310 vs 424: one area, two area codes

Same area, same phones

424 is an overlay: it covers exactly the same territory as 310, from Malibu and Santa Monica to Torrance and San Pedro. A 310 number and a 424 number work the same way on a mobile phone, a desk phone or an internet phone service, and calls within the area are dialed the same way, with 1 and the area code.

What differs is age. 310 has stood for this part of Los Angeles since 1991; 424 numbers have been issued only since August 2006.

Los Angeles area codes at a glance

• 310, since November 1991: split from 213 for the Westside, the coast and the South Bay. A new line gets one only if the carrier has one available.
• 424, since August 2006: an overlay on the same area, issued to new lines alongside 310.
• 213 and 323: downtown and central Los Angeles, including Hollywood, with a third code, 738, added on top in November 2024.
• 818 and 747: the San Fernando Valley, including Burbank and Glendale.
• 562: Long Beach and the southeast of the county, split from 310 in 1997.

When a 310 is worth it

A 310 number pays off where people see the number before they call it: a listing, a storefront, a business card, the sign on a job site. It suits a business that wants to look settled in the area, a firm based elsewhere that wants a local number for Westside or South Bay clients, and anyone moving here who wants a number that matches the new address.

When 424 is fine

For a fax line, a back-office extension, or a number that is mostly called from saved contacts, the code makes little difference. A 424 number is dialed exactly like a 310 number and rings just the same.