Area code 323 — Central Los Angeles, outside downtown
Created in 1998 to take everything in central Los Angeles that was not downtown, leaving 213 with the core. Nineteen years later regulators recombined the two into a single overlay complex — so the boundary 323 was created to draw no longer exists, and both codes now cover the same ground.
New numbers available in 323Area code 323 covers central Los Angeles outside the downtown core — Hollywood, Los Feliz, Highland Park and the neighbourhoods wrapped around the city centre.
Since 2017 it has shared its territory with 213, and since 2024 with 738 as well. All three now cover the same complex.
Area code 323 at a glance
- State
- California
- County
- Los Angeles County
- Region
- Central Los Angeles, outside downtown
- Time zone
- Pacific Time (PT)
- In service since
- 1998
- Type
- Geographic code
How a 323 number is built
Every North American number has four parts. Knowing where the seams fall answers most of what people ask about 323.
Cities and areas served by 323
- Hollywood
- West Hollywood
- Los Feliz
- Highland Park
- Eagle Rock
- Montebello
- Huntington Park
Codes sharing the same area
2 other codes cover the same ground as 323.
Nearby area codes
Bordering California and the surrounding region. A number in one of these is close to 323 but not in it.
How 323 came about
A code made by drawing a line through Los Angeles, and then unmade by rubbing that line out.
- Before 1998One code for central LAAfter the 818 and 310 splits, 213 still covers downtown Los Angeles and a broad ring of neighbourhoods around it. The pool continues to drain.
- 1998The line is drawn323 is split from 213, taking Hollywood, Los Feliz, Highland Park and everything else outside the downtown core. 213 is left covering little more than the civic and financial centre — the fifth time it had been cut back.
- 2006–2009Neighbours switch to overlays424 is overlaid on 310 and 747 on 818. Across Los Angeles the split is abandoned as a technique: adding a code on top of a territory replaces carving the territory up.
- 2017The boundary is removedRather than run two adjacent codes toward exhaustion separately, regulators recombine 213 and 323 into a single overlay complex. The 1998 boundary stops meaning anything: both codes now serve both territories.
- November 2024A third code on the same ground738 is activated across the combined complex, adding capacity without any further boundary change.
Which code should you choose?
Three codes now cover central Los Angeles. Since 2017 the choice between the first two is about association, not location.
| Code | Since | How it reads |
|---|---|---|
| 323 | 1998 | Hollywood and central LA outside the core |
| 213 | 1947 | Downtown and old Los Angeles; the original |
| 738 | 2024 | New. The widest choice of available numbers |
| 818 | 1984 | Wrong side of the hills — the San Fernando Valley |
A business in Hollywood or Los Feliz reads naturally on 323. One trading on a downtown address usually prefers 213. Since the 2017 recombination either is obtainable in either place.
What people get wrong about 323
Is 323 used for spam calls?
323 is spoofed as a generic Los Angeles prefix. It has a specific advantage for a fraudster over 213: it reads as residential and ordinary rather than institutional, which suits a call pretending to be a neighbour, a delivery or a local service rather than a bank. Caller ID is a display field rather than proof of origin — a 323 on screen says nothing about where a call came from. Treat any unexpected request for payment or personal details as suspect — so confirm anything unexpected on a number you looked up rather than one you were read.
Area code 323 FAQ
What area code is 323?
323 covers central Los Angeles outside the downtown core, including Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Highland Park and Eagle Rock. Since 2017 it shares an overlay complex with 213.
What is the difference between 323 and 213?
Historically, 323 took central Los Angeles and 213 kept downtown after the 1998 split. Since the two were recombined into one overlay complex in 2017 there is no geographic difference — both codes serve the same area.
Is 323 Hollywood?
Hollywood sits in 323, yes, along with much of central Los Angeles. But the code covers a far wider area than Hollywood alone, and since 2017 numbers can also be issued from 213 in the same neighbourhoods.
When was the 323 area code created?
In 1998, when it was split from 213 to take everything in central Los Angeles outside the downtown core. It was the fifth split of 213.
Can I still get a 323 number?
Yes. 323 is still issuing numbers across the combined 213/323 complex. If you want the widest choice of endings, 738 has the largest unassigned pool.
What time zone is the 323 area code in?
Pacific — UTC−8 in winter, UTC−7 in summer, three hours behind the east coast.
Is 323 a good area code for a Los Angeles business?
It reads as central Los Angeles without the specifically downtown association 213 carries. For a business in Hollywood, Silver Lake or the surrounding neighbourhoods it is the more natural of the two.
How do I get a 323 business number?
Search 323 inventory, take a number and set routing up. Since the 2017 recombination you can hold one anywhere across the central Los Angeles complex.
Why do 323 and 213 now cover the same area?
Because in 2017 regulators recombined the two territories into a single overlay complex rather than let two adjacent codes approach exhaustion separately. It is an unusual reversal — numbering areas normally only subdivide.
Is 738 the same area as 323?
Yes. 738 was activated in November 2024 as an additional overlay on the combined 213/323 complex, covering identical ground rather than a new area.
Getting a 323 business number
323 numbers are still being issued, so a business anywhere can hold one and route it to wherever its team actually works — you do not need an address in California.
- STIR/SHAKENAttested, so calls are less likely to show as spam
- AI receptionistCover for the hours nobody is at a desk
- Free portingIf you already hold a 323 number
- Recording & SMSOn the same line, no add-on