JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Starting this weekend, people in Missouri’s 573 area code will need to dial all ten digits of a phone number in order to make a call.
The biggest cities in the current 573 area code are Columbia, Jefferson City, Rolla, and Cape Girardeau. The area code also serves callers as far south as Missouri’s bootheel, as far north as Hannibal and on the outskirts of the St. Louis region.
For many years, people in the 573 area code have had the option of using seven digits to make calls within their service area. That changes on Saturday.
The Missouri Public Service Commission says all local calls made within the 573 region must be placed using 10 digits. Calls using seven digits will no longer go through.
There’s another notable change: follow the 10-digit dialing process. Officials plan to activate a new area code on March 24.
A new area code of 235 will be given to customers in the 573 region who request new service or additional phone lines. This is known as an overlay.
“Customers are reminded that the 573 area code is not going away and if they have a
telephone number with the 573 area code, they will not lose or have to change their telephone
number,” said Missouri Public Service Commission Chairman Scott Rupp. “An overlay is a more efficient and less disruptive way to alleviate the exhaustion of available telephone numbers. which is occurring in the 573 area code.”
The Missouri Public Service Commission says the price of a call, coverage area, and other rates and services will not change with the 235 overlay. Using three digits to reach 911 or 988 services will remain unaffected.