The zone to be served by both area codes runs from the Kentucky state line in the North to Rutherford County in the South, and from Dickson County across to Center Hill Lake in the East.
629.
That’s the new area code that will be added in parts of Middle Tennessee starting in 2015—when the 615 area code is projected to run out of available phone numbers.
The two codes will cover the same geographic area. That way, nobody needs to change an existing 615 number, but new phone lines will get the new code. It also means every local call will require an area code.
Shirley Mills runs a stall at the farmer’s market. She’s frustrated about the idea dialing ten digits instead of seven.
“Especially when you arthritis and carpal tunnel in your hands, and you can already get those numbers in and then you have to key in THREE MORE numbers.”
In the past, when a Tennessee area code ran out, the zone was split to make new one. Earlier this week, the Tennessee Regulatory Authority voted unanimously to use the so-called “overlay” option this time after seeking public input.
Daniel Potter also contributed to this story.
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