Colorado Public Radio originally published this story at 12:46 p.m. on December 18, 2023.
Goodbye 970. Hello, 748.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission said Monday that, starting in 2026, residents requesting new phone line services in northern and western Colorado will be assigned the new 748 area code. The current area code for the geographic region, 970, is projected to run out of available phone numbers by the first quarter of 2026.
The 970 area code region currently stretches as far east as Julesburg and as far west as the Utah border. It includes people in Fort Collins, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, and Durango.
Customers with existing 970 area codes will keep their phone numbers. Only those who want to open new lines or move their service will be assigned the new 748 area code.
New phone lines with the new area code will work the same as existing numbers. Calls to emergency or information lines, such as 911, 211, and 311, will function normally. The PUC said it will work with major carriers to prepare for the transition.
“The implementation plan for the new area code will occur over a nine-month schedule that is completed at least six months before the projected exhaust quarter and includes telecommunications network preparation and direct customer education campaigns by service providers,” the commission said in a press release.
Once in place, 748 will be the second new area code introduced in less than five years. In 2022, state officials approved the introduction of the 983 area code to the Denver metro area, where residents previously received 303 or 720 area codes.
