New 472 area code to take effect in Cumberland, New Hanover, Onslow counties in October
Posted: February 11, 2022 by Katie Moore
A new area code for southeastern North Carolina will go into effect in early October, more than four months earlier than planned, state officials say.
The 472 area code will be used for new phone lines in Cumberland, New Hanover, Onslow and Robeson counties. The move means that residents in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Wilmington, Jacksonville and Lumberton will get numbers that begin with 472 if they get new service or an additional line, according to a statement released this week by the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
“The new 472 area code will overlay the existing 910 area code and will serve the same geographic area but will not require current 910 phone numbers to change,” it said.
Numbers with the new area code will start being assigned to lines Oct. 7, the statement said. New numbers with the 910 area code are expected to be exhausted by the end of the year, it said.
State officials had planned to start using the 472 area code in February 2023, saying that the 910 numbers were expected to last until early next year.
“Customers receiving a 472 area code will be required to dial the area code and phone number for all local calls, just as customers with telephone numbers from the 910 area code do today,” the statement said.
The overlay district means that southeastern North Carolina will have both the 910 and 472 area codes. The Triangle, Triad and Charlotte regions of the state already have two area codes.
Forming an overlay district keeps state officials from having to divide an area into separate area codes. The 910 area code was formed in 1993 when it was split from the 919 area code, which was used in the Raleigh area.