Why the San Fernando Valley Got a Second Area Code

Did a call from the 747 area code just show up on your phone? You're hearing from one of Los Angeles's newer numbering regions. The 747 area code covers the San Fernando Valley — the same area long linked to 818. It exists because the valley's phone demand grew past its original supply of numbers.

This guide covers everything worth knowing about the 747 area code. You'll learn where it's located, which cities and communities it covers, and why it shares its territory with 818. You'll also learn what time zone it runs on, the scam patterns to watch for, and how to get a local 747 number if you're opening a business or expanding into the San Fernando Valley.

The 747 area code covers the San Fernando Valley. This large basin sits north of the Hollywood Hills and forms part of the city of Los Angeles and several surrounding communities. It's one of the most densely populated numbering areas in Southern California. The valley is home to major studios, aerospace employers, and a growing tech and logistics presence.

Major cities and communities in the 747 area code include:

• Burbank: home to major film and television studios
• Van Nuys and North Hollywood: dense commercial and residential hubs at the valley's core
• Woodland Hills and Tarzana: suburban communities on the valley's western edge
• Northridge and Reseda: home to California State University, Northridge and surrounding neighborhoods
• Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Studio City: affluent communities along the Ventura Boulevard corridor

747 is an overlay, not a geographic split. That means it doesn't have exclusive rights to this territory. A new phone number issued in Burbank or Van Nuys today could just as easily come back as an 818 number, since both codes now share the exact same area.

The San Fernando Valley was originally part of the 213 area code. This was one of California's original three area codes, assigned when the state's numbering plan launched in 1948. On January 7, 1984, regulators split off the 818 area code. This move relieved pressure on 213 as the valley's population and phone demand grew fast. Further north, that same kind of Southern California growth later forced regulators to carve out the 661 area code around Bakersfield. In 1997, regulators reduced 818 again when they carved out the San Gabriel Valley as area code 626. That narrowed 818 to roughly its current San Fernando Valley footprint.

By the mid-2000s, even 818 alone was running short of number combinations. Regulators didn't want to split the territory a third time and force residents to change their numbers. Instead, they approved 747 as an all-services overlay covering the same footprint as 818. The first numbers went out starting October 11, 2009.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved the 747 overlay on April 24, 2008. The new code went into effect on May 18, 2009, according to the official CPUC decision. Regulators chose an overlay because public feedback favored it over a geographic split. Existing 818 customers kept their numbers, and only new lines got the 747 code.

747 and 818 now share the same territory, so the region requires mandatory 10-digit dialing for every call. This applies even between two neighbors calling each other in the same Burbank zip code. If your business phone system still assumes 7-digit local dialing, it's worth double-checking that.

The entire 747 area code sits in the Pacific Time Zone, observing:

• Pacific Standard Time (PST): UTC−8, in the winter months
• Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): UTC−7, from early March through early November

That means if you're calling a 747 number from the East Coast, you're generally three hours ahead. Keep this in mind before you dial early in the morning or late in the evening.

Area code 747 itself is completely legitimate. It's simply an overlay code for a large, real part of Los Angeles. But like most active area codes, scammers frequently spoof it. They fake a local caller ID so residents are more likely to answer a call that looks like it's coming from their own neighborhood.

Common scams reported against 747 numbers include:

• Government impersonation: callers posing as the IRS, Social Security Administration, or a process server threatening legal action or claiming your identity was stolen
• One-ring (Wangiri) scams: a call rings once and disappears, hoping you'll call back a premium-rate number
• Fake studio and entertainment industry scams: bogus casting calls or production job offers targeting the valley's entertainment workforce
• Neighbor spoofing: scammers deliberately match the first six digits of your own number to appear more trustworthy

If you get a suspicious call from a 747 number, don't share personal or financial information. Hang up on any recorded message demanding immediate payment, and report the call to the Federal Trade Commission. The area code isn't the problem — caller ID spoofing simply makes it easy for bad actors to borrow it.

If you want a 747 number for personal or business use, the fastest option today is a cloud business phone platform. With a provider like Softtop, getting a 747 number takes just a few steps:

1. 1Sign up for a free trial — no credit card required
2. 2Open your number inventory and search California → 747
3. 3Choose a local DID, toll-free number, or vanity number from Softtop's US inventory of 800+ area codes
4. 4Assign it to a team, an AI Receptionist, or an individual extension
5. 5Go live in minutes with unlimited US calling included

Softtop provisions numbers instantly and supports number porting with zero port-out fees. If you're switching providers rather than starting fresh, you can move an existing 747 number onto the platform in five to ten business days.

Beyond simple geography, a local 747 number gives a business real advantages when reaching customers across Burbank, Van Nuys, and the wider San Fernando Valley. This market overlaps closely with businesses also operating under the neighboring 818 area code:

• Higher answer rates: people are more likely to pick up a call that looks local
• Regional trust: a familiar area code signals you're accessible and invested in the community
• Marketing consistency: a local number pairs naturally with localized ads, listings, and campaigns
• No physical office required: cloud phone systems let you serve the region without leasing space there

On Softtop, every 747 number is backed by the same tools used across the platform. That includes an AI Receptionist that answers every call in under a second, full call recording and transcription, CRM sync with HubSpot and Salesforce, and 99.999% uptime backed by an SLA.

The 747 area code is far more than a random string of digits. It's the overlay code for one of Los Angeles's most recognizable regions, the San Fernando Valley, stretching from Burbank's studio lots to Woodland Hills' suburban corridors. It runs on Pacific Time, has shared its footprint with 818 since 2009, and traces its roots back to the original 213 area code that once covered all of Los Angeles.

Like any widely used area code, 747 is also a target for caller ID spoofing. A little healthy skepticism toward unexpected calls goes a long way. And if your business wants to build a genuine local presence in the San Fernando Valley, getting a number no longer requires a physical office or a new phone line. A cloud platform can have you calling, texting, and answering customers as a local business within minutes.

Whether you're trying to identify an unfamiliar call or planning your next market expansion, understanding the 747 area code puts you one step ahead. That means knowing its geography, history, and quirks.