Get ready to see '445,' Philly's new area code

The Philadelphia area is getting a third area code.

The new “overlay” area code, 445, will begin service in Philadelphia and some suburban communities on March 3, the state Public Utility Commission announced Thursday.

The new area code “is being placed into service because the remaining supply of numbers in the current 215/267 area codes is nearly exhausted,” the commission said in a news release.

March 3 is the earliest date that any new 445 number can be placed into service, according to North American Numbering Plan Administration, the third-party area code relief planner for the state.

“It is important for consumers across the Philadelphia region to understand that the activation of this new area code will not change the way they dial calls or result in any changes to their service,” PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown said. “For nearly 20 years, callers in the 215/267 area have been using 10-digit dialing — so the biggest adjustment for many will be recognizing that calls to-and-from the ‘445' area code are still local calls.”

The PUC approved the numbering plan administration's petition to implement the new overlay area code in November 2016.

Southwestern Pennsylvania is currently served by three area codes — 412, 724, and 878.

The area should not run out of available numbers until late 2039, PUC spokesman Nils Hagen-Frederiksen said.

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or on Twitter @BCRittmeyer.