New Area Code Hits Region on June 2

The 805 area code is almost out of phone number combinations. In order to add new numbers to most of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties, and part of Monterey County, the Public Utilities Commission is assigning 820 as the new area code. However, because the new code for new numbers will be sprinkled along the 805 region — a choice made to avoid forcing people in geographic swaths to switch to a new number — as of June 2, all telephone users must add 1-805 or 1-820 to the number they dial.