323 Area Code: What It Covers, Its History, and How to Get a Number

Los Angeles is one of the most area-code-dense cities in the United States. With over 13 million people in the greater metro area — the second-largest in the country — understanding which code covers which neighborhood is practical knowledge for businesses and consumers alike.

The 323 area code covers central and east Los Angeles: Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Boyle Heights. The 310 area code serves the western edge — Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu, and the South Bay. Together, they map out the commercial and cultural core of one of the world's most recognizable cities.

Whether you are establishing a local business presence, running outbound campaigns, or trying to identify an incoming call, this guide covers everything you need to know about both codes.

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The 323 area code is assigned to central and east Los Angeles, California. It was created on January 14, 1998, splitting from the historic 213 area code as surging demand for phone numbers — driven by mobile phones, fax lines, and dial-up internet — exhausted the available 213 pool.

Under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), when a region runs out of numbers, regulators either divide it geographically or introduce an overlay — a second code sharing the same territory. The 323 area code started as a geographic split. In 2017, 213 and 323 were merged into a full overlay, so either code can now appear on a number from any neighborhood in central Los Angeles.

Dialing Format & Time Zone

• Dialing format: (323) 555-0198
• International: +1 323-555-0198
• Time zone: Pacific Time (PT) — UTC−8 Standard Time, UTC−7 Daylight Saving (March–November)
• All local calls within the region require 10-digit dialing

The 323 zone stretches across some of LA's most iconic and densely populated communities. Its geography reflects the city's historical development rather than a clean geometric boundary.

Key Neighborhoods & Cities

• Hollywood & East Hollywood — entertainment district, Walk of Fame, major studios
• Koreatown — one of the most densely populated urban neighborhoods in the US, with over 100,000 residents per square mile
• Silver Lake & Echo Park — creative and residential hubs with a thriving independent business scene
• Los Feliz — upscale hillside neighborhood adjacent to Griffith Park and the Hollywood Sign
• Boyle Heights & East Los Angeles — historically significant communities with a majority Latino population east of the LA River
• Highland Park & Eagle Rock — northeast LA neighborhoods undergoing rapid commercial and residential growth
• Commerce, Bell & Huntington Park — incorporated cities within the 323 service area with strong retail and logistics sectors

Bordering Area Codes

The 323 boundary sits adjacent to the 213/323 overlay (downtown), 310 (west LA), 818/747 (San Fernando Valley), and 626 (Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley). For a definitive address-level check, use the NANP Administrator lookup tool online.

The 310 area code covers west Los Angeles and the South Bay. Created in November 1991 as a split from 213, it serves some of the wealthiest and most commercially active zip codes in the country.

Major 310 Cities

• Beverly Hills & Bel Air — luxury residential and commercial zones immediately west of Los Angeles
• Santa Monica — coastal tech hub and heart of Silicon Beach, home to Snap, Hulu, and hundreds of startups
• Malibu — Pacific Coast Highway corridor and celebrity residential enclave
• Culver City & El Segundo — growing technology and aerospace industry hubs
• Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach & Redondo Beach — South Bay beach communities with strong hospitality and retail economies
• Inglewood — home to SoFi Stadium, venue for Super Bowl LVI (2022) and the 2028 Olympics

The 424 Overlay

In 2006, the 310 number pool was depleted and the 424 area code was introduced as an overlay. Both 310 and 424 cover the exact same west LA geography — a 424 caller is in the same territory as a 310 caller. Ten-digit dialing is required throughout the region.

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Los Angeles has more area codes than almost any other US city — a direct result of extraordinary population and technology growth over 80 years. The original 213 code, assigned to all of California in 1947, became the most sub-divided area code in the country.

• 1947: 213 assigned to all of California — one of the original NANP codes
• 1984: 714 splits off for Orange County
• 1991: 310 created (November) for west and south LA
• 1998: 323 created (January 14) as a geographic split from 213
• 2006: 424 introduced as overlay for 310
• 2017: 213 and 323 merged into a full overlay — both cover the same territory

Greater Los Angeles is currently served by six active area codes: 213, 310, 323, 424, 747, and 818. For businesses targeting specific LA communities, knowing the correct code provides essential context for establishing local credibility.

Los Angeles County has a population of approximately 10.1 million (2020 US Census), with the broader metro area exceeding 13 million. The county's GDP is approximately $1.1 trillion — larger than most countries if ranked independently. Central and west LA together generate the bulk of this output through entertainment, technology, finance, retail, and logistics.

Koreatown alone houses over 100,000 people per square mile, making it one of the most densely populated urban neighborhoods in the United States. Hollywood and the surrounding 323 zone drive the global entertainment industry. The 310 zone contains Silicon Beach — a technology corridor stretching from Santa Monica to Playa Vista — and is home to major aerospace firms and production studios.

For businesses, these numbers translate directly into market opportunity. A 323 or 310 number signals active presence in one of the world's most economically powerful and diverse metro markets.

Modern VoIP providers let you activate a 323 or 310 number in minutes — no physical office in Los Angeles required. Virtual numbers can be assigned to any device and managed from a central dashboard.

Steps to Activate

1. 1Choose a cloud phone or VoIP provider with Los Angeles number inventory
2. 2Search available numbers — filter by area code and preview specific combinations
3. 3Complete basic business verification (most providers require only minimal information)
4. 4Configure call routing, voicemail, auto-attendant, and CRM integration
5. 5Your number goes live, typically within minutes of activation

Who It's Built For

• Businesses entering the LA market without a physical office
• National teams running local-caller-ID outbound campaigns
• Remote teams serving LA-area customers who want a local touchpoint

MeraTalk supports Los Angeles area code numbers as part of its Wholesale Voice and cloud telephony platform — built for carriers, resellers, and enterprises. Explore MeraTalk's Area Code solutions at meratalk.com.

A Los Angeles area code delivers concrete, measurable advantages for businesses serving the LA market:

• Higher answer rates — research consistently shows local caller ID improves outbound answer rates by 20–30% compared with unknown out-of-area codes
• Instant credibility — a 323 or 310 number signals active local presence to customers, even from a fully remote team
• Market alignment — with a metro GDP of approximately $1.1 trillion, LA rewards businesses that look and feel local
• Number portability — virtual 323 and 310 numbers are fully portable across providers, protecting your investment in the number
• Scalable local presence — a local number paired with AI receptionist features, call recording, and CRM integration creates a seamless local experience at scale

Like all US area codes, 323 and 310 are regularly spoofed by bad actors who want calls to appear to originate from Los Angeles. Common tactics include impersonating utility companies, the IRS, local government agencies, or well-known LA businesses to extract personal information or payments.

How to Protect Yourself

• Never share personal or financial information with an unsolicited caller, regardless of the area code displayed
• Hang up on any caller claiming you owe money or face legal action — call the organization back using the number on its official website
• Enable spam detection through your carrier or use a call-blocking app to filter suspicious 323 and 310 numbers
• Report suspected scam calls to the FCC at fcc.gov/consumers

Caller ID spoofing costs bad actors almost nothing to implement. A local-looking 323 or 310 number on your screen is never confirmation that a call is legitimate. Apply the same scrutiny to any unsolicited call requesting personal information or payment.

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Frequently Asked Questions