The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has received notice that the number 582 will be the new overlay area code for the current 814 area code, which covers all or parts of 27 counties across Central and Northwestern Pennsylvania.
The 582 area code number will be assigned to new telephone numbers once the available supply of numbers in the current 814 area code is exhausted.
The use of an overlay area code preserves existing phone numbers for residents and businesses in the region, while also ensuring that a supply of new numbers will be available for decades to come.
Updates to Key Dates
The PUC notes that the biggest adjustment for residents and businesses across the 814 area code will be the eventual switch to “10-digit dialing,” where callers will be required to dial the area code plus the seven-digit telephone number for all calls.
To help consumers and businesses in the region adjust to the upcoming change, the PUC approved a timetable to implement the new overlay – which has been revised slightly at the request of the telecommunications industry:
- October 3, 2020 (Previously Oct. 1) – Residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily start 10-digit dialing for calls in the 814 area code.
- April 3, 2021 (Previously April 1) – 10-digit dialing will be required for all calls.
- May 1, 2021 – The new overlay area code will be placed into service.
(New area code numbers will not be assigned until available 814 numbers are exhausted)
About the 814/582 Area Code
The 814 area code was established in 1947 and is one of Pennsylvania’s four original area codes. It includes cities such as Altoona, Erie, Johnstown and State College, and covers all or parts of 27 counties, including Armstrong (northeastern portion only); Bedford; Blair; Cambria; Cameron; Centre (majority of the county); Clarion (all except portions of west); Clearfield; Clinton (small portions); Crawford (all except southwestern portion); Elk; Erie; Fayette (small portions); Forest; Fulton (western portions); Huntingdon (except Kishacoquillas Valley); Indiana (northern and eastern portions only); Jefferson; McKean; Mercer (extreme northeastern portion); Mifflin (extreme southwestern corner); Potter; Somerset; Tioga (western portions only); Venango (all except southeastern corner); Warren; and Westmoreland (extreme northeastern corner only). It is the largest area code in the state and the last to undergo changes because existing phone numbers have been exhausted.
The 582 area code designation was selected by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), Somos, Inc., the neutral third-party which administers telephone resources across the United States.
