818 vs 626
San Fernando Valley · San Gabriel Valley
They're related. The eastern San Gabriel Valley portion split off from 818 as 626 on June 14, 1997.
818
San Fernando Valley
Region
San Fernando Valley and adjacent northern Los Angeles County communities
Type
geographic
In service since
1984
Overlay status
Active — overlaid by 747 since May 18, 2009 (ten-digit dialing required).
626
San Gabriel Valley
Region
San Gabriel Valley, eastern Los Angeles County, California
Type
geographic
In service since
1997
Overlay status
Proposed and pending — NANPA filed for an all-services overlay of 626 in February 2025 (CPUC Application A.25-02-004). As of this writing no CPUC decision has been issued, no overlay area code has been assigned, and none is in service. The 2025 application cited a then-current exhaust forecast of Q4 2027; the current forecast may differ (see the numbering data above), and forecasts can shift once a relief proceeding is under way.
How to read this. We compare only facts that have a source — place, history, and relationship. We deliberately do not score which area code is “better,” “more valuable,” or “more trustworthy”; those are not properties of an area code.
Other comparisons
Facts and dates are cited on each area code's profile (818 · 626); status and in-service data via NumberResearch. How this is made.