Area Code 424

California

Area code 424 serves California, primarily Los Angeles, in the Pacific Time (PT) time zone. It is an overlay area code sharing territory with area code 310.

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 310 (Los Angeles).

In service since: 26-Aug-2006

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population: 1,891,078
Population Density: 2,340 people/sq mi
above U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income: $87,760
above U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate: 13.6%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate: 7.0%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment: Bachelor's Degree+
35.5%
near U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
31.9%

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

Pacific Time (PT)

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

Pacific Time (PT)

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

Major Cities

Los Angeles
Torrance
Inglewood
Compton
Carson
Santa Monica
Hawthorne
Redondo Beach
Lynwood
Gardena
Rancho Palos Verdes
Culver City
West Hollywood
Manhattan Beach
Beverly Hills
Lawndale
West Rancho Dominguez
West Carson
Willowbrook
Lomita
Lennox
Hermosa Beach
El Segundo
East Rancho Dominguez

and 13 more cities

Area Code 424 geographic coverage map (light mode)

Historical Timeline of Area Code 424

Area code 424 was activated on July 26, 2006, making it the first area code overlay implemented in California. It shares its geographic footprint with area code 310, covering western Los Angeles County. The overlay was originally approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in May 1998 but faced nearly seven years of delays due to public opposition, legislative intervention, and alternative relief exploration before finally going live. Source: Wikipedia

Key milestones:

1991: Area code 310 was created from a split of area code 213, covering west and south Los Angeles County. Source: Wikipedia
1997: Area code 562 was carved out of 310, taking southeast Los Angeles County and Orange County. This reduced 310's geographic footprint and accelerated numbering resource concerns. Source: CPUC D.00-09-073
1998: The CPUC issued Decision D.98-05-021 on May 7, approving the first area code overlay in California history, pairing 424 over 310 and requiring 1+10-digit dialing. Source: CPUC D.03-10-060
1999: Intense public opposition, led by Assemblyman Wally Knox and LA Times columnist Robert Scheer, prompted the CPUC to suspend the overlay in September (D.99-09-067). The California State Assembly passed the Consumer Area Code Relief Act of 1999, further delaying implementation. Source: Wikipedia
2000: A CPUC report found at least 3 million unused telephone numbers in the 310 NPA. The commission adopted a geographic split (Alternative 1A) as a back-up plan in Decision D.00-09-073. Source: CPUC Report on 310 Area Code
2003: The CPUC authorized implementation of the geographic split via Decision D.03-10-060, with permissive dialing beginning October 18, 2003. Source: CPUC D.03-10-060
2005: A coalition of major carriers (Cingular, Nextel, SBC, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) petitioned the CPUC to replace the split with an overlay. Decision D.05-08-040 approved the all-services overlay on August 25, reversing the previously adopted geographic split. Permissive 1+10-digit dialing began December 31. Source: CPUC D.05-08-040
2006: LA County's petition to suspend the overlay was denied in April (D.06-04-072). Mandatory 1+10-digit dialing began July 26, and new 424 numbers were issued starting August 26. Source: Los Angeles Times

The seven-year gap between initial approval and activation reflects the complexity of area code relief in densely populated urban regions, where public sentiment about mandatory 10-digit dialing carries significant political weight.

Regulatory History

The regulatory path to area code 424 involved eight years of CPUC proceedings and one FCC order. The commission's initial 1998 overlay approval was reversed under political pressure, replaced with a geographic split in 2000, authorized for implementation in 2003, and then overturned again in favor of the original overlay approach in 2005. Source: CPUC D.05-08-040

Year	Event	Docket	Regulatory Action & Impact
1998	Overlay approved	D.98-05-021	First area code overlay authorized in California. Required mandatory 1+10-digit dialing within the 310 NPA and creation of new 424 area code. Decision later suspended under political pressure. Source: CPUC D.03-10-060
1999	Overlay suspended	D.99-06-091	Temporarily suspended activation of 424 and mandatory dialing following petition from Assemblyman Wally Knox and civic groups. Mandatory 1+10-digit dialing eliminated pending further review. Source: CPUC D.00-09-073
1999	Conservation measures mandated	D.99-09-067	Suspended overlay indefinitely and instituted number pooling trial and conservation measures. Required carriers to return unused 10,000-number blocks and participate in pooling programs to extend 310 area code life.
1999	FCC delegation granted	FCC 99-248	FCC granted California delegated authority for number conservation measures including number pooling and fill rate requirements under CC Docket No. 96-98. Required a back-up relief plan when numbers in imminent danger of exhaustion.
2000	Geographic split adopted	D.00-09-073	Adopted Alternative 1A geographic split as back-up plan. Split would have divided 310 into northern (310) and southern (424) portions along Imperial Highway. Concluded overlay was not in public interest at that time. Source: CPUC D.00-09-073
2003	Split implementation authorized	D.03-10-060	Authorized geographic split implementation with permissive dialing schedule beginning October 18, 2003. Northern portion (Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu) retained 310; southern portion (Torrance, Compton, El Segundo) became 424. Plan later superseded. Source: CPUC D.03-10-060
2005	Overlay replaces split	D.05-08-040	Granted Joint Parties petition (Cingular, Nextel, SBC, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon) to modify D.00-09-073. Approved all-services overlay replacing geographic split. Established implementation schedule: permissive dialing Dec 31, 2005; mandatory Jul 26, 2006; new numbers Aug 26, 2006. Source: CPUC D.05-08-040
2006	LA County petition denied	D.06-04-072	Denied Los Angeles County's petition to suspend overlay implementation indefinitely. Confirmed overlay must proceed to ensure adequate numbering resources for the region. Source: CPUC D.06-04-072