Area codes 209 and 350

Area codes 209 and 350are telephonearea codesin theNorth American Numbering Plan(NANP) for theU.S. stateofCalifornia.Their service area includesStockton,Modesto,Turlock,Merced,Winton,Atwater,Livingston,Manteca,Ripon,Tracy,Lodi,Galt,Sonora,Los Banos,San Andreas,Mariposa,andYosemite,the northernSan Joaquin Valley(part of theCentral Valley), and theSierra Foothills.

Area code 209 was created in anarea code splitofarea code 415on October 26, 1957. On November 14, 1998, the southern half of this numbering plan area received the assignment ofarea code 559.

On October 24, 2021, 209 was transitioned to1+10-digit dialingdespite not being part of anoverlay complexat that time. The area code had telephone numbers assigned for thecentral office code988, which was designated as a nationwide three-digit dialing code for the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelinein 2022. This created a conflict for all NPAs with central office codes of 988 that still permittedseven-digit dialing,^[1]requiring all such NPAs to transition to ten-digit dialing.

On November 28, 2022, the 209 numbering plan area was assigned a second area code, 350, to form an overlay complex to address the impending central office code exhaustion in 209 from growth in telecommunication services.^[2]The network preparation period was able to be expedited since ten-digit dialing was already in effect.^[3]