Michigan’s Long-Awaited 679 Area Code Could Hit This November

After 25 years, Michigan is finally getting a new area code. The last time the state saw a brand-new area code was the launch of (269) in West Michigan in July 2002.

Fun fact: did you know a Michigan city was the first in the U.S. to assign individual telephone numbers?

Folks of a certain age will remember a time before the (269) era, when the (616) area code also included Kalamazoo and Allegan counties, and wasn't just for Grand Rapids. That's how old we are!

Look, I'm not going to even pretend that I know how phone numbers and phone number distribution works. It seems like a very complicated yet well-oiled machine, but as our population continues to grow, we've finally reached the point where, once again, we're running out of phone numbers.

According to TelCom Michigan, we originally started with three area codes in 1947:

• (313) - For Detroit and eastern Michigan
• (517) - For Lansing and central Michigan.
• (616) - For Grand Rapids, western Michigan and upper Michigan.

For years the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has been preparing us for the big change that's about to take place and it's coming sooner than you would think. Prepare yourself for Michigan's newest area code:

(679) for the Detroit Metro area

While officials believe the current (313) area code will last a few more years until early 2028, the MPSC advises that starting November 7, 2025,

customers in the 313 area code may be assigned a number with the new 679 area code when they request new service or an additional line. However, numbers with the new 679 area code will only be assigned to new customers once telephone numbers in the 313 area code have been exhausted. 

In preparation for the new area code, Metro Detroit callers have been required to use 10-digit dialing since October 7, 2025, as calls made with only seven digits are no longer completed. For example, instead of simply dialing "555-0123" you'll be required to include the specific area code: "(313) 555-0123". Note: there are no changes required for 9-1-1 or other abbreviated dialing codes.

Telecom Michigan expects 10 new area codes to be required in Michigan over the next 60 years.