View source for Area codes 904 and 324

{{Short description|Telephone area code for northeast Florida, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Area Code 904.svg|right|400px]]
'''Area codes 904 and 324''' are telephone [[area code|area codes]] in the [[North American Numbering Plan]] for most of the [[First Coast]] (northeast) region of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Florida]].  The numbering plan area comprises most of the metropolitan area of [[Jacksonville, FL|Jacksonville]]. It includes all of [[Duval County, FL|Duval County]], [[St. Johns County, FL|St. Johns County]], [[Nassau County, FL|Nassau County]], and [[Baker County, FL|Baker County]], and almost all of [[Clay County, FL|Clay County]]. Area code 904 was created in an [[area code split]] of [[area code 305]] in 1965. In 2024, the numbering plan received a second area code, 324
, through the creation of an [[overlay complex]] to mitigate central office code exhaustion and provide additional telephone numbers in the area.

==History==
In 1947, the [[American Telephone and Telegraph Company]] (AT&T) designated the entire state of Florida as a single [[numbering plan area]], and assigned [[area code 305]] as a [[destination routing]] code for [[Operator Toll Dialing]]. The southwest portion was split off in 1953 with [[area code 813]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://secure.nanpa.com/public-report/npa/search-area-codes/section/query
|title=NANPA area code search 813
|access-date=2025-04-30
}}</ref> The northern half of Florida, including [[Jacksonville]], was assigned area code 904 in 1965.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://secure.nanpa.com/public-report/npa/search-area-codes/section/query
|title=NANPA area code search 904
|access-date=2025-04-30
}}</ref>

This configuration persisted through 1988, when the east coast of Florida from [[Palm Beach County]] north through [[Brevard County]], as well as the [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] metropolitan area was assigned [[area code 407]].

In 1995, central Florida surrounding [[Ocala]] and [[Gainesville, FL|Gainesville]] was removed from 904 by the creation of [[area code 352]].<ref name=HELP>{{cite web|title=Area code 904 is in Florida|url=http://www.areacodehelp.com/where/area_code_904.shtml|publisher=Area code Help|accessdate=22 June 2012}}</ref> Later in 1995, the [[Florida Public Service Commission]] planned a three-way split to relieve the overcrowded 904 area code. In this plan, the Jacksonville area would be reassigned to the proposed area code 234, while the Daytona Beach LATA would be assigned [[area code 386]]. The Pensacola, Panama City, and Tallahassee areas would have kept area code 904. Area codes 234 was eventually assigned to an [[overlay complex]] in [[Akron, Ohio]].

Complaints from the public and businesses in the Jacksonville region, as well as opposition from [[NANPA]] and the [[Federal Communications Commission]], compelled the Florida PSC to adopt a different plan. The panhandle was assigned to [[area code 850]], with Jacksonville, [[Daytona Beach]], and the surrounding areas keeping area code 904.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.areacode-info.com/!headline/1997/fl970402.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020916194314/http://areacode-info.com/!headline/1997/fl970402.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-09-16 |title=Signals are switched in battle for 904 area code |first=Gary |last=Fineout |work=Tallahassee Democrat |publisher=areacode-info.com }}</ref>

With the proliferation of [[cellular telephone]]s, [[facsimile machine]]s, pocket pagers, and other telephone devices, area code 904 was projected for exhaustion of central office prefixes within four years. Rapid population growth around Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, and the rural areas between Tallahassee and Jacksonville required separate area codes for each. During planning for this division, it was determined that the northwestern portion of the old 904 territory was growing too quickly to stay in 904, even though it was not growing as fast as were the areas closer to Jacksonville. Although this northwestern portion of 904 was not nearly large enough for its own area code, the two nearest area codes, 850 and 352, were growing too quickly to absorb this portion of 904.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

This left only three viable solutions: split the Jacksonville metropolitan area into two numbering plan areas, overlay 904 with a second code, mandating [[ten-digit dialing]] which was a new concept at the time, or create two noncontiguous sections of a new numbering plan area. The Florida Public Service Commission, which oversees telecommunication in Florida, opted for the latter solution, and these two noncontiguous sections received [[area code 386]] in July 2001.

Since 904 was projected to exhaust in 2024, a new area code, 324, was approved to serve the same geographic area of area code 904, since February 26, 2024, requiring ten-digit dialing. Permissive dialing began in August 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.firstcoastnews.com/amp/article/news/local/new-324-area-code-announced-for-jacksonville/77-335e395e-9451-4c1a-b1ad-117e813ca43e | title=And the new area code is: 324. The new digits were announced for Jacksonville and surrounding communities | date=7 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>areacodehelp.com/where/area_code_324.shtml</ref> An alternative option that was considered was a boundary elimination overlay with 386 (erasing the 2001 split and its non-contiguous area) but that would result in a relatively short period of relief.<ref>{{cite web |title=Petition of the North American Numbering Plan Administrator |url=http://www.psc.state.fl.us/library/filings/2022/01299-2022/01299-2022.pdf |website=psc.state.fl.us |access-date=11 April 2023 |date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Telephones}}
*[[List of Florida area codes]]
*[[List of North American Numbering Plan area codes]]

==External links==
{{Area_code_footer|Map=FL}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.sprint.com/areacodes/florida/history.html Florida's Area code History]

{{Area code box | Width=50% | State = FL
|This =904/324
| N = [[area code 912|912]]
| S = [[area code 386|386]], [[area code 352|352]]
| E = [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| W = [[area code 386|386]]
| S1 = GA}}

[[Category:Area codes in Florida|904]]
[[Category:Area codes in the United States|904]]
[[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1965]]
[[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 2024]]
[[Category:1965 establishments in Florida]]