Area code 310 covers the western half of Los Angeles County — the Westside (Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice), the South Bay beach cities, and Santa Catalina Island. Split from 213 on November 2, 1991, 310 has become Los Angeles’s prestige code, “synonymous with the area of Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills” as the Los Angeles Times put it in 2005, the prefix actors and agents actively seek. For the full picture, see all California area codes.
| State | California |
|---|---|
| Primary city | Beverly Hills (Los Angeles Westside) |
| Coverage area | LA Westside, South Bay, Santa Catalina Island, small portion of Ventura County |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8 / UTC-7 DST) |
| Year established | November 2, 1991 |
| Original 1947 NPA? | No — split from 213 |
| Parent code | 213 |
| Overlay codes | 424 (2006 — first overlay in California) |
| Ten-digit dialing? | Mandatory since 2006 |
| Status | Active — desirable, limited inventory |
The Westside Code
Area code 310 is the telephone area code of the Los Angeles Westside and South Bay — Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Culver City, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, plus Santa Catalina Island 26 miles offshore. It is one of the few American area codes whose cultural reading is unambiguous: a 310 number signals West LA, entertainment industry, affluent coastal California. The territory was carved out of the original 213 area code on November 2, 1991, when explosive population growth forced California to split LA County into separate numbering plan areas for the first time. For more than three decades since, 310 has held its position as the Westside prestige code in a way no overlay code has been able to challenge.
History of Area Code 310
When the North American Numbering Plan was launched in 1947, all of southern California received a single area code: 213. By the late 1980s, after four decades of explosive population growth — Los Angeles County had grown from roughly 4 million residents in 1950 to nearly 9 million by 1990 — the 213 number pool was approaching exhaustion. The California Public Utilities Commission ordered a geographic split. On November 2, 1991, area code 310 was activated, carving the Westside, the South Bay, and a long stretch down to Long Beach out of 213. The new code became the 139th area code in service nationwide and the 12th in California. The split was contested — 213 residents resented losing territory, 310 residents resented being moved off the original code — but the split happened anyway.
Six years later, the territory shrank again. On January 25, 1997, area code 562 split off from 310 to cover the Gateway Cities of southeast LA County (Long Beach, Whittier, Lakewood) and parts of Orange County, narrowing 310 to its current footprint — west of the 110 freeway and Imperial Highway, plus Santa Catalina Island. The remaining 310 territory has been remarkably stable since then: roughly 500,000 residents on the Westside, the South Bay beach cities, and Avalon on Catalina.
The introduction of overlay code 424 on July 26, 2006 was politically contested. 424 was the first overlay area code in California, and Westside business and political organizations had spent the late 1990s arguing for an alternative — a geographic split at Imperial Highway (the LAX boundary) — which would have preserved seven-digit dialing for whichever side kept 310. South Bay governments opposed any split on standard “we’d have to reprint everything” grounds. The CPUC ultimately ordered the overlay instead. The practical effect was to lock in 310 as the long-tenured prestige code while 424 became the new-line marker — a hierarchy that persists today, with 310 widely considered the more desirable of the two codes for businesses signaling Westside presence.
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Browse 310 Numbers →Coverage Area
Area code 310 today covers roughly 500,000 residents across the western half of Los Angeles County and one offshore island:
- The Westside — Beverly Hills, West Hollywood (partial), Santa Monica, Malibu, Westwood, Brentwood, Bel Air, Pacific Palisades, Venice, Marina del Rey, Culver City, Mar Vista, Palms
- The South Bay — Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Torrance, Lawndale, Hawthorne, Gardena, Inglewood, Carson, Lomita, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills
- Santa Catalina Island — Avalon and the island’s interior, 26 miles offshore in the Pacific. One of the few US area codes that includes an offshore island as part of the rate-center territory
- A small portion of Ventura County around the Malibu border
Nearby Los Angeles County area codes include 213 and 323 (central LA and East LA), 818 and 747 (San Fernando Valley), 626 (San Gabriel Valley/Pasadena), 562 (Long Beach and Gateway Cities), 661 (Santa Clarita), and 424 (the 310 overlay). For full context, see how many area codes are in California.
The Cultural Weight of a 310 Number
Few American area codes have accumulated as much cultural weight as 310. The prefix maps almost exactly onto the geography of the American entertainment industry: the major talent agencies headquartered in Beverly Hills and Century City, the studios with operations on the Westside (Sony in Culver City, the production facilities throughout Santa Monica and Venice), the celebrity residential corridors of Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Malibu, the Rodeo Drive luxury district, and the Beverly Hills 90210 ZIP code that has been globally recognizable since the 1990s television show. The Los Angeles Times reported in a 2005 feature that actors and agents “actively seek 310 numbers” because, as the paper put it, “310 is synonymous with the area of Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills.” In 2026, Spokeo’s industry roundup placed 310 alongside Manhattan’s 212 on the most desirable area codes in America list, noting that 310’s “affluent coastal communities, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Malibu” make it one of a small handful of US prefixes that signal status independent of any geographic claim.
