Area code 323

Area code 323 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of California. It is an overlay code serving the central region of Los Angeles County, primarily covering the city of Los Angeles and several of its central and eastern neighborhoods. The area code was created in 1998 as a split from area code 213 to provide additional telephone numbering capacity for the region.

History

Area code 323 was activated on June 13, 1998, as a geographic split from the original Los Angeles area code 213. This split was mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission to address the exhaustion of available telephone numbers within the 213 region due to the proliferation of fax machines, mobile phones, and pagers. The creation of 323 was part of a series of numbering relief measures for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, following the earlier introduction of area code 310 and area code 562. The boundary between 213 and 323 was drawn roughly along Beverly Boulevard and Washington Boulevard, placing many historic and central neighborhoods into the new 323 territory.

Service area

The 323 area code serves a densely populated and culturally diverse section of central Los Angeles. Its boundaries are complex, intermingling with those of Area code 213 and Area code 818. Major communities and neighborhoods within the 323 footprint include Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, Koreatown, East Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Boyle Heights, and the city of Huntington Park. The area encompasses significant civic institutions like the Los Angeles City Hall, cultural landmarks such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and major medical centers including the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.

In popular culture

Area code 323 has been frequently referenced in hip hop music and West Coast rap, often symbolizing the gritty, authentic core of Los Angeles. It is name-checked in songs by artists like The Game, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar. The area code has appeared in films and television series set in its neighborhoods, such as Training Day and *Snowfall*. The prominence of the 323 area code in media underscores its association with the cultural identity of central Los Angeles, distinct from the more famous Area code 310 associated with the Westside and Beverly Hills.

Overlay plans and relief

Due to continued number exhaustion, area code 323 was converted into an overlay complex. On January 25, 2017, the California Public Utilities Commission approved the addition of the new area code 213 as an all-services overlay over the same geographic territory as 323. This 213/323 overlay, which became effective on November 12, 2017, means that new telephone lines in the region may be assigned either a 323 or a 213 number, requiring ten-digit dialing for all local calls. This overlay strategy, also employed in other California regions like the 714/657 overlay, was implemented to avoid further geographic splits and the associated customer disruption.

Notable prefixes and central offices

The area code is served by numerous central offices (telephone exchanges) operated by providers like AT&T and Frontier Communications. Historically notable exchanges within 323 correspond to recognizable neighborhood names, such as the HOLLYWOOD (465) prefix serving the Hollywood district. Other significant central office codes include those serving the Los Angeles Police Department facilities, major studios in East Hollywood, and institutions like the University of Southern California. The proliferation of competitive local exchange carriers and voice over IP services has further diversified the assignment of prefixes across the region.

Category:Area codes in California Category:Los Angeles County, California Category:North American Numbering Plan area codes