Idaho’s Oldest Residents Prepare for New Area Code
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — As Idaho prepares to get its second area code, its oldest residents are recalling when the state didn't have an area code at all.
The Post Register reports that starting Saturday, residents will have to switch to 10-digit dialing to prepare for a new '986' area code coming in August. The '208' area code — Idaho's only one until now — was introduced in 1947 and replaced a system where residents dialed a few letters and numbers to make a call.
The state is running out of numbers due to cellphone users and internet calling. Idaho is one of a dozen states with just one area code. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission says the new area code will be assigned to new numbers and no existing numbers will change.