Area codes 760 and 442

Area codes 760 and 442 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of California. These area codes serve an overlay complex that comprises much of the southeastern and southernmost portions of California. It includes Imperial, Inyo, and Mono counties, as well as portions of North County San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Kern counties. Area code 760 was created on March 22, 1997 in a split of area code 619. Area code 442 was added to the same area on November 21, 2009.

History
Area code 760 was split from 619 in 1997, and 619 had been split from area code 714 in 1982. Within a decade of creation, the proliferation of cell phones and pagers left area code 760 under the threat of exhausting its central office prefixes. The initial relief plan was another area code split, with the San Diego and Imperial areas moving to a new 442 area code. However, this met with protests from businesses who did not want to change their numbers for the second time in a decade. Ultimately, the California Public Utilities Commission decided that 442 would be added as an overlay to 760. Since 2009 all users in the region have been required to include the area code even when dialing local calls.

At 46,666 sqmi, it is the largest numbering plan area in California with approximately 29% of the state served by area codes 760 and 442.

Service area
The following communities are located in the numbering plan area, in their respective counties.

Imperial County

 * Andrade
 * Bombay Beach
 * Brawley
 * Calexico
 * Calipatria
 * Desert Shores
 * El Centro
 * Heber
 * Holtville
 * Imperial
 * Mount Signal
 * Niland
 * Ocotillo
 * Ogilby
 * Palo Verde
 * Plaster City
 * Salton City
 * Salton Sea Beach
 * Seeley
 * Westmorland
 * Winterhaven

Inyo County

 * Ballarat
 * Big Pine
 * Bishop
 * Cartago
 * Darwin
 * Death Valley Junction
 * Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek
 * Furnace Creek
 * Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells
 * Independence
 * Keeler
 * Laws
 * Lone Pine
 * Mesa
 * Olancha
 * Panamint Springs
 * Pearsonville
 * Round Valley
 * Shoshone
 * Tecopa
 * West Bishop
 * Wilkerson

Kern County

 * Bodfish
 * Boron
 * California City
 * Cantil
 * China Lake Acres
 * Inyokern
 * Johannesburg
 * Kernville
 * Lake Isabella
 * Mountain Mesa
 * Onyx
 * Randsburg
 * Ridgecrest
 * Ridgecrest Heights
 * South Lake
 * Squirrel Mountain Valley
 * Weldon
 * Wofford Heights

Los Angeles County

 * Big Pines
 * Jackson Lake

Mono County

 * Benton
 * Bodie
 * Bridgeport
 * Chalfant
 * Coleville
 * Lee Vining
 * Mammoth Lakes
 * Swall Meadows

Riverside County

 * Bermuda Dunes
 * Blythe
 * Cathedral City
 * Chiriaco Summit
 * Coachella
 * Desert Center
 * Desert Hot Springs
 * Eagle Mountain
 * East Blythe
 * Indian Wells
 * Indio
 * La Quinta
 * Lost Lake
 * Mecca
 * North Shore
 * Palm Desert
 * Palm Springs
 * Rancho Mirage
 * Ripley
 * Sun City Palm Desert
 * Thermal
 * Thousand Palms
 * White Water

San Bernardino County

 * Adelanto
 * Amboy
 * Apple Valley
 * Bagdad
 * Baker
 * Barstow
 * Big River
 * Bluewater
 * Cadiz
 * Calico
 * Chambless
 * Cima
 * Daggett
 * Earp
 * Essex
 * Fort Irwin
 * Goffs
 * Halloran Springs
 * Helendale
 * Hesperia
 * Hinkley
 * Joshua Tree
 * Kelso
 * Landers
 * Lenwood
 * Lucerne Valley
 * Ludlow
 * Twentynine Palms Marine Base
 * Morongo Valley
 * Mountain View Acres
 * Nebo Center
 * Needles
 * Newberry Springs
 * Nipton
 * Oro Grande
 * Phelan
 * Piñon Hills
 * Pioneertown
 * Rice
 * Running Springs
 * Siberia
 * Sunfair Heights
 * Sunfair
 * Searles Valley
 * Trona
 * Twentynine Palms
 * Victorville
 * Vidal Junction
 * Vidal
 * Wrightwood
 * Yermo
 * Yucca Valley
 * Zzyzx

San Diego County

 * Bonsall
 * Borrego Springs
 * Camp Pendleton North
 * Camp Pendleton South
 * Carlsbad
 * Encinitas
 * Escondido
 * Fallbrook
 * Hidden Meadows
 * Julian
 * Lake San Marcos
 * Oceanside
 * Ocotillo Wells
 * Pala
 * Rainbow
 * Ramona
 * San Marcos
 * Santa Ysabel
 * Valley Center
 * Vista