Beyond entertainment, 310 carries a specific kind of weight in West Coast hip-hop, alongside its older sibling 213 and the newer 323, as the standard territorial marker for LA. The prefix appears throughout West Coast rap as a geographic stand-in for Los Angeles itself, in the same way 212 functions for Manhattan and 305 for Miami. A 310 number today reads, depending on context, as Westside resident, entertainment industry, or someone who specifically sought out the prefix for what it signals.
310 vs. 424: The Westside Vintage Hierarchy
Two area codes serve the Westside and South Bay, and they form a clear vintage hierarchy. 310 dates to 1991 and reads as long-tenured Westside — someone with a 310 number has either had it for decades, is the original holder of an established business line, or specifically sought one out. 424 dates to 2006 and reads as post-2006 arrival. Businesses signaling Westside presence, real estate firms representing Beverly Hills properties, and individuals seeking to project entertainment-industry adjacency generally prefer 310 numbers when available. 424 numbers work identically for calling, billing, and service — the difference is cultural reading.
Frequently Asked Questions About Area Code 310
Where is the 310 area code?
310 covers the western half of Los Angeles County — Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu, Westwood, Brentwood, Venice, Culver City, the South Bay beach cities (Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Torrance), plus Santa Catalina Island.
When was area code 310 created?
November 2, 1991. It was created as a geographic split from the original 1947 area code 213, which had served all of southern California until then.
What’s the difference between 310 and 424?
Both serve the same geographic territory — the LA Westside, South Bay, and Catalina Island. They differ only in vintage: 310 dates to 1991, 424 to 2006. 424 was the first overlay area code in California. Calls between them are local. Ten-digit dialing is mandatory.
Is the 310 area code still being assigned to new lines?
Increasingly rarely. The 310 prefix pool has been near exhaustion for years, which is why 424 was added in 2006. Most new Westside and South Bay lines today are assigned 424 prefixes. New 310 assignments come from churn and the residual unassigned pool, both of which are minimal — which is why 310 numbers carry secondary-market value.
Is 310 a Beverly Hills area code?
Beverly Hills is in the 310 territory and is culturally central to the prefix’s prestige, but 310 also covers Santa Monica, Malibu, Westwood, Brentwood, the South Bay beach cities, and Santa Catalina Island. Beverly Hills shares 310 with all those other Westside and South Bay communities.
Why do actors and agents seek 310 numbers?
The major talent agencies and many entertainment-industry businesses operate from offices in Beverly Hills, Century City, and Santa Monica — all in the 310 territory. A 310 number on a business card or contact list signals direct Westside presence in a way 424 or other LA codes don’t, which matters in an industry built on perceived proximity to power.
Does 310 include Santa Catalina Island?
Yes. Avalon and the entire island of Santa Catalina, 26 miles offshore in the Pacific, are part of the 310 rate-center territory. This makes 310 one of the few US area codes that includes a major offshore island.
Is 310 a scam area code?
No. 310 is a legitimate, active area code for the LA Westside and South Bay. Like any prestige area code, scammers occasionally spoof 310 caller IDs (the prefix is heavily neighbor-spoofed by spam callers because California residents recognize and trust it), but the code itself is heavily used by real California businesses, government offices, and residents.
How to Get a 310 Phone Number
There are three ways to acquire a 310 phone number today:
- Sign up with a VoIP carrier. Google Voice, OpenPhone, Grasshopper, and similar services can occasionally provision a 310 number on request, though assignments have become rare as the 310 pool runs dry — most new Westside lines today are 424.
- Port an existing 310 number. If you already have a 310 number with another carrier, you can transfer it to a new service provider while keeping the digits. Works for landlines, cell phones, and VoIP. Learn how porting works.
- Buy from a specialist who holds curated inventory. Number brokers like 212areacode.com hold catalogs of available 310 numbers and sell them with a one-time fee, no recurring carrier charges. This is the only reliable option for choosing a specific memorable Westside number.
212areacode.com has been a curated source for premium area code numbers since 2009, with 310 inventory across Random, Business Class ($150+), Exclusive ($300+), and Wholesale Block tiers. Browse current 310 inventory or call (212) 580-2000.
