Area Code 318
Louisiana
Area code 318 serves Louisiana, primarily Shreveport, in the Central Time (CT) time zone. It has served the region since 01-Jan-1957.
Overlay Area Code
This area code is part of an overlay region, meaning the same geographic area is served by multiple area codes. Overlay codes were introduced to meet growing demand for phone numbers without requiring existing customers to change their numbers.
This area code shares its geographic region with: area code 457 (Shreveport).
In service since: 01-Jan-1957
Area Code Splits
Parts of this area code’s original geographic region were later assigned new area codes through splits. When a split occurs, some customers in the original area code region are assigned the new area code.
Split into: area code 337 (Lafayette).
Demographics & Economics
- Total Population
- 1,688,866
- Population Density
- 43 people/sq mibelow U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
- Median Household Income
- $50,067below U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
- Poverty Rate
- 23.5%above U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
- Unemployment Rate
- 6.5%above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
- Education Attainment
- Bachelor's Degree+20.6%below U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)High School or Lower41.1%
Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.
See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the Statistics dashboard.
Time Zone
- Central Time (CT)
NANPA Relief Status
According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), this area code is not currently listed as exhausting within the next 36 months. No relief planning is in progress for this NPA.
Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses
Current Time
Prefix Utilization
Geographic Coverage
State
LA
Major Cities
- Shreveport
- Bossier City
- Monroe
- Alexandria
- Ruston
- Natchitoches
- Pineville
- West Monroe
- Claiborne
- Minden
- Bastrop
- Red Chute
- Oakdale
- Tallulah
- Grambling
- Marksville
- Winnsboro
- Swartz
- Springhill
- Mansfield
- Haughton
- Jena
- Jonesboro
- Eastwood
and 178 more cities
Historical Timeline of Area Code 318
Area code 318 has a history spanning over seven decades, from its unusual origin as a temporary San Francisco dialing code in 1951 through its 2025 457 overlay, which was the first area-code overlay in Louisiana. Created in 1957 from a split of area code 504, 318 originally covered nearly all of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. Source: Wikipedia
Key milestones:
- 1951: Area code 318 was temporarily assigned as a destination code for San Francisco during initial direct-distance dialing (DDD) trials. Oakland used area code 415. The code distinguished San Francisco from Oakland/East Bay routing. Became obsolete by 1953 when the electromechanical card-translator enabled six-digit translation, and the Bay Area returned to 415. (Wikipedia)
- 1957: Created in a split of area code 504, Louisiana's original code from 1947. 318 covered all of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River, from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Arkansas border, including Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Lake Charles. It was the 104th area code placed in service in the North American Numbering Plan. (Wikipedia)
- October 11, 1999: Area code 337 split from 318 with permissive dialing. The southern portion of 318, including Lafayette, Lake Charles, New Iberia, and Opelousas, received the new code. NANPA authorized the split under Planning Letter PL-188. Mandatory dialing of 337 began March 13, 2000. (NANPA PL-617)
- May 5, 2023: The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) approved an all-services distributed overlay for the 318 NPA under Docket U-36659. The new area code 457 was designated as the overlay code. Based on NANPA forecasts, 318 was projected to exhaust by early 2026. (LPSC Press Release)
- June 23, 2023: NANPA issued Planning Letter PL-617, establishing the implementation timeline for the 318/457 overlay. PL-617 referenced PL-188 as the related previous planning letter for the 1999 337 split. (NANPA PL-617)
- August 26, 2024: Network preparation began. Carriers initiated technical preparations for the 457 overlay across their networks. (NANPA PL-617)
- February 24, 2025: Permissive 10-digit dialing began in the 318 region. Existing numbers, local calling areas, and rates remained unchanged. Three-digit services (911, 988, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, 811) continued to function. (LPSC Press Release)
- July 21, 2025: 457 central office codes became orderable through NANPA for service providers. (NANPA PL-617)
- August 25, 2025: Mandatory 10-digit dialing took effect. All calls within the 318 region required 10-digit dialing. The LPSC confirmed the transition. (LPSC Press Release)
- September 25, 2025: New 457 numbers became available for assignment. The 457 NPA coexists with 318 across the entire northern and central Louisiana region. NANPA test number 457-457-1457 was active from June 25 through October 25, 2025, for carrier network verification. (NANPA PL-617)
Area code 318's trajectory reflects the broader evolution of Louisiana's numbering plan. The code was created in 1957 to serve the state's western half, lost its southern parishes to area code 337 in 1999, and received the 457 overlay in 2025 as Louisiana's first area-code overlay. The LPSC Docket U-36659 regulatory process, spanning from the 2023 approval through the 2025 implementation, ensured a structured transition to 10-digit dialing for the region's 1,688,866 residents.
