View source for Area codes 916 and 279

{{short description|Area codes in California}}
{{California area codes image map|916}}

'''Area codes 916 and 279''' are telephone [[NPA code|area codes]] in the [[North American Numbering Plan]] for the region of [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], the state capital of the [[U.S. state]] of [[California]].

Area code 916 was one of the first three original area codes established in California in October 1947, originally assigned to the most northern part, but remapped in 1950 to the northeast. Area code splits have reduced the numbering plan area to the greater Sacramento area.

Area code 279 began service in an [[overlay complex|overlay]] in March 2018 to relieve an exhausting supply of [[central office code]]s in 916.

==History==
Originally, in 1947, the numbering plan area comprised the far northern portion of the state. In 1950, as part of a realignment of California's area codes, 916 was remapped to the northeastern corner of California, from the [[Sierra Nevada]] to the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]]. This involved changing Sacramento from [[area code 415]] to 916.{{Citation needed|date = October 2017}}

In 1958, 916 was reduced in geographic extend in the north, with the creation of new [[area code 209]] for the southern part.

The numbering plan area was split again in a [[flash-cut]] on March 1, 1959, when [[area code 707]] was created out of the northwest portion. On November 1, 1997, it was split again. The northeastern portion, including [[Redding, California|Redding]], [[Yreka, California|Yreka]] and [[Mount Shasta, California|Mount Shasta]], became [[area code 530]], reducing the 916 numbering plan area to Sacramento and its immediate area. Simultaneously, [[Dixon, California|Dixon]] was reassigned from 916 to 707. This split left 916 as the only one of the original 86 area codes that no longer contains any part of its original area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1947 Area Code Assignment Map|url=http://www.areacode-info.com/!maps/images/NANP1947.gif|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080408094911/http://www.areacode-info.com/!maps/images/NANP1947.gif|archive-date=April 8, 2008|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=areacode-info.com}}</ref>

In 2017, the CPUC approved an [[Overlay plan|overlay area code]] to take effect in 2018, as all available prefixes were expected to be allocated by December 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lillis|first=Ryan|last2=Fletcher|first2=Ed|date=March 29, 2016|title=Sacramento region eyes new area code as 916 phone numbers run out|work=[[The Sacramento Bee]]|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article68813762.html|access-date=April 14, 2021}}</ref> On February 9, 2017, the CPUC announced that the new overlay area code would be area code 279.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Renee|first=Alexa|date=February 10, 2017|title=How is a new area code selected?|url=http://www.abc10.com/news/local/how-is-a-new-area-code-selected/406846052|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212091017/http://www.abc10.com/news/local/how-is-a-new-area-code-selected/406846052|archive-date=February 12, 2017|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=abc10.com}}</ref> The new area code began service on March 10, 2018.<ref>[https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/916areacode/ 916 Area Code]. California Public Utilities Commission. Accessed on 2016-08-12.</ref>

==Towns and cities==
The numbering plan area encompasses Sacramento and its surrounding suburbs:

===El Dorado County===
*[[El Dorado Hills, California|El Dorado Hills]]

===Placer County===
{{div col|colwidth=9em}}
*[[Granite Bay, California|Granite Bay]]
*[[Lincoln, California|Lincoln]]
*[[Loomis, California|Loomis]]
*[[Newcastle, California|Newcastle]]
*[[Penryn, California|Penryn]]
*[[Rocklin, California|Rocklin]]
*[[Roseville, California|Roseville]]
{{div col end}}

===Sacramento County===
{{div col|colwidth=9em}}
*[[Antelope, California|Antelope]]
*[[Arden-Arcade, California|Arden-Arcade]]
*[[Carmichael, California|Carmichael]]
*[[Citrus Heights, California|Citrus Heights]]
*[[Elk Grove, California|Elk Grove]]
*[[Fair Oaks, California|Fair Oaks]]
*[[Florin, California|Florin]]
*[[Folsom, California|Folsom]]
*[[Foothill Farms, California|Foothill Farms]]
*[[Gold River, California|Gold River]]
*[[Isleton, California|Isleton]]
*[[La Riviera, California|La Riviera]]
*[[Locke, California|Locke]]
*[[McClellan Park, California|McClellan Park]]
*[[North Highlands, California|North Highlands]]
*[[Orangevale, California|Orangevale]]
*[[Parkway-South Sacramento, California|Parkway-South Sacramento]]
*[[Rancho Cordova, California|Rancho Cordova]]
*[[Rancho Murieta, California|Rancho Murieta]]
*[[Rio Linda, California|Rio Linda]]
*[[Rosemont, California|Rosemont]]
*[[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]
*[[Vineyard, California|Vineyard]]
*[[Walnut Grove, California|Walnut Grove]]
*[[Wilton, California|Wilton]]
{{div col end}}

===Sutter County===
*[[Pleasant Grove, California|Pleasant Grove]]

===Yolo County===
{{div col|colwidth=9em}}
*[[Clarksburg, California|Clarksburg]]
*[[West Sacramento, California|West Sacramento]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
*[[List of California area codes]]
*[[List of North American Numbering Plan area codes]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

{{clear}}
{{Area code box | State = CA
| This = 279/916
| N = [[area code 530|530]]
| S = [[area codes 209 and 350|209/350]], [[area code 925|925]]
| E = [[area code 530|530]]
| W = [[area code 530|530]], [[area codes 707 and 369|707/369]]
}}

{{coord|38.6|-121.5|region:US-CA|display=title}}

[[Category:Area codes in the United States|916]]
[[Category:Area codes in the United States|279]]
[[Category:Area codes in California|916]]
[[Category:Area codes in California|279]]
[[Category:Northern California]]
[[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1947]]
[[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 2018]]