new phone number around this time next year should

be prepared for a new threedigit start.

“As the economy continues to grow, and the need for more cellular service becomes apparent, there is a greater need for an additional telephone area code number,” Public Service Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said in a news release. The decision follows three public hearings on the matter in March.

This isn’t the first telephone change to hit the area in recent months. In October, 10-digit dialing went into effect in the area to make way for the national implementation of the “988” three-digit hotline to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It was a dialing change that helped make way for this one.

According to public documents, local phone carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon said they strongly support the decision for the new area code, stating it will minimize inconvenience to consumers, and that it is the most practical and effective form of area code relief available.

Residents who have a phone number with an 845 area code will keep that number.