404 Area Code: Metro Atlanta's Original Number

The essentials

404 area code: quick facts

How 404 became Atlanta's code

1. 1947: Area code 404 is introduced for the entire state of Georgia, its original statewide code.
2. 1954: Area code 912 is established as the first split from 404, covering southeast Georgia.
3. May 1992: Area code 706 opens for north Georgia.
4. August 1995: Area code 770 is introduced for metro Atlanta counties outside the city limits of Atlanta. The FCC's area code table gives the August 1995 opening date. The territory description comes from AT&T's area code page and Wikipedia.
5. Early 1997: BellSouth tells the Georgia PSC that Atlanta's growth will soon exhaust 770. The PSC's 1997–98 annual report says so.
6. January 1998: Area code 678 begins as an overlay for 404 and 770. The PSC reports it took effect that month.
7. 2001: The PSC schedules 470 as a new metro Atlanta code, to take effect by August 7, 2001.
8. 2010: The 470 code is implemented, according to the PSC's 2020 release.
9. October 2020: The PSC approves an overlay for metro Atlanta, which becomes 943.
10. March 15, 2022: Area code 943 begins service as an overlay for the 404, 470, 678, and 770 region.

Where area code 404 is used

The Georgia PSC describes the overlay region as the "404/470/678/770 region, which serves the metropolitan area of Atlanta and surrounding communities." Its 2022 release names cities in the region, such as Alpharetta, Marietta, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. It does not give county lines or an I-285 boundary.

Secondary sources describe a core inside I-285, and their county lists conflict. Because no official source confirmed a boundary, confirm a specific address with your phone provider before you assume its area code.

Why 404 ran out of numbers, and why overlays were chosen

Splits came first. The 1954 split created 912 for southeast Georgia, and the 706 code opened in May 1992 for north Georgia. The Georgia PSC's 1997–98 annual report says that in early 1997 BellSouth warned the Commission that Atlanta's growth would soon exhaust the 770 code.

The Commission then weighed two options. A geographic split would have changed the area code of over 1.5 million existing numbers. An overlay would give 678 only to newly issued numbers. After public hearings in Conyers, Peachtree City, Douglasville, Lawrenceville, and Marietta, the Commission chose the overlay plan, and 678 took effect in January 1998.

Overlays did not end the pressure. In October 2020, the Georgia PSC approved an overlay for metro Atlanta, and 943 began service on March 15, 2022. The PSC's 2020 release says NANPA warned that 404, 770, 678, and 470 would exhaust by the second quarter of 2023.

Neighboring area codes in Georgia

404 shares its metro region with several codes, and others cover the rest of the state. The table shows how each code relates to 404, based on the Georgia PSC and FCC sources in this guide.

Overlay codes that share 404's territory

An overlay adds a new area code to the same geographic area, so existing numbers do not change. Three overlay codes now serve the metro Atlanta region alongside 404:

• 678 (January 1998): an overlay on 404 and 770.
• 470 (ordered 2001): an overlay in the metro region. The PSC reports it implemented in 2010.
• 943 (March 15, 2022): an overlay on the 404, 470, 678, and 770 region.

Because the codes overlap, two neighbors on the same street can have different area codes. The area code does not show which building or floor a number belongs to.

Time zone and daylight saving time

Area code 404 uses Eastern Time. The IANA time zone database lists the name America/New_York for this zone, labeled "Eastern (most areas)" in its zone table.

Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. The NIST page says these rules were enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In 2026, the change dates are March 8 and November 1.

How to dial a 404 number

North American numbers have three parts: a country code, a three-digit area code, and a seven-digit local number. NANPA says the ITU assigned country code 1 to the NANP area. The Georgia PSC says customers in the overlay region dial 10 digits for local calls, so dial 404 plus the seven-digit number.

Caller ID and scams with a 404 number

The FTC warns that "Scammers can make any name or number show up on your caller ID. That's called spoofing." Scammers can also match the first six digits of your own number. The FTC calls this neighbor spoofing.

• If you pick up and do not recognize the caller, the FTC advises that you hang up.
• Letting an unknown call go to voicemail is one option.
• The FTC says call blocking is your best defense against unwanted calls.

A 404 number shows the code that was assigned, not who is calling or where they are. Because 470, 678, and 943 share the same territory, a 404 caller ID is not a reliable sign that the caller is in metro Atlanta.

Business numbers in the core and in the suburbs

404 is the original metro Atlanta code. 770 opened in August 1995 (FCC) for metro counties outside the city limits of Atlanta, so a suburban business may have a 770 number. The overlay codes 470, 678, and 943 serve the same metro region, so a 404 office and a 770 office can each be assigned numbers from them.

Because the codes share territory, route calls by team or extension, not by area code. Ask your provider which code a new line gets, since that depends on its current inventory.

Whether a specific 404 number can be assigned to your business depends on your phone provider and its current inventory. This guide does not make claims about availability.

Important: Confirm availability with your provider before you plan a campaign or print a number on materials.

Before you use a 404 number

• Confirm the number is available from your provider, and get its terms in writing.
• Ask who owns the number and whether it can be moved to another provider if you switch.
• Confirm which area code your line uses. 404, 470, 678, 770, and 943 all serve the metro overlay region.
• Set 10-digit dialing for 404, 470, 678, 770, and 943 numbers before you go live, because the Georgia PSC says overlay-region customers dial 10 digits for local calls.
• Route calls by team or extension, because 404 and its overlays share one territory.
• Check each site's address. The sources used here do not confirm county or I-285 boundaries, so confirm the address with your provider.
• Plan for caller ID. A 404 number does not prove who is calling, and neighbor spoofing copies the first six digits of your own number.

Related guides and tools

• 305 area code guide: Miami, for comparison with Metro Atlanta.
• 713 area code guide: Houston, for comparison with Metro Atlanta.
• Browse all U.S. area code guides, including overlay codes that do not have their own guide yet.
• Business phone system and call routing for local numbers in Metro Atlanta.

Frequently asked questions