Portions of central and northern Illinois, including McLean County, will get a new second area code by late next year or early 2023.
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has announced the nine counties in the 309 will get what the commission calls an overlay for a new 861 area code. That will go to all new customers for land line, cellular, paging or alarm services.
The ICC said the 309 area code is running out of available three-digit prefixes. When the 861 area code is added, new phone numbers will be assigned to 861 area code. Customers who have the 309 area code will keep it.
When that transition happens, callers will have to dial the full 10-digit number to place a call.
The 309 includes Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Moline, Rock Island, Pekin, Galesburg and the parts of Peoria, McLean, Rock Island, Tazewell, Knox, Henry, Woodford, Fulton and McDonough counties.
There will also be a new nationwide suicide prevention hotline starting next July. The hotline number will be 988.
