At the moment, there are four area codes that service the State of Oregon – 503, 541, 971, 458. In the article below, we are going to discuss more about 503 area code. When we speak about Oregon, we have to say that next to West Virginia and Maryland, it is one of the completely overlaid states, since 2010. If you want to know what an overlay area code is we can say that it is whenever there is a need for a great number of new telephone numbers because of population increase, an overlay area code is needed.
When we speak about the four area codes mentioned earlier we can make the following classification:
- Standard area codes: 503 and 541
- Overlay area codes: 971 and 458
Standard area codes – 503 and 541
503 area code is a standard area code which services the northwestern part of Oregon. There are some major cities like Salem, Portland and others. This particular area code was put to service in 1947, and at the beginning it serviced the whole territory of Oregon. 50 years later, the number of people living in Oregon has increased drastically and the use of telephones expanded, so a new area code was seriously needed. For this reason, area code 503 was split and a new area code was put into service. It was area code 541.
541 area code is another standard area code which covers the remaining part of Oregon not being covered by area code 503. As we have mentioned before it was put to service in 1997, after area code 503 was split.
Overlay area codes – 971 and 458
971 area code is an overlay code of 503 area code. It means that this area code is in use in some areas covered by area code 503.
458 area code is another overlay code. It overlays area code 541, and was put to use in 2010.
Additional Info on Area codes 503 and 971
Area codes 503 and 971 service the same region of Oregon. When there is an overlay area code, there is a need for a 10-digit dialing. This means that the telephone number has 10 digits. The first three digits are for the area code (503 or 971) and then follows a 7-digit telephone number. This actually means that two different households can have the same telephone number, but they will have a different area code.
Portland is ne of the major cities serviced by area codes 503 and 971, but there are also some other big cities in Oregon covered by these area codes, like:
Calling someone while he or she is sleeping at night can be very unpleasant for both the caller and the called person. For this reason, before you decide to call someone, it is wise to check the current time in that area. Area codes 503 and 971 are positioned in the Pacific Time Zone, so it will be easy for you to calculate what the current time is in Oregon before you make the call.
We believe that we have successfully answered most of the possible questions you might ask about 503 area code. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us.