858 area code is used for emergency services in Australia. You can contact them by dialing 131 555 from your phone, and then pressing 0 at the prompt to connect you to their Emergency Services Centre.
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What is the 858 area code? Is it real or fake?
Area codes are used to identify telephone numbers within a specific geographic region. It was created in 1985 and covers parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
This area code has become very famous because of its association with the movie “Goonies”. The Goonies was a group of kids who went into the woods looking for treasure. They found a map to a secret cave where they discovered a time machine. Unfortunately, they accidentally traveled back to the 1980s. When they returned home, their parents had died and their house was being foreclosed upon. The kids were homeless. The movie Goonies helped bring this area code to national attention. The area code is associated with many other movies as well including Back to the Future and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
History
This became active on September 1, 1985. Prior to that date, there was no official area code for the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. That area covered two area codes: 213 and 310, which overlapped at certain points. Because there was so much overlap between these two area codes, some long-distance calls could not be completed. In addition, people were confused when they received phone bills from both area codes. For these reasons, the 718 and 780 area code was added to provide a more distinct service.
This new area code did not cover all of San Diego County, only parts of it. To prevent problems with overlapping coverage, Southern California Telephone Association (SCTA) members voted to extend the territory of the area code westward. On December 22, 1985, SCTA approved the extension of the 858 area to serve the following parts of California:
| San Bernardino, | Riverside, | Orange, | Santa Barbara, | Ventura, |
| Kern, | Imperial, | Maricopa, | Yuma, | Mohave, |
| Navajo, | Elko, | Las Vegas, | Boulder City, | Carson City, |
| Douglas, | Coconino, | Gila, | Graham, | Greenlee, |
| Humboldt, | La Paz, | Lincoln, | Modoc, | Mono, |
| Plumas, | Sacramento, | Shasta, | Sierra, | Tehama, |
| Trinity, | Tulare, | Tuolumne, | Yolo, | Butte Counties |
.
This extension was completed on October 1, 1986. At that point, thecode served parts of five counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties; along with the county boundaries of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yuba Counties. The 858 area is located entirely in southern California but does include parts of northern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
Read more about 850 area code
There are currently seven counties that do not have the area code 858: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Modoc, Mono, and Plumas. Currently, the area code extends up to the state line in the US State of Nevada. The 858 area also includes parts of the Canadian province of British Columbia. This is one of the few instances in North America where a United States area code completely surrounds another country.
Area code 858 Location map
How can I get an 858 area code?
If you live in Northern California or Nevada, you may want to consider applying for the code. If your current number is a six-digit number ending in 578, 951, 980, or 982, then you should apply. You will need to make sure that your new area code doesn’t conflict with any existing area codes.
If you already have a personal telephone number, you cannot simply transfer the number to the 858 area code without changing the prefixes. Instead, you must first change the prefix from area code 707 to 858 before transferring the number. Then, once you’ve changed the prefixes, you’ll need to call your service provider to request a new local access number, which may require a fee. Your provider may charge extra fees if you don’t use its own switchboard operator.
Is area code 858 a Toll free Number?
No its not free. They only fullfil the requirement pf communication between the business communities and users. So that’s why few charges apply on them.
Why did 858 get created?
In 1982, AT&T wanted to assign a new area code in order to expand its services. When this happened, they had to choose a new number because numbers would be available for assignment in 1983. They chose 858 as part of the 718/788 overlay plan. However, they decided to create an additional area code to help reduce unnecessary confusion among customers.
On March 4, 1984, AT&T issued a Request For Expressions Of Interest (RFEI) to determine whether people would like to receive the 855 area code. Within two months, more than half a million residents expressed interest in receiving the new area code. In response to this overwhelming response, Pacific Bell agreed to allocate 200 new numbers within eight weeks instead of the usual 12–16 weeks.
How do I call the 858 number?
To make a call to 858, you must first dial *228. You will be prompted for your calling party’s name and phone number. The caller should then follow the prompts on their device:
- Press 1 when prompted.
- Enter 858 as the extension (area code) in the next prompt.
- Enter your own phone number when prompted.
Your call to 858 is routed through the following steps using the E9X network:
1. Dial *228
2. Dial 0
3. Dial *0 or press 3
4. Dial the last four digits of the desired area code and dial 1
5. Dial the last three digits of the desired phone number
6. Press 2
7. Dial *
8. Answer all prompts
Top Cities in Area Code 858
| City | Total Population | % of 858 | % of City |
| San Diego, CA | 1,216,402 | 21% | 96% |
| Chula Vista, CA | 243,916 | 3% | 100% |
| El Cajon, CA | 98,478 | 1% | 100% |
| National City, CA | 57,582 | 1% | 100% |
| La Mesa, CA | 56,065 | 1% | 100% |
| Santee, CA | 55,413 | 1% | 100% |
| Poway, CA | 47,511 | 2% | 91% |
| La Presa, CA | 33,169 | 0% | 100% |
| Spring Valley, CA | 27,305 | 0% | 100% |
| Imperial Beach, CA | 26,324 | 0% | 100% |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 25,320 | 0% | 100% |
| Rancho San Diego, CA | 22,308 | 1.5% | 100% |
| Lakeside, CA | 22,348 | 0% | 100% |
| Winter Gardens, CA | 19,531 | 0% | 100% |
| Coronado, CA | 15,412 | 3% | 100% |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA | 16,542 | 0% | 100% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is area code 858?
Time Zone in Area Code 858: Eastern Standard Time (EST) – New York City, NY. The area codes for the entire state of Connecticut are 203 and 968.
Is (858) Area Code a Toll-Free Number?
In the past, people have been confused by the idea of calling toll-free numbers. In fact, this is not true. What they call as “toll-free” actually means that you do not need to pay for dialing it from your normal phone line. This means that if you live in an area where all calls are charged per minute, then using these services will save you money. However, there are many other types of charges that might occur while you’re making a call.
How can I find out my long-distance carrier’s rates?
We can also provide you with updated information about different carriers.
