Area code 270
Encyclopedia
Area code 270 currently serves the U.S. state
of Kentucky
's western counties. Area code 270 was split off area code 502
in April 1999.
In September and October 2006, state officials announced that the area code would run out of numbers in late 2007.
On May 31, 2007, the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that 270 will be split along the Pennyrile Parkway
, with the newly created area code, still to be announced, serving western Kentucky, and area code 270 serving west-central Kentucky. This announcement indicated that permissive dialing of the new area code would begin on April 1, 2008, with mandatory dialing to the new area code on October 1, 2008. Among the cities that will remain in the 270 area code are Bowling Green
, Owensboro
, and Elizabethtown
. Cities that were to have been ceded to the 364
area code included Madisonville
, Hopkinsville
, Henderson
, Murray
, and Paducah
, as will the Kentucky portion of the Fort Campbell
Army
base.
The PSC did note that mandatory number pooling
, recently imposed on the region, may delay the implementation of the new code. Surprisingly, the 502
and 859
area codes, which serve the urban areas of Louisville
(502) and Lexington
and Northern Kentucky
(both 859), have fewer numbers available than 270, and neither is expected to run out of numbers before 2017.
On June 13, 2007, the PSC announced that the new area code will be 364, but also announced that the previously announced implementation dates would be changed due to number conservation measures including expanded number pooling
.
On June 15, 2007, the PSC actually postponed the permissive dialing of the new 364 area code to October 1, 2008. Mandatory dialing to the new area code was changed as well, but the actual date is still TO BE DETERMINED by the PSC.
On November 1, 2007, the PSC again postponed permissive dialing of the new 364 area code, this time to January 1, 2009. Mandatory dialing to 364 is still TBD.
On March 31, 2008, the PSC again postponed permissive dialing of the new 364 area code, to April 1, 2010. Mandatory dialing to 364 is still TBD.
More recently, on June 2, 2009, the PSC even further postponed permissive dialing of the new 364 area code, to January 1, 2012. Mandatory dialing to 364 is still TBD. The split was suspended indefinitely on August 13, 2010 with no permissive dialing date. Most recently, in December 2010, relief was suspended completely. The split plan is now dead, but could be revived (or replaced with an overlay of 270) when necessary.
These subsequent delays or postponements of the implementation of the 270 / 364 area code split are due to further use of number conservation measures, including mandatory and expanded number pooling
, as well as a weakened economy and a reduced usage of telephone numbers dedicated for use by computer and fax modems.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's western counties. Area code 270 was split off area code 502
Area code 502
Area code 502 serves the state of Kentucky's north central counties, primarily Louisville, its suburbs, and the state capital Frankfort. Its service area encompasses the following Kentucky counties :...
in April 1999.
In September and October 2006, state officials announced that the area code would run out of numbers in late 2007.
On May 31, 2007, the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that 270 will be split along the Pennyrile Parkway
Pennyrile Parkway
The Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway is a controlled-access highway from Henderson to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The parkway begins at Henderson as a continuation of the limited-access U.S. Route 41 at exit 81; the northernmost three miles of the Pennyrile Parkway are signed as US 41...
, with the newly created area code, still to be announced, serving western Kentucky, and area code 270 serving west-central Kentucky. This announcement indicated that permissive dialing of the new area code would begin on April 1, 2008, with mandatory dialing to the new area code on October 1, 2008. Among the cities that will remain in the 270 area code are Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, Owensboro
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
, and Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state...
. Cities that were to have been ceded to the 364
Area code 364
Area code 364 was a proposed area code to serve western Kentucky, including the cities of Madisonville, Hopkinsville, Henderson, Murray, and Paducah and the Kentucky portion of the Fort Campbell Army base...
area code included Madisonville
Madisonville, Kentucky
Madisonville is a city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States of the Western Coal Field region, located along US 41 and The Pennyrile Parkway. The population was 19,307 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hopkins County. The city was named in honor of U.S...
, Hopkinsville
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...
, Henderson
Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more...
, Murray
Murray, Kentucky
Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky...
, and Paducah
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, as will the Kentucky portion of the Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
base.
The PSC did note that mandatory number pooling
Number pooling
Number pooling is a method of reallocating telephony numbering space in the North American Numbering Plan, primarily in growth areas in the United States....
, recently imposed on the region, may delay the implementation of the new code. Surprisingly, the 502
Area code 502
Area code 502 serves the state of Kentucky's north central counties, primarily Louisville, its suburbs, and the state capital Frankfort. Its service area encompasses the following Kentucky counties :...
and 859
Area code 859
Area code 859 serves the state of Kentucky.Area code 859 was split from area code 606 in 1999. Its service area encompasses the following Kentucky counties :*Boone County*Bourbon County...
area codes, which serve the urban areas of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
(502) and Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the name often given to the northernmost counties in Kentucky...
(both 859), have fewer numbers available than 270, and neither is expected to run out of numbers before 2017.
On June 13, 2007, the PSC announced that the new area code will be 364, but also announced that the previously announced implementation dates would be changed due to number conservation measures including expanded number pooling
Number pooling
Number pooling is a method of reallocating telephony numbering space in the North American Numbering Plan, primarily in growth areas in the United States....
.
On June 15, 2007, the PSC actually postponed the permissive dialing of the new 364 area code to October 1, 2008. Mandatory dialing to the new area code was changed as well, but the actual date is still TO BE DETERMINED by the PSC.
On November 1, 2007, the PSC again postponed permissive dialing of the new 364 area code, this time to January 1, 2009. Mandatory dialing to 364 is still TBD.
On March 31, 2008, the PSC again postponed permissive dialing of the new 364 area code, to April 1, 2010. Mandatory dialing to 364 is still TBD.
More recently, on June 2, 2009, the PSC even further postponed permissive dialing of the new 364 area code, to January 1, 2012. Mandatory dialing to 364 is still TBD. The split was suspended indefinitely on August 13, 2010 with no permissive dialing date. Most recently, in December 2010, relief was suspended completely. The split plan is now dead, but could be revived (or replaced with an overlay of 270) when necessary.
These subsequent delays or postponements of the implementation of the 270 / 364 area code split are due to further use of number conservation measures, including mandatory and expanded number pooling
Number pooling
Number pooling is a method of reallocating telephony numbering space in the North American Numbering Plan, primarily in growth areas in the United States....
, as well as a weakened economy and a reduced usage of telephone numbers dedicated for use by computer and fax modems.