Houston gets new 621 area-code, fifth code for the city

HOUSTON - Houston, we got a new area code!

The Public Utility Commission of Texas has granted approval for the introduction of an additional area code, 621! The purpose of the addition is to address the escalating population growth in the greater Houston area.

According to the PUCT, the area is projected to deplete its supply of available phone numbers under the current 281, 346, 713, and 832 area codes by 2025. Once telecommunication service providers exhaust the remaining phone numbers in the 281/346/713/832 area codes, new numbers will be designated under the new 621 area code.

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It is anticipated this new area code will fulfill numbering requirements for the next nine years, PUCT claimed in their release.

"Houston—and all of Texas—continues to grow because our state offers freedom and opportunity that cannot be found anywhere else in the world," said Governor Greg Abbott. "This new phone area code is a testament to the economic strength and quality of life in the greater Houston area. I thank the Public Utility Commission for taking this critical step to improve telephone infrastructure to meet the demands of our growing state."

The inclusion of the 621 area code will not impact existing phone numbers and since the Houston area currently operates with multiple area codes, residents are already accustomed to dialing ten digits for local calls.

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Houston's original area code, 713, was established in 1947 as one of the initial four numbering plan areas assigned to Texas. In 1996, the 713 NPA was divided into two, leading to the relocation of most Houston suburbs to the 281 area code. Rapid growth led the PUCT to approve the removal of the boundary between the 713 and 281 area codes and introduce the 832 area code.

This action resulted in a three-area-code overlay for the entire Houston area, and residents were then required to utilize ten-digit dialing for local calls.

In 2013, the PUCT authorized the inclusion of the 346 area code.