It will be here before you know it. The Oregon Public Utility Commission is reminding Oregonians they'll soon have to dial ten digits to make calls in the 503-area code. Clatsop and Tillamook counties were left out because they have not had enough growth to warrant being included in the overlay.
Callers can prepare for the change now.
With a partial overlay, new numbers will be assigned the 971 area code. It is projected the new area code will have a projected life of nine years before the numbers are exhausted. We chose the overlay because the new area code will last longer and we think the federal regulators will be requiring ten-digit dialing eventually anyway. Commission Chairman Ron Eachus said. This way we won't have to keep splitting the Portland Metro region into smaller and smaller areas.