Area code 773 covers Chicago and surrounding areas in Illinois. It was activated in 1996 as an overlay of area code 312. Today it shares its territory with overlay code 872. For the full picture, see all Illinois area codes.
| State | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Primary city | Chicago |
| Cities also served | Chicago, Cicero, Berwyn, Evanston, Oak Park, Elmwood Park, Lincolnwood, Skokie |
| Time zone | Central (UTC-6 / UTC-5 DST) |
| Year established | October 12, 1996 |
| Original 1947 NPA? | No |
| Parent code | 312 |
| Overlay codes | 872 |
| Currently in use? | Yes, actively assigned |
| Ten-digit dialing required? | Yes |
History of Area Code 773
Area code 773 was activated on October 12, 1996 in connection with area code 312. The decision was driven by population growth and the exhaustion of available phone numbers in the original numbering plan area.
Since its activation, the geographic area covered by 773 has been reshaped by the following splits:
- 1996 — area code 773 split off to cover Area code 312, which had served all of Chicago since 1947, was split on October 12, 1996. The downtown Loop and innermost neighborhoods retained 312; all outer areas of Chicago became 773.
Overlay codes have been added to the same geographic territory in:
- 2009 — area code 872 activated as an overlay
Cities and Areas Served by 773
Area code 773 serves City of Chicago (outside the Loop and innermost neighborhoods), including O'Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, and portions of Cook County, including the following cities and communities:
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Browse 773 Numbers →- Chicago
- Cicero
- Berwyn
- Evanston
- Oak Park
- Elmwood Park
- Lincolnwood
- Skokie
Nearby area codes covering the same broader region include: 312, 872, 708, 847, 224, 630, 331.
Overlay Codes 773
Area code 872 shares the same geographic territory as 773 (added in 2009). New phone numbers in the region may be assigned either code.
Because multiple area codes serve the same area, ten-digit dialing is mandatory for all local calls. A call from any of these codes originates from the same geographic region in Illinois.
The Cultural Weight of a 773 Number
Area code 773 was born out of Chicago’s mid-1990s telecommunications pressure. By 1989, area code 708 had already been peeled off to serve the suburbs, leaving 312 for the city alone. By the mid-1990s, the rapid proliferation of cell phones and pagers pushed 312 toward exhaustion, and in September 1995, Ameritech proposed a geographic split to the Illinois Commerce Commission. The ICC approved the plan, and on October 12, 1996, area code 773 went into service as the 182nd area code in North America and the 9th in Illinois, covering all of Chicago outside the central business district. A permissive dialing period allowed 312 to reach the new 773 territory until mandatory ten-digit dialing took effect on January 11, 1997. By the mid-2000s, sustained growth again stressed numbering capacity; on August 10, 2007, the ICC announced that area code 872 would overlay both 312 and 773, entering service on November 7, 2009, and mandating ten-digit local dialing across all three codes. Today, 773 covers Chicago’s North Side, West Side, South Side, and both Midway and O’Hare airports, serving a geographic footprint far larger than 312’s Loop-centric territory.
The 773 area code maps almost perfectly onto the Chicago that most Chicagoans actually inhabit: Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Hyde Park, Pilsen, Bronzeville, Englewood, and the neighborhoods beyond. Hyde Park, on the South Side, is home to the University of Chicago and was the childhood neighborhood of Chance the Rapper (Chancelor Bennett), who grew up hearing Kanye West — himself a 773 product raised on the South Side — on local radio before going on to win three Grammy Awards including Best New Artist. The area code’s cultural weight extends to television: the fictional chef Carmy Berzatto in FX’s acclaimed series The Bear sports a 773 tattoo as a badge of Chicago neighborhood identity. The Pitchfork Music Festival, held annually at Union Park in the 773, has headlined artists from Wilco to Chance the Rapper himself. Bronzeville, one of the great centers of the Great Migration and the 20th-century Black arts movement, sits within 773, as does the Aragon Ballroom, the Riviera Theatre, and the Kingston Mines blues club in Lincoln Park. Chicago house music — a genre born in the city in the early 1980s — traces many of its foundational venues and record stores, including Gramaphone Records in Lakeview, back to what is now 773 territory.
How to Get a Phone Number with Area Code 773
There are three ways to get a phone number with the 773 area code, each suited to a different need:
- Buy from a premium-number specialist. Companies that hold curated inventories of specific area codes can sell you a 773 number directly, often with a one-time fee and ownership transferred to you (no recurring carrier fees). This is the option for picking a specific memorable number, or for getting an area code that most carriers won’t let you request. Browse our 773 inventory.
- Sign up with a VoIP carrier. Voice-over-IP services (such as Google Voice, OpenPhone, Grasshopper, and many others) can typically provision a 773 number on request, especially for active overlay codes. You won’t usually get to pick the specific number, but you’ll get a working line in the area code. This is the cheapest option for anyone who doesn’t need a particular number.
- Port an existing 773 number. If you already have a 773 phone number with another carrier, you can transfer it (port it) to a new service provider while keeping the number. This works for landlines, cell phones, and VoIP services, though landlines outside of Illinois sometimes can’t accept inbound ports of 773 numbers due to 911 routing rules.
Looking for a 773 number? 212areacode.com offers premium 773 numbers for Chicago, Illinois — choose your number, port it to any carrier in 3–5 business days, and pay a one-time fee with no monthly charges. Browse available 773 numbers →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 773 area code still in use?
Yes. 773 is actively assigned to new phone lines in City of Chicago (outside the Loop and innermost neighborhoods), including O’Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, and portions of Cook County.
What is the difference between 773 and 872?
Today they share the same geographic territory in Illinois. New phone lines in the area may be assigned either code. The two codes work identically for calling, billing, and service.
What is the parent area code of 773?
Area code 773 is an overlay of 312. Both codes serve the same region of Illinois.
Can I get a 773 number if I don't live in Illinois?
Yes. Phone numbers are no longer tied to a physical address. With VoIP service or a number broker, you can hold a 773 number from anywhere in the world. The number routes to whatever device or carrier you specify.
Is 773 a scam area code?
No. 773 is a legitimate, active area code for City of Chicago (outside the Loop and innermost neighborhoods), including O’Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, and portions of Cook County. Like any area code, scammers occasionally spoof 773 caller IDs, but the code itself is heavily used by real Illinois businesses, government offices, and residents.
What neighborhoods does the 773 area code cover?
Area code 773 covers the vast majority of Chicago outside the downtown Loop, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Hyde Park, Logan Square, Wicker Park, Pilsen, Bronzeville, and Englewood, as well as O’Hare and Midway airports. The Loop and innermost neighborhoods use 312.
Why does Chicago have three area codes — 312, 773, and 872?
Chicago started with 312 in 1947. In 1996, outer Chicago was split off as 773 due to number exhaustion. By 2009, demand again outpaced supply, so 872 was added as an all-services overlay covering the same territory as both 312 and 773. Ten-digit dialing is required for all local calls among the three codes.
Is 773 a toll-free number or a local Chicago number?
773 is a standard geographic area code, not a toll-free code. It serves the city of Chicago, and calls within the Chicago metropolitan area generally do not incur long-distance charges regardless of which of the metro’s several area codes are involved.
When did the 872 overlay begin, and what changed for 773 customers?
The Illinois Commerce Commission announced the 872 overlay on August 10, 2007, and it entered service on November 7, 2009. Existing 773 and 312 customers kept their numbers unchanged; the main impact was a shift to mandatory ten-digit local dialing for all calls within the Chicago overlay complex.
