Area codes 818 and 747 are telephonearea codes in theNorth American Numbering Plan (NANP) for theSan Fernando Valley region ofLos Angeles County in theU.S. state ofCalifornia.
Area code 818 was created in a split fromarea code 213 on January 7, 1984. On June 14, 1997, 818 was reduced in size to create a separate numbering plan area (NPA) for most of theSan Gabriel Valley witharea code 626. On May 18, 2009, area code 818 wasoverlaid with area code 747.
After the introduction of American telephone area codes in 1947, almost all of Los Angeles County usedarea code 213. During the 1980s and 1990s, the population and the demand for telecommunication services grew substantially in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, so that area code 213 came under resource pressure. In relief the numbering plan area was divided with several new area codes, including area code 818 andarea code 310. Area code 818 entered service on January 7, 1984,[1] making Los Angeles one of the first major cities to be split into multiple numbering plan areas.Area code 626 was assigned to a portion of the eastern part on June 14, 1997.
In November 1999, telephone administrations proposed an additional area code "at some future date". NPA 747 would be would split from 818, for the southern and western portions of the San Fernando Valley. This proposal sat dormant until 2007, when the telephone industry and the California Public Utilities Commission commenced resource utilization studies for relief action. Public sentiment indicated a preference foroverlay action rather than a split, since 818 customers would retain the area code. Only new service would require the new area code.
On April 24, 2008, the CPUC decided that area code 747 would overlay area code 818 effective May 18, 2009.[2] From that date, new numbers could be assigned to the new area code. All calls within the numbering plan area now requiredten-digit dialing. A permissive dialing period started October 11, 2008 during whichseven-digit dialing was still possible. As of mid-April 2009, calls must be dialed with the area code and number.[3]
The first telephone number block was assigned to area code 747 on October 11, 2009.[4]
The numbering plan area is home to the following cities:
In the moviePulp Fiction, after Vincent accidentally shoots an associate in the face, Jules calls his friend Jimmy, who lives in Toluca Lake, hoping to find a place to hide their blood-soaked automobile, telling Vincent he hopes Jimmy is home "cause I ain't got no other partners in 818".[5]
In the movieGo, Ronna tells Claire "Don't get 818 on me" when Claire acts reluctant to do some illegal/dangerous activities.[6]
In the movieSwingers, after Mike gets a girl's number at a bar, a friend asks "818?" in reference to the girl's area code, to which Mike responds "310", an answer that impresses the rest of his friends.[7]
In theJennifer Lopez song "Louboutins" Lopez sings "No more 818" while singing about a part-time lover who presumably lives in the area.[8]
| North:661 | ||
| West:805/820 | 818/747 | East:626 |
| South:310/424,213/323 |
34°14′00″N118°24′33″W / 34.2334°N 118.4093°W /34.2334; -118.4093