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A new Utah area code is set to begin in less than 2 weeks, but not a lot of people know about it. On March 1, all Utahns will have to start dialing 10-digit phone numbers even if they want to call their next-door neighbor.
Utahns are accustomed to the 801 and 435 area codes, and some are not ready for the new one. The 385 area code will overlay Salt Lake, Weber, Davis, Morgan, and Utah counties. That means phone customers will need to dial 10 digits every time they make a call.
Cedar City resident Tyler Brinkerhoff said, "I think it's going to take more time."
South Jordan resident Christian Hind said, "I guess it's going to be a pain." And Cindy Hilton told KSL, "I don't like it. I'm not happy with what's going to happen, and I don't think most people realize that's what it's going to be."
Most people we spoke with don't know the new area code and don't know that 10-digit dialing starts in just 2 weeks.
Brinkerhoff said, "I didn't realize it was that soon. I knew it was coming, but I didn't know it was that soon." Hind says he thought it was scheduled for June or July.
Automatic 7-digit dialing on work phones, cell phones, fax machines and even old dial-up computer modems will have to be reprogrammed to 10 digits.
Of all the people we talked to, Michelle Wade is the only one who knew the new area code, has already reprogrammed her numbers, and doesn't think it's a big deal. "It's just adding three more numbers to it. It shouldn't be a problem," she said.
If you dial 7 numbers in Utah after March 1, a recording will remind you about the 10-digit dialing and force you to do it before the call is connected. Callers will have to dial 1 before the area codes only for long-distance calls.
Also, new phone numbers just might be assigned the 385 area code.
For more information on the new area code, see the related links on this page.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
