Greater Houston area to receive 5th area code

The Greater Houston area is getting the 621 area code after it exhausts the last available numbers for the four it currently has.

The overview

The Public Utility Commission of Texas, or PUCT, approved Houston’s fifth area code, according to an Oct. 25 news release from the agency. Officials expect to start handing out the new 621 code in 2025, which is when the current four area codes—281, 346, 713 and 832—are expected to run out.

The fifth area code will meet the numbering needs of the area for another nine years, according to the release.

The new area code will not affect current numbers, but the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, or NANPA, will oversee a nine-month implementation of the number, according to the release. Officials expect the addition to be “a seamless transition” for residents.

What else?

NANPA from early July through Aug. 5 received public comment on the topic.

The last code given to the area was 346 in 2013, according to the release. The first area code the area received—713—was in 1947.