904 and 324: New area code selected for the Jacksonville area

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s not just 904 anymore: a new area code has been selected for the Jacksonville area.

The Florida Public Service Commission said the new area code will be 324 and will have the same geographic boundaries as the 904 area code, including Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Fernandina Beach, Orange Park, and surrounding communities.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The PSC said the new area code overlay, which was approved in May, will extend the area’s current supply of telephone numbers.

Action News Jax first told you in February when the PSC received a proposal for a new area code for Northeast Florida since the 904 area code was projected to run out of phone numbers by 2024.

Existing customers will keep their current telephone numbers, but new customers, or requests for additional lines, may be assigned the new 324 area code. Ten-digit dialing will now be required to make local calls -- the area code plus the seven-digit phone number.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

“As Florida’s 4th originally assigned area code, the 904 area code has a long history of adapting to Florida’s growth.” PSC Chairman Andrew Fay said in a news release. “This approved relief was the first of its kind for Jacksonville as the 324 area code overlay is designed to meet the increased demand for new numbers in this thriving area.”

Phone numbers in Florida and throughout the United States are governed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA). In October 2021, NANPA forecasted a need for 904 area code relief. An industry meeting was held in January 2022, and NANPA filed a petition with the PSC in February 2022 favoring the “all-services distributed overlay plan.” PSC staff held a virtual public workshop on March 23, 2022, to educate and receive input from affected customers.

For more information about area codes and why they change, see the PSC’s brochure on area codes. For more information, call the PSC’s customer assistance line at 1-800-342-3552 or contact your local telephone carrier.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

©2022 Cox Media Group