Area code 708

Area code 708 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the state of Illinois. It serves a large portion of suburban Cook County and all of Will County, encompassing numerous communities to the west and south of Chicago. The code was created in 1989 as a split from the original 312 area code, which was retained solely for the city of Chicago. It is overlaid by area code 464, which began service in 2022 to provide additional numbering resources.

History

Area code 708 was activated on November 11, 1989, in one of the first major splits of the long-standing 312 code. This change was necessitated by the rapid growth of telecommunications demand in the Chicago metropolitan area, driven by the proliferation of fax machines, modems, and additional residential lines. The split was part of a broader plan by the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Bell System to manage numbering exhaustion. Initially, the new boundary placed the city of Chicago in 312, while most of its older, inner-ring suburbs like Cicero, Oak Park, and Evanston were assigned to 708. This configuration was short-lived, as further splits soon followed to address the continuing demand.

Service area

The 708 area code covers a diverse and populous region of northeastern Illinois. Its primary service area includes the western and southern suburbs of Chicago within Cook County, such as Berwyn, Elmhurst, Hoffman Estates, Oak Lawn, and Schaumburg. It also serves all of Will County, including major municipalities like Joliet, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield. The region is a hub for major corporations, retail centers like Woodfield Mall, and transportation infrastructure, including O'Hare International Airport and Interstate 55. Educational institutions such as the University of St. Francis and Trinity Christian College are located within its boundaries.

Overlays and splits

Due to persistent demand for telephone numbers, the original 708 territory has undergone multiple subdivisions. In 1996, area code 630 was created, splitting off the western and far southwestern suburbs, including Aurora, Naperville, and Wheaton. This was followed by the 1997 introduction of area code 847 (later overlaid by 224), which took the northern suburbs like Arlington Heights and Waukegan. The most recent change occurred on August 19, 2022, when area code 464 was implemented as an all-services overlay for the entire 708 region. This overlay, approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission, mandates ten-digit dialing for all local calls and was a response to the near exhaustion of 708 numbers.

In popular culture

Area code 708 has been referenced in various cultural works, often to establish a setting in the Chicago suburbs. It is mentioned in the lyrics of songs by artists from the region, such as Common and Kanye West, who have roots in the area. The code appears in films and television series set in Illinois, providing authentic local color. Additionally, it is used in the titles of local business and community publications, reinforcing its geographic identity. The area's communities, like Harvey and Maywood, have also been depicted in works focusing on suburban life and socio-economic dynamics.

See also

* Area code 312 * Area code 630 * Area code 847 * Area code 224 * Area code 464 * North American Numbering Plan * Illinois Commerce Commission * Chicago metropolitan area

Category:Area codes in Illinois Category:1989 establishments in Illinois Category:Telecommunications in the United States