Illinois panel announces new 464 area code for 708 region

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Chicago’s southern suburbs will receive a new telephone are code in the coming months to meet the demand for new telephone numbers.

The 464 area code will overlay the 708 area code, the Illinois Commerce Commission said Monday. The 464 area code will be available only when all assignable prefixes in the 708 code have been exhausted, the panel said. That’s not expected to occur until January.

The 708 area code serves most of western and southern Cook County and eastern and southern Will County including Alsip, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Lansing and Oak Lawn.

With an overlay, an additional area code is added to the same geographic area as the existing area code, with all current phone customers retaining the original area code. The 464 area code will be assigned to new customers requesting local phone service, cellular and paging services, and alarms, the commission said.

Current 708 area customers will keep their numbers. Consumers seeking additional telephone lines will, in most cases, continue to be able to receive 708 telephone numbers, even after the 464 area code is in service, the commission said.

Local calls will remain local calls.