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Whether you live or have a business in Northern San Diego, plan to move there, or are interested in getting a San Diego area code, you’re in the right place. This is your comprehensive guidebook to all things 858 so you can learn the ins and outs of how the area code works.
What Is an Area Code?
An area code is the first three digits of a phone number and refers to a specific geographic location, usually the location you purchase the phone. All American area codes are regulated by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which creates and organizes these codes.
An area code acts as a routing code, allowing phone networks to direct incoming calls to the proper region and successfully connect them. This is a base networking system to set up your phone when it’s purchased, but calls will still be properly routed even if you move. AT&T set up the area code system in 1947 to allow for more numbers to be created and to distribute phone traffic across the country.
What Cities Are in the 858 Area Code?
The 858 area code is the code given to the Northern San Diego area by the NANP. 858 was created in 1999 and was the 260th code to be in service. 858 covers the city of San Diego and the majority of San Diego County along with neighboring towns, including:
- La Jolla
- Chula Vista
- El Cajon
- National City
- La Mesa
- Santee
- Poway
- La Presa
- Spring Valley
- Imperial Beach
- Lemon Grove
- Rancho San Diego
- Lakeside
- Solana Beach
- Del Mar
…and more. 858 also falls within the Pacific Standard Time Zone. What all this means is that if you buy a phone in the Northern San Diego area, 858 should be the code attached to your number.
Overlay Codes
Statista reports that there are over 361.66 million phone users in the US, many of them using more than one number. We are not yet at risk of running out of phone numbers, but there is definitely high traffic running through many area codes in popular cities like San Diego. Overlay codes have been introduced to spread out some of this traffic and ensure speeds stay fast.
Overlay codes and splits are essentially new area codes given to places that need to spread out their phone traffic. Everyone who already has a number with the original area code is able to keep it. The new code may be used for new numbers.
In the 858 San Diego region, another commonly used code is 619. 619 was actually created first in 1982 and overlaid the original 714 area code, as the number combinations were being exhausted. In 1997, 619 was split and 760 was used for certain regions instead. Despite this split, the strain on 619 still became too high, so 858 was added in 1999 to relieve the pressure.
Area code history in populated areas is a path full of many switches and overlays as each region gets their footing and traffic is more adequately spread out across numbers. The important thing to know is that 858 is the main Northern San Diego code in use today.
How To Find an 858 Area Code Number
The days of heavy phone books are long gone, but there are still digital ways to look up phone numbers if you want to get a hold of someone. As accessible as information feels these days, it can still take some work to find the right person’s contact, so here are some tips to get you started.
And, of course, only search people’s information if you have a legitimate and respectful reason to contact them.
People Search Engines
You can always start with a rudimentary Google search to see what you can find. But unless people are famous or have a strong online presence, you might not find much. If you want to find someone’s San Diego 858 phone number specifically, you’ll likely have better luck on a people search engine.
Some popular options include:
- Whitepages: Provides contact information and cell phone numbers for 260 million people nationwide. You can look people up by using their name and figure out if they have an 858 number.
- TruePeopleSearch: Results are free and you can find phone numbers, addresses, emails, relatives, and more.
- TruthFinder: Has access to billions of public records including contact information. You do have to pay to see more thorough search results.
- BeenVerified: Has people’s contact information and much more, but does require payment to see anything substantial. There should be a free trial option if you have a targeted search to do.
All of these sites also have a reverse phone number lookup option where you can put in someone’s 858 phone number. If they’re no longer living in San Diego and you want to send them something or check their location before you ask to meet up, you can enter their number on one of these sites.
As fun as it is to find your San Diego area code friends online, remember to always act ethically and responsibly when looking people up online. You don’t want your harmless desire to find their contact information to turn into something uncomfortable.
Other Search Options
In today’s digital age, you don’t always have to have people’s phone numbers to contact them. Often, social media pages will be even easier to discover, especially if a person is public and posts frequently.
It’s also worth mentioning that some people might find DMs on Instagram or messages on Facebook less invasive than a personal phone call. If you’re trying to contact someone in San Diego in a professional, business-based way, you can always look up their LinkedIn and message them there. They will probably find that interaction much more normal than an unsolicited phone call.
How To Dial an 858 Area Code Number
Numbers in the San Diego 858 area should always follow traditional American phone number format and rules. This means personal numbers should always have 10 digits beginning with 858.
If you want to properly format, you can follow the steps below:
- (area code) prefix-line number
The three digits following the area code are known as the prefix, and the remaining four are the line number. A standard Northern San Diego number should look like this:
- (858) 372-9731
When you dial this number, you don’t have to include the parentheses or dashes — those are only used when writing it. Just punch the numbers in and press the call button.
Calling An 858 Number Internationally
If you’re calling an 858 number from outside the country, you’ll have to add your country’s exit code and the US entry code to properly direct the call.
The format will look like this:
- Exit code + entry code (858) prefix-line number
For example, if you’re calling an 858 number from the United Kingdom, you’ll dial this:
- 0 +1 (858) 973-9721
0 is the UK’s exit code, and +1 is the USA’s entry code. You’ll have to look up your country’s exit code to make the call, but most countries use 0.
How To Get an 858 Area Code Number
If you want to get an 858 phone number, you have two main options. You can either go to a physical store in the 858 San Diego area and request to have 858 as your code, not 619. Or you can buy an 858 number from a virtual phone system provider like Burner.
If you’re moving to Northern San Diego or are opening up a business there, you may want to get a number with an area code that matches so people are more likely to pick up if you call. If your number is connected with a far off location, people may think it’s spam and not answer, which could significantly hurt both you and your business’ prospects.
If you want to get a custom phone number for personal needs without involving a real carrier company, you can use Burner phone. Burner allows you to pick your own number from the available options so you can find one that best fits your needs. If you’re looking to belong in the 858 region, try Burner today to get a number that fits right in.
The 858 Finale
So, now you know everything about Northern San Diego’s lovely area code: 858. Getting a phone number with an area code that matches your location will help you build credibility, make it less likely that people will ignore your calls, and help connect you with the city you live in, vacation to, or interact with.
Just be sure to look out for scammers who may use the 858 code to appear more credible just like you. And even if you don’t live there, 858 is still a great code to familiarize yourself with due to the popularity of the San Diego region.
So, use your best judgment, be responsible when looking people up online, and enjoy all that Northern San Diego has to offer.
Sources:
858 Area Code - Location map, time zone, and phone lookup | All Area Codes
How Many Phone Numbers Are There Across the World | DataProt
What are exit codes, and why do I need them? | Microsoft Support