Regulatory History
Area code 318 has undergone two significant regulatory events over 26 years: the 1999 split creating area code 337 and the 2023 approval of the 457 overlay. Louisiana's numbering authority is delegated from the FCC to the LPSC, so all primary regulatory actions occur at the state level. Source: LPSC
| Year | Event | Docket | Regulatory Action & Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 337 split authorization | NANPA PL-188 | NANPA authorized the geographic split of area code 318 to create area code 337 for southern Louisiana (Lafayette, Lake Charles). Permissive dialing began October 11, 1999; mandatory dialing March 13, 2000. (NANPA PL-617) |
| 2023 | 457 overlay approval | U-36659 | The LPSC approved an all-services distributed overlay for the 318 NPA, designating area code 457 as the overlay. The decision was based on NANPA forecasts projecting 318 exhaustion by early 2026. This was Louisiana's first area-code overlay. (LPSC Press Release) |
| 2025 | Mandatory 10-digit dialing | U-36659 | Mandatory 10-digit dialing took effect August 25, 2025 in the 318 region. New 457 numbers became available September 25, 2025. Existing numbers, calling areas, and rates remained unchanged. Three-digit services (911, 988, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, 811) continued to function. (LPSC Press Release) |
County Coverage
Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 318).
| County | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Caddo, LA | 239,333 | 14.2% |
| Bossier, LA | 202,909 | 12.0% |
| Ouachita, LA | 196,645 | 11.6% |
| Rapides, LA | 173,969 | 10.3% |
| Avoyelles, LA | 83,773 | 5.0% |
| Grant, LA | 59,256 | 3.5% |
| Lincoln, LA | 59,047 | 3.5% |
| Jackson, LA | 52,262 | 3.1% |
| Winn, LA | 50,103 | 3.0% |
| Natchitoches, LA | 47,882 | 2.8% |
| Bienville, LA | 46,396 | 2.7% |
| Webster, LA | 44,301 | 2.6% |
| Claiborne, LA | 41,519 | 2.5% |
| Red River, LA | 34,824 | 2.1% |
| Union, LA | 34,431 | 2.0% |
| Franklin, LA | 30,287 | 1.8% |
| Morehouse, LA | 29,900 | 1.8% |
| De Soto, LA | 29,380 | 1.7% |
| Richland, LA | 28,045 | 1.7% |
| Sabine, LA | 27,043 | 1.6% |
| LaSalle, LA | 25,643 | 1.5% |
| Concordia, LA | 23,882 | 1.4% |
| Catahoula, LA | 22,989 | 1.4% |
| Madison, LA | 16,470 | 1.0% |
| Caldwell, LA | 13,452 | 0.8% |
| Allen, LA | 13,389 | 0.8% |
| Tensas, LA | 12,990 | 0.8% |
| Evangeline, LA | 12,146 | 0.7% |
| Vernon, LA | 10,273 | 0.6% |
| West Carroll, LA | 9,743 | 0.6% |
| East Carroll, LA | 8,427 | 0.5% |
| St. Landry, LA | 8,157 | 0.5% |
Area Code 318 Family Tree
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Area code 318 was originally assigned in 01-Jan-1957 to serve LA. Over the years, it has generated 2 descendant area codes through a combination of geographic splits and overlays as demand for telephone numbers grew.
Call Context
This area code spans a mix of urban centers and rural communities across LA, with Shreveport as a primary city.
Nearby Area Codes
Area codes geographically closest to 318.
Other Area Codes in Louisiana
Area codes that also serve Louisiana, linked for easy comparison.