Area code 973

Area code 973 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was created in 1997 as a split from Area code 201, which had served the entire northern region since 1947. The 973 area code primarily serves the western and southern suburbs of New York City, including major cities like Newark, Paterson, and Morristown. It is an overlay complex with Area code 862, requiring ten-digit dialing for all local calls.

History

The history of area code 973 is directly tied to the telecommunications growth of Northern New Jersey. The region was originally part of the nation's first area code, Area code 201, established by AT&T and Bell System in 1947. For five decades, 201 covered all of New Jersey north of the Mercer-Monmouth county line. By the mid-1990s, the proliferation of fax machines, cell phones, and pagers led to the exhaustion of available numbers. To provide relief, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the Federal Communications Commission approved a geographic split. On June 1, 1997, the western and southern portions of the old 201 region were assigned the new 973 area code, while the northeastern portion retained 201. This split roughly followed county lines, with 973 encompassing Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties, among others.

Service area

The 973 area code serves a diverse and populous region of New Jersey, characterized by dense suburban communities, historic towns, and significant urban centers. Its major municipalities include Newark, the state's most populous city and a major commercial and transportation hub; Paterson, known for its industrial history and the Great Falls; and Morristown, a historic seat of government and commerce. Other significant communities within the numbering plan area are Bloomfield, Clifton, Dover, East Orange, Irvington, Montclair, Nutley, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Wayne, and West Orange. The region is home to major institutions like Newark Liberty International Airport, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Drew University.

Overlay plans and relief

Continued demand for telephone numbers from new residents and businesses, as well as the rise of mobile devices and Voice over IP services, necessitated additional relief for the 973 area code. Rather than another geographically disruptive split, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator implemented an overlay plan. On September 10, 2001, area code 862 was added as an overlay to the entire 973 region. This meant all new numbers in the area could be assigned either a 973 or 862 area code. A consequence of this overlay was the mandatory implementation of ten-digit dialing (area code + seven-digit number) for all local calls, which became effective for 973/862 in June 2002. This overlay method has since become the standard relief strategy in New Jersey and across the NANP, as seen with other complexes like Area code 908/Area code 848 and Area code 609/Area code 640.

In popular culture

The 973 area code has been referenced in various aspects of popular culture, often as a marker of identity and origin for artists and characters from Northern New Jersey. Notably, it is the namesake of "973," a hip-hop collective and record label founded by Queen Latifah and other Newark natives. The area code is frequently mentioned in the lyrics of musicians from the region, including Redman (from Newark), Lauryn Hill (from South Orange), and the Fugees. In television, the code is used to establish setting, such as in episodes of The Sopranos, where characters' phone numbers often begin with 973, grounding the drama in its New Jersey milieu. The cultural significance of the number extends to local pride, with it appearing on merchandise and being used by businesses to emphasize their community roots.

Category:Area codes in New Jersey Category:1997 establishments in New Jersey Category:North American Numbering Plan area codes