Area Code 708 – Illinois

Geographic Coverage and Jurisdiction

Area code 708 is a geographic North American Numbering Plan (NANP) code serving the state of Illinois, specifically the southern and western suburbs of Chicago. It is administered by the Illinois Commerce Commission and falls within the Chicago metropolitan area's suburban ring. The numbering plan area (NPA) 708 covers Cook County (excluding Chicago proper) and a portion of Will County, including municipalities such as Cicero, Berwyn, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Tinley Park, and Harvey. It also serves parts of the Calumet region and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor.

Dialing Formats and Procedures

Within the 708 area, callers must dial the 10-digit number (area code + central office code + line number) for all local calls, as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for overlay areas. The international format for calling a 708 number from abroad is +1 708 XXX XXXX. For domestic calls from outside 708, dial 1 708 XXX XXXX. Local calls placed within the same rate center may be dialed as 7 digits only if permitted by the local exchange carrier, but 10-digit dialing is universally recommended.

Overlay and Number Exhaustion

708 was originally split from 312 in 1989 and later split again in 1996 to create 630. To mitigate number exhaustion, an overlay area code, 464, was introduced in 2022, serving the same geographic region. This overlay requires all calls within the region to use 10-digit dialing. The introduction of 464 did not change the boundaries of 708; rather, it added additional numbering resources for new services.

Caller Instructions

• Local callers (within 708 or overlay 464): dial the 10-digit number (e.g., 708-555-0123).
• Domestic long-distance callers (from other U.S. area codes): dial 1-708-555-0123.
• International callers: dial the U.S. country code (+1), then 708-555-0123.

When traveling abroad, callers should note that the plus sign (+) is used to denote the international access prefix, which varies by country (e.g., 011 from the U.S., 00 from most European countries).

Technical Considerations

As a geographic code, 708 is allocated to both incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and competitive carriers. Number portability allows subscribers to retain their 708 numbers when switching providers within the same rate center. However, if a subscriber moves outside the 708/464 geographic area, they may be required to obtain a new area code. For VoIP services, 708 numbers can be used anywhere with a broadband connection, but the physical address associated with the number must be within the service area for E911 routing